Focus on Reading Comprehension
by Rachel Stout, Kindergarten Teacher
Reading is not only decoding words but putting meaning into what was read. Reading comprehension is a very important part of reading. Ever get to the end of a page and wonder what you just read? Reading comprehension is understanding what you read as well as thinking about what you read.
In this article, I want to share some of the important reading strategies we work on in all the grade levels (yes, even in Kindergarten!). The reading strategies below are from the books Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis and Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller. When reading with your child at home, you can work on these strategies to reinforce what we are learning at school. You can pause reading and do "think-alouds" with your child to practice these strategies.
Good readers do the following:
Predict
Make predictions about the book right away. Start by looking at the cover and illustrations. Predict what you think the book will be about. Good readers think as they read. Stop and predict what will happen next in the story. Draw conclusions as you put information together. Reflect while you read.
Connect (Prior Knowledge)
Think about your own life when you read something. Think about what you may already know about the topic you are reading about (text-to-self connection).
Think about how the book may be similar to another story (text-to-text connection).
Think about how the book relates to the world (text-to-world connection).
Visualize (Picture It)
Make a picture in your mind as you read. Visualize the characters, setting and events like a movie going on in your mind.
Question
Ask questions before, during and after you read. Ask who, what, where and why questions. Look for answers to your questions.
Clarify (Understand It)
Slow down and be sure you understand what you are reading. Reread it if you need to.
Evaluate
Form opinions as you read and after you read. Did you like the book? Why or why not?
How to Choose a Good Book
Reading Comprehension/by Mrs. Karen Gilbaugh
Just as Goldilocks was in search of all things “just right,” parents of young readers are in search of “just right” books that can be read independently. Several years ago my daughter and I found the following guidelines at a public library so helpful that I began to use them in my classroom. With modeling and practice, children can soon identify books that are “just right” for themselves.
“Too Easy” Books?
Ask yourself these questions. If you are answering YES, this book is probably Too Easy for you. Read it for fun!
Have you read it lots of times before?
Do you understand the story well?
Can you understand every word?
Can you read it smoothly?
“Just Right” Books?
Ask yourself these questions. If you are answering YES, this book is probably Just Right for you. Go ahead and learn from it!
Is this book new to you?
Do you understand the book?
Are there just a few words per page (5 or less) you don’t know?
When you read, are some places smooth and some choppy?
Can someone help you with this book? Who?
“Too Hard Books?
Ask yourself these questions. If you are answering YES, this book is probably Too Hard for you. Spend a little time with it now. Give it another try later!
Are there more than a few words on a page (6 or more) you don’t know?
Are you confused about what is happening in most of this book?
When you read, does it sound choppy?
Is everyone busy and can’t help you?
Source: South Pasadena Public Library
Keep Your Child Reading All Summer Long
Everywhere we look, we see print. Brochures, magazines and advertisements are everywhere. How can we use this nonfiction, environmental reading to keep our kids learning?
This summer, you and your child will have many opportunities to read signs, advertisements, brochures, magazines and more. You may also purchase items that need assembling or cookies that need baking. Take advantage of these moments to model the importance that reading plays in our daily lives. This is a great opportunity for all of our readers, but especially for our more reluctant readers and those who read sparingly. Young people enjoy assembling things, cooking and baking, and even finding out which store sells their favorite toy. This is real reading; you can make this a fun and enjoyable way to read with your child.
Most of the reading we do is nonfiction, or environmental ... in fact, 60 percent of the reading on the Star test is nonfiction. The ability to read and comprehend charts, diagrams, recipes, instructions, advertisements, etc., is important. Knowing how to read nonfiction will help our youngsters in life as well as in their academic careers.
Below is a list that explains conventions for nonfiction and environmental reading. By making our children aware of these conventions, we can demonstrate how they help us understand what the writer wants us to learn or do. By showing, explaining, modeling and sharing the thinking that our brains go through -- making connections -- we can help our children better understand and make sense of what we are reading. This is not difficult to do -- we all do it already, we're just not always aware of it.
And don't forget -- an important key to reading comprehension is vocabulary. Nonfiction reading is a real vocabulary-building experience -- talk to your children about the meaning of new words.
NON-FICTION CONVENTIONS (Adapted from Happy Reading by Debbie Miller, 2002)
Convention Purpose (how does it help me as a reader?)
Close-Ups See details in something that is small
Maps Shows where places are in the world
Photographs Helps us understand what something looks like in real life
Types of Print
(boldface, italics, etc.) Tells us something is very important to read
Index Alphabetical listing of items covered in the book and their page numbers
Table of Contents Tells the main ideas and what pages they are on
Comparisons Compares the size of an unfamiliar object to the size a familiar one
Captions Words under a picture that help you learn
Glossary It’s a miniature dictionary for the book that you are reading
Labels Helps you know what the parts of a picture or object are
Cutaways Helps you see the inside of something
Chapters/ Sections The way books are organized to tell you about different parts/ideas of a subject
Developing Healthy, Caring and Responsible Children
The Search Institute has identified 40 developmental assets specifically for children 8 to 12 years old. The information includes how to support and empower your child and how to instill positive values and a commitment to learning. Click here to view all 40 assets.
Message from Bill Card, Principal:
We, as a school staff, have looked at our school, what we do best, and what we can also do to help our students become better during this coming year. We are involved in a process called, "Focus on Results." Some of the staff members are part of a point-team, learning about school change and school improvement and then report back to our staff. We analyze our school and how we can make it better.
We have chosen to work very hard on Reading Comprehension improvement as a goal. Why? We find that even though our students do well on the State mandated testing, we feel they could improve their scores by having a better understanding of what they read. Not only that, think how much better it is for our students in daily life if they can read and in turn comprehend what they are learning. Better comprehension equals a more effective person. Plain and simple. Look for some changes on campus in what is being displayed to show the increased comprehension, what will be done and considered over the next couple of years. Find out what you can do to assist your student in this important endeavor.
If there is one piece of advice I could give you, it is to take time and read with your student. It makes all the difference in the world. Take it one step further and stop periodically, explain the difficult words in the text, and check if your student is understanding what they are reading. That will make a great difference. It does not have to be a long time, but a consistent amount of time will make the difference. Think, as well, how great that will be when your child reflects on the time you took as a parent to be with them and help them read. They will remember it.
Please do not hesitate to talk with your teacher about books that can be read and do not hesitate to ask for advice. We are here to help each other.
