As I work my way through the class running records, checking the reading ages of all your kids, I am finding that comprehension is something that the majority of the class will be working on in some way throughout the year. I've looked for some tips for helping out at home and so thought I'd share them here. I hope they're helpful!
(This is from www.readingrockets.org)
Firstly, what exactly is comprehension?
Comprehension is the understanding and interpretation of what is read. To be able to
accurately understand written material, children need to be able to
(1) decode what they read;
(2) make connections between what they read and what they already know; and
(3) think deeply about what they have read.
One big part of comprehension is having a sufficient vocabulary, or knowing the meanings of enough words.
So...
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.
What parents can do to help at home
- · Hold a conversation and discuss what your child has read. Ask your child probing questions 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 non-fiction/informational text.
