Beginning with picture books, developing reading comprehension skills is critical for early readers. It will help school-aged children understand textbooks, newspapers, and other more complex texts as they get older.
1. Allow them to read aloud. This encourages them to read more slowly, giving them more time to process what they read and thus improving reading comprehension. Furthermore, they are not only seeing but also hearing the words! You can also alternate reading aloud.
2. Provide books at the appropriate level. Make sure your school-aged reader gets plenty of practice reading simple books. They should be capable of comprehending at least 90% of the words without any assistance. Stopping more than once to figure out a word makes it difficult for children to focus on the overall meaning of the story.
3. Reread to improve your fluency. Fluency is the ability to read quickly and smoothly in order to gain meaning from text and encourage reading comprehension. Your child should be able to read 90 words per minute by the beginning of third grade, for example. Rereading familiar, simple books gives your child practice decoding words quickly, allowing them to improve their reading comprehension. (Check out these expert-approved beginner books for simple books your child will enjoy rereading.)
4. Speak with the teacher. If your child is having difficulty with reading comprehension, they may require additional assistance in expanding their vocabulary or practicing phonics skills. (Pete the Cat Phonics Box Set and other sets are entertaining ways to help your child develop important phonics skills.) An educator can advise you on the best course of action to take.
5. Add to their class reading. Look for easy-to-read books or magazines on the topic if your child's class is studying it. Some prior knowledge will help them navigate more difficult classroom texts and promote reading comprehension.
6. Discuss what they're reading. This "oral processing" assist them in recognizing and thinking about the book's themes. To encourage reading comprehension, ask questions before, during, and after a session. As an example: Before: "What aspects of this book arouse your interest? What doesn't stimulate your interest?" During: "What exactly is going on in the book? Is it turning out the way you expected? What do you expect to happen next?" After: "Could you please summarize the book? What did you find appealing about it? What other books does it make you think of?"
