How can I help my child improve their reading comprehension?

Question

Improving reading comprehension starts with encouraging active reading strategies such as annotating the text, asking questions while reading, and summarizing what they’ve learned. I work with students to build these skills gradually, tailoring exercises to their interests to keep them engaged. Practicing regularly with a variety of texts also strengthens vocabulary and critical thinking, which boosts overall understanding.

Answer 1

Reading comprehension is something that is often misunderstood. In general, most people think that reading comprehension can be taught, when in reality, reading comprehension is simply the desired outcome of reading. While comprehension in and of itself cannot be taught, we can give our students the necessary skills to strengthen their comprehension as they read.

If I am working with a student on reading comprehension, I will focus on the following skills or elements:

Before Reading:

1. I will always start by activating background knowledge. Even if the student has little background knowledge on what we are about to read, providing context will strengthen their understanding of what we are about to read. In a session, this looks like a brief, informal conversation, and I usually have image supports as well.
2. Next I will introduce any challenging vocabulary that they might need to understand before reading. This could be context specific words, and/or words that unfamiliar or tricky patterns. I will have pre-made vocabulary cards with definitions and image supports before the session, and we will go through them together.
3. Finally, we will look at the book/passage title, chapter or heading titles (if available) and make predictions based on that information. Again, this lays the foundation and provides context for what they are about to read.

During Reading:

1. As they read, we will practice "Stoplight Reading," which means that when we get to a natural stopping point (i.e. the end of a sentence, paragraph, page, or section), I will stop the student and have them self-evaluate - do they understand what they just read? Can they briefly summarize or recall what they just read? If so, then they have the "green light" to keep reading, but if not, then they have a "yellow light," and need to go back, reread, and try again. This practice, while tedious at first, reinforces self-monitoring and metacognition, which is something that all strong, fluent readers have.
2. Working alongside "stoplight reading," we will analyze the syntax and language as we go. This means that I will help the students to understand "connector" words such as "and, but, because" and what they mean, as well as understanding pronouns and who they are connected to. I will also help the student to recall the vocabulary words as we come across them.
3. Finally, I will also support the student it creating a mental image in their head. This may also be a tedious process at first, but it will become more natural as we practice. Creating a mental image includes thinking about the "5 Ws - Who, What, When, Where, and Why," our five senses, and the shapes, colors, and quantities we might visualize as we read. This helps to build a rich image, which deepens comprehension.

After Reading:

1. Once we have finished reading, I will recall our conversation about background knowledge that we had prior to reading the text. We will discuss what the student learned and how it connects to what they already knew. For students who need a bit more support with this, we might create a visual web on paper/docs that physically represents how knowledge is connected.
2. We will briefly revisit the vocabulary and discuss how it was used in the text.
3. Finally, I will help the student apply what they have learned in some way. This may look like writing a brief summary, retell, or main idea. It could also look like creating a one-page graphic with images and text that demonstrates the content of the text. It may also look like writing a poem, sketching an image, or writing a "social media post" about the text.

With my approach to reading comprehension, students engage deeply with what they are reading. This helps them to strengthen their overall knowledge base, which in turn, helps them to comprehend a wide variety of text.

Answer 2

Improving reading comprehension helps students in all of their school subjects and in life, so this is an excellent question. Your child can approach reading with practical strategies that make it easier to understand, connect with, and remember what they read.

Before Reading

We begin with a preview of the text. Together, look at the title and text features to determine the type of writing—fiction, nonfiction, or realistic fiction. Use the pictures to make predictions about what the text might be about. Then, help your child build background knowledge by asking if they have a personal connection to the topic or if it reminds them of something they already know.

During Reading

Thinking aloud is one of the most powerful tools you can model. Show your child how to ask questions like: “I wonder what the character meant by that?” or “I’m curious if that type of plant is found where I live?” These questions encourage deeper thinking and engagement.

1. In narrative texts, guide your child to identify characters, setting, problems and solutions, and the sequence of events. Encourage them to compare and contrast story elements and, most importantly, to explain the central idea or lesson the author wanted your child to learn.
2. In informational texts, have your child identify the main idea (what is this text mostly about?) and key details that support it. Teach them how to use text features such as headings, subheadings, bold or italic words, captions, charts, graphs, and, if available, the table of contents, glossary, and index. These features are tools that help readers locate and process important information. They should also make predictions, question the author's purpose, and identify structure patterns (cause/effect, compare/contrast, order/sequence, descriptions, or problem/solution) to understand relationships between ideas.

After Reading

Summarizing is key. Ask your child to retell what they found most important about the text in their own words. This reinforces comprehension and gives insight into what excites and motivates them for future reading.

Answer 3

📘 How to Help Your Child Improve Reading Comprehension

1. 📚 Read with Purpose
2. Choose books at their level that spark interest. Read together and take turns. Afterward, ask them to retell the story or explain what they learned.
3. ❓ Ask Questions Before, During & After
4. This keeps them engaged and thinking:
5. Before: “What do you think this book is about?”
6. During: “Why did the character do that?”
7. After: “What happened in the end?”
8. 🧠 Teach Comprehension Strategies
9. Help your child build reading muscles by practicing these:
10. 👀 Visualize what’s happening
11. 🔮 Predict what might come next
12. 💬 Clarify confusing words or ideas
13. 🧵 Summarize the main idea
14. 💬 Talk About Books Often
15. Have conversations about characters, their choices, and how the story connects to real life. Let them express their thoughts and opinions.
16. 🧩 Build Vocabulary Naturally
17. Pre-teach tricky words before reading. Try word games or using new words in funny sentences to make them stick.

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