10 Steps to Comprehension
1.
When you read with your child, ask them questions (see examples below)
as they move through the book: Why did Mr. Smith do that? How do you think
Suzy feels?
2.
Help your child make text-to-self connections. Ask them how they feel
about a situation in the book or what they would do if they were the character in
the book.
3.
Help them make text-to-text connections. Ask them: What other stories
have you read that talk about going on a trip?
4.
Make sure they are reading at their level. A book that is too hard frustrates
a child. A book that's too easy doesn't challenge him.
5.
Set aside at least 20 minutes to read every day.
6.
Help your child find books that they enjoy. This keeps them motivated.
7.
Make reading more important than TV.
8.
Model reading yourself. Children need to see parents read for fun.
9.
Encourage writing. Have children write about what they have read or keep
a daily journal.
10.
Build vocabulary. One big part of comprehension is having a sufficient
vocabulary, or knowing the meanings of enough words. Readers who have
strong comprehension are able to draw conclusions about what they read what
is important, what is a fact, what caused an event to happen, which characters
are funny. Thus comprehension involves combining reading with thinking and
reasoning.
How to Help Students Develop Comprehension
What kids can do to help themselves
Use outlines, maps, and notes when you read.
Make flash cards of key terms you might want to remember.
Read stories or passages in short sections and make sure you know what
happened before you continue reading.
Ask yourself, "Does this make sense?" If it doesn't, reread the part that
didn't make sense.
Read with a buddy. Stop every page or so and take turns summarizing
what you've read.
Ask a parent or teacher to preview a book with you before you read it on
your own.
As you read, try to form mental pictures or images that match the story.
What parents can do to help at home
Hold a conversation and discuss what your child has read. Ask your child
probing questions (see examples below) about the book and connect the events
to his or her own life. For example, say "I wonder why that girl did that?" or "How
do you think he felt? Why?" and "So, what lesson can we learn here?".
Help your child make connections between what he or she reads and
similar experiences he has felt, saw in a movie, or read in another book.
Help your child monitor his or her understanding. Teach her to continually
ask herself whether she understands what she's reading.
Help your child go back to the text to support his or her answers.
Discuss the meanings of unknown words, both those he reads and those
he hears.
Read material in short sections, making sure your child understands each
step of the way.
Discuss what your child has learned from reading informational text such
as a science or social studies book.
Questions To Ask Kids Before, During, and After Reading
1. Who is the story mostly about?
2. If you could add a page to the book, what would you write?
3. If you could change the ending of the story, what would you write?
4. What did you like about the story? What did you not like?
5. What does it remind you of in your life? (Text to Self)
6. What is the main problem in the story?
7. How is the problem solved?
8. What is the setting of the story (where and when did it take place)?
9. What is one thing that happens to the main character?
10. Does it remind you of any other books you have read? (Text to Text)
11. What is the genre of the text (fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, biography, historical
fiction, realistic fiction, play, etc.)?
12. Does it remind you of anything that has happened in the world? (Text to
World)
13. Why do you think the author wrote the book?
14. How does the main character change from the beginning of the story to the
end?
15. Name 3 things that you know about the main character.
16. Are there any characters that remind you of yourself or someone that you
know?
17. What is the most important thing to remember in the story?
18. How would this book be different if it had been written 10 years earlier, or 10
years later?
19. Compare this book with another you have read. How do they differ? How are
they alike? Which do you like better?
20. How would this book be different if it had been written for an older child? How
would it be different if it had been written for a younger child?
21. If you could interview the author, what would you ask him/her?
22. Tell me three facts, theories, or incidents you thought were interesting in this
non-fiction book.
23. Analyze the title and cover. Do they accurately reflect the content? Why or
why not?
The best way to stretch students' thinking about a text is to help them ask
increasingly challenging questions. Some of the most challenging questions are
"Why?" questions about the author's intentions and the design of the text. For
example:
"Why do you think the author chose this particular setting?"
"Why do you think the author ended the story in this way?"
"Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from the point of view
of the _____?"
Another way to challenge readers is to ask them open-ended question that
require evidence from the text to answer. For example:
"What does the main character think about _____? What is your
evidence?"
"Which character in the story is most unlike _____? Explain your reasons,
based on evidence from the novel?"
"What is the author's opinion about _____? How do you know?"
