Reading guides designed to take a reader through three levels of comprehension--literal, interpretive, applied--can be useful to the shop teacher. The actual teacher-led, hands-on activity at the third level helps students develop a sense of independence in the comprehension process. Organizational pattern guides also help students comprehend technical material. The most common patterns are cause/effect, comparison/contrast, time order, and simple listing. Because vocabulary development is so important in vocational shop areas, the structured overview can be used to present familiar words and to teach new technical terms associated with particular lessons. Word puzzles and matching vocabulary exercises also assist in reinforcing the students' knowledge of the definitions of technical words. Finally, the cloze procedure provides the shop teacher with a simple, economical, and quick way of matching the reading level of the student with the level of the textbook. (Includes samples of each type of guide and exercise.) (JL)