My 8-year-old, Leo, is in the third grade. He can read just fine, he’s at grade level for decoding and fluency, but when I ask him about what he’s read, he just…blanks. He’ll say "I don’t know" or repeat back a single sentence, but he doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening in the story. It’s frustrating!
We read together every night for about 20 minutes. We alternate pages in whatever chapter book his teacher assigned, or if it’s a school break, something from the library that looks interesting. I thought reading aloud with him would help, but it doesn’t seem to be making a difference in his comprehension. He’s getting discouraged too. He says reading is "boring" which breaks my heart because I love reading!
Are there specific strategies or exercises I can do with him while we read, or maybe after, to help him actually understand what he’s reading? I’m not looking for extra homework-type things, just things we can naturally incorporate into our reading time so it doesn’t feel like a chore. I’m worried he’s going to fall behind and lose his love for books altogether. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! What works best for kids his age?
Answer
To help your child improve their reading comprehension, consider a multi-faceted approach addressing various skills and engagement strategies. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of potential actions:
I. Foundational Skills Reinforcement:
- Phonics Awareness: Ensure a strong foundation in phonics. If your child struggles to decode words accurately and fluently, comprehension will be hindered. Work on recognizing letter sounds, blending sounds to form words, and segmenting words into individual sounds. Use phonics-based games, workbooks, and activities. If significant difficulties persist, consider a reading specialist or tutor.
- Vocabulary Development: Explicitly teach new vocabulary.
- Pre-teaching: Introduce key vocabulary words before reading a text. Discuss their meanings, provide examples in different contexts, and explore synonyms and antonyms.
- Contextual Clues: Teach your child how to use contextual clues within the text to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words. Practice identifying different types of clues, such as definitions, examples, comparisons, and contrasts.
- Morphological Awareness: Teach prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Understanding how words are built can unlock the meaning of many unfamiliar words.
- Reading Widely: Encourage reading a variety of texts to expose your child to a wider range of vocabulary.
- Vocabulary Notebook: Have your child keep a vocabulary notebook to record new words, their definitions, and example sentences.
- Fluency Practice: Work on reading fluency. Fluent readers can read accurately, quickly, and with expression, allowing them to focus on understanding the meaning of the text.
- Repeated Reading: Have your child read the same passage multiple times, focusing on improving speed and accuracy.
- Choral Reading: Read aloud together with your child, taking turns reading sentences or paragraphs.
- Reader’s Theater: Participate in reader’s theater activities, where your child can practice reading scripts with expression.
- Audiobooks: Listen to audiobooks together, modeling fluent reading and exposing your child to different reading styles.
II. Active Reading Strategies:
- Previewing: Teach your child to preview the text before reading. Look at the title, headings, subheadings, pictures, and captions to get an idea of what the text is about. Ask them to predict what they think they will learn.
- Setting a Purpose: Before reading, discuss the purpose of reading. What are you hoping to learn or find out?
- Asking Questions: Encourage your child to ask questions before, during, and after reading.
- Before Reading: What do I already know about this topic? What do I want to learn?
- During Reading: Am I understanding what I’m reading? What words do I not know? What are the main ideas?
- After Reading: What did I learn? What questions do I still have?
- Making Connections: Encourage your child to make connections between the text and their own experiences, other texts they have read, and the world around them.
- Text-to-Self: How does this text relate to my own life?
- Text-to-Text: How does this text relate to other things I have read?
- Text-to-World: How does this text relate to the world around me?
- Visualizing: Encourage your child to create mental images of what they are reading. This can help them to better understand and remember the text.
- Summarizing: Teach your child how to summarize what they have read. This involves identifying the main ideas and key details and putting them into their own words. Start with summarizing paragraphs, then move on to summarizing entire pages or chapters.
- Monitoring Comprehension: Teach your child to monitor their own comprehension as they read.
- "Fix-Up" Strategies: If they realize they are not understanding something, encourage them to use "fix-up" strategies such as rereading, looking up unfamiliar words, or asking for help.
- Annotating: Teach your child to annotate the text as they read. This involves highlighting key information, writing notes in the margins, and underlining important details.
III. Engaging with the Text:
- Choice and Interest: Allow your child to choose books that interest them. When children are engaged in what they are reading, they are more likely to comprehend it.
- Reading Aloud: Continue reading aloud to your child, even after they are able to read independently. This exposes them to more complex vocabulary and sentence structures, and it allows you to model fluent reading and discuss the text together.
- Discussion: Talk about what your child is reading. Ask open-ended questions that encourage them to think critically about the text.
- What was the main idea of the story?
- What were the key events?
- What were the characters like?
- How did the story make you feel?
- What did you learn from the story?
- Creative Responses: Encourage your child to respond to what they have read in creative ways.
- Writing: Write a book review, a letter to a character, or a sequel to the story.
- Art: Draw a picture of a scene from the story, create a character collage, or design a new book cover.
- Drama: Act out a scene from the story, create a puppet show, or write a play based on the book.
- Technology: Create a slideshow, a video, or a podcast about the book.
- Real-World Connections: Connect reading to real-world experiences. Visit places related to the books they are reading, cook recipes from the books, or participate in activities inspired by the stories.
- Make it Fun: Reading should be enjoyable. Create a positive and supportive reading environment. Avoid pressure or criticism. Celebrate successes and encourage effort.
IV. Addressing Specific Challenges:
- Learning Disabilities: If you suspect your child has a learning disability, such as dyslexia, seek professional assessment and support. Early intervention can make a significant difference.
- Attention Difficulties: If your child has difficulty focusing, break reading sessions into smaller chunks, provide a quiet reading environment, and use visual aids and hands-on activities.
- Emotional Barriers: If your child has negative feelings about reading, try to identify the source of these feelings and address them. Focus on creating positive reading experiences and building confidence.
- Language Barriers: If English is not your child’s first language, provide support with vocabulary and grammar. Use bilingual books and resources, and encourage them to read in their native language as well.
V. General Tips:
- Be a Role Model: Show your child that you value reading by reading yourself.
- Create a Reading-Rich Environment: Make books and other reading materials readily available in your home.
- Establish a Reading Routine: Set aside time for reading each day.
- Be Patient and Supportive: Learning to read takes time and effort. Be patient and supportive of your child’s efforts.
- Communicate with Teachers: Talk to your child’s teacher about their reading progress and any concerns you may have.
- Use Technology Wisely: Utilize educational apps and websites to supplement reading instruction.
By implementing these strategies consistently and tailoring them to your child’s individual needs and interests, you can significantly improve their reading comprehension skills and foster a lifelong love of reading. Remember to focus on making reading enjoyable and creating a positive learning environment.
