Having a purpose while reading and understanding that purpose can help with comprehension because it allows students to know what they are looking for while they read. The can focus on important parts and not extra information.
Thinking aloud shows readers how to make sense of the text they are reading. Chrsi Tovani speaks of two useful things to do in order to think aloud with texts: 1. select a short piece of text, photo copy a section for your readers and provide a transparency that you can point to so everyone can see, 2. Foresee difficulty, consider what could cause students to be confused or loose their way.