Comprehension
Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is being read. To comprehend the text, children must read fluently, understand vocabulary, and make connections between what they read and what they already know. Comprehension allows a child to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to become a competent reader. It goes beyond recalling words off of a page. When a child lacks comprehension skills, it affects their academic success.
Here are a few signs that will let you know that your child is having difficulty in the area of comprehension:
It takes them a long time to read the text.
They hate reading.
They need help to ask and answer questions based on the text.
They need help summarizing what the text is about.
The child is unable to identify key facts from the text.
Here are some suggestions to assist your child with comprehension:
Let your child use graphic organizers during reading time. It’s a visual learning strategy that supports them in organizing their thinking and writing process and helps them demonstrate their knowledge about a topic. Click here for a free website for graphic organizers.
Get them excited about reading and help them make connections to the text.
Chunk the text into paragraphs and have the child summarize what they’ve read.
When your child is answering questions about the text, have them go back to the book to highlight and identify the answer.
Discuss the meaning of unknown words.
Ask open-ended questions such as, “What do you think the author is trying to convey in this text?
Annotate the text. Allow the child to use sticky notes and write in the book. It allows the child to comment, ask questions, and mark events/passages they want to revisit.
The end goal of reading comprehension is to help students develop the necessary skills to become competent readers.