This paper discusses six instructional techniques for strengthening strategies of comprehending written language: the language experience approach to develop awareness of the sensible nature of language; story-division to strengthen semantic prediction; reader-illustrations to develop thought units; paragraph-analysis to reduce uncertainty; literal terms to apprehend inferences; and audio-self-monitoring to strengthen correction of nonsensical substitutions. It is argued that a diagnostic prescriptive approach to instruction involves the focusing upon and utilization of comprehension. Such an approach seeks to discover what readers have comprehended from previous instruction and experience and prescribe lessons to intensify and extend strategies used for comprehending. (TS)