Reading comprehension is an essential skill that your child must have to be successful in all areas of school. The ability to comprehend text is based on your child's background knowledge and understanding of a variety of subjects and ideas, writes Thomas G. Gunning, author of "Reading Comprehension Boosters: 100 Lessons for Building High-Level Literacy." You can help your child enhance his reading comprehension skills by incorporating several activities into his practice time.
Step 1
Take a book walk with your child. Flip through the book, look at the pictures and make predictions, recommends Gunning, so she begins to build familiarity with the book. Preview the title and discuss what the book might be about, add Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, authors of "Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement," so your child is able to make predictions that align with the general idea of the book.
Step 2
Read the book or a chapter of the book together. Give your child Post-it notes so he can mark pages where he has questions or does not understand what is happening. Do not answer the questions now, but save them for the second reading of the story.
Step 3
Ask your child what the story is about. Review the pictures or text to give her prompts or clues. Review where your child marked in the story and encourage her to think about possible answers to her questions as she re-reads the book or chapter.
Step 4
Re-read the book or chapter together. As you read, ask your child questions that build on his background knowledge, recommend Harvey and Goudvis. Encourage him to think about situations or experiences that he has had that are similar to what is happening in the story. Address each area where he placed a Post-it note.
Step 5
Instruct your child to re-read the book or chapter to herself. Ask her a series of questions about the book or chapter after she is done reading. Include questions about the characters, plot, setting and ending.
Step 6
Make a list of questions your child has after he has finished reading. Use a dictionary to define any words he does not understand. Seek out additional resources, such as books or websites, to provide him with more background information about the story.
Tips and Warnings
- Writing has strong connections to comprehension, say Harvey and Goudvis. Encourage your child to write stories that build on the ideas she develops when she reads. Writing her own stories will help build her background knowledge so she is better able to understand what she reads. Teach your child how to skip words she cannot sound out because this can improve comprehension as she uses the clues from surrounding text to make sense of what she reads.
- Do not criticize your child if he struggles to understand the book. Keep working with him until he is able to grasp what is happening in the story so he will be motivated to continue learning.
Things You'll Need
- Books
- Post-it notes
References
- "Reading Comprehension Boosters: 100 Lessons for Building High-Level Literacy"; Thomas G. Gunning; 2010
- "Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement"; Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis; 2007
