MSD of Steuben County webinar: reasoning and mental models boost early reading comprehension

MSD of Steuben County hosted an evening webinar for families focused on reasoning and mental models, two comprehension skills teachers say help young readers understand text.

Jonathan Winslow, director of elementary education at MSD of Steuben County, opened the session and described reasoning as “the process of thinking logically to form conclusions or judgments,” noting that in reading this includes making inferences and identifying cause and effect.

The webinar’s nut graf: district staff said word-recognition skills (phonics, fluency and phonemic awareness) remain crucial, but comprehension depends on vocabulary, background knowledge and the ability to form mental pictures and logical connections while reading.

Winslow said the district teaches comprehension through thematic units across grade levels and by asking students to answer questions and write about reading to demonstrate understanding. He described mental models as “the pictures that we make in our minds based on the information we read,” which help readers visualize settings, characters and sequences of events.

Kiona Beierwalter, a first-grade teacher at Ryan Park Elementary School for MSD of Steuben County, presented practical strategies parents can use at home. She recommended frequent stops during reading to ask children what they picture, to prompt sensory details (what they might see, hear or smell), and to have children draw or orally describe their mental images.

Beierwalter outlined question prompts parents can use, including “What do you think will happen next and why?” and “If your character made a different choice, how might the story change?” She also encouraged asking children to “defend your argument” when they offer predictions, and to use story clues to infer a character’s feelings.

Classroom and home supports mentioned by presenters include Core5 by Lexia (used on student Chromebooks for phonics and comprehension practice), the Indiana Learning Lab (free family resources from birth through grade 12), and ReadWorks (free reading passages and embedded questions). Winslow shared a question-stems guide (bit.ly/QuestStems) and QR codes linking to those resources.

District details shared during the webinar: teachers aim for 10–15 minutes of focused vocabulary instruction most days; thematic units provide background knowledge across grades; visualization, questioning and writing are used as assessment and practice tools. The presenters said these techniques support not only reading but also critical thinking across subjects.

The session closed with an announcement that the final webinar in the series will be April 22, 5:30–6:15 p.m., focusing on supporting student writing; the Literacy Coalition and a representative from the Carnegie Public Library were listed as expected guests.