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Strategies to Support Language Comprehension

Updated: Feb 28, 2019


I often get asked for suggestions to improve Reading Comprehension skills at home. A few easy suggestions are provided in order to help your child improve what he or she reads and to encourage meaningful interactions with your child during your time spent reading together. Take a look at these five suggestions!


1. Address/Build Background Knowledge

First, start by asking your child about the topic of the story. Explore the front cover and make basic predictions about the story’s characters and events that may occur. “What do you think will happen in this story?” If able, students can use the cover (i.e., title or pictures) to make educated guesses about his or her book of choice. It is great to continue addressing this as the child reads the text. “What would I do in this situation?” “Has this happened to me before?” “I remember a time when…” These thoughts are a great way to make sense of the text and begin comprehending! It is important to be sure that the child has enough background knowledge to understand the book. Suggestions to support this knowledge include: viewing illustrations, websites, past experiences, videos, charts, or maps.

 

2. Explore a variety of texts at home with your child.

Struggling readers tend to avoid non-fiction texts. In fact research suggests that non-fiction texts are more challenging because they have different features and structure than other books. Non-fiction texts can be made fun by searching for related illustrations, extra fun facts, photographs, or videos to support the topic.

 

3. Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary!

Vocabulary and background knowledge are inter-related. If students do not have background knowledge, they usually do not have the needed vocabulary. Eventually, manipulating vocabulary words through analogies, synonyms/antonyms etc will allow a child’s vocabulary skills to expand.

 

4. Target Fluency

How fluently a child reads impacts their comprehension. If text is “too hard” the child’s fluency, or rate +accuracy of words read will likely suffer. It is hard to think about what is being read and focus on decoding all of the words accurately. Choosing books that are “just right” is important for readers as in order to improve reading skills they not only need to be able to decode the words, but also understand the words read. Students can also be asked to “re-read” texts to gather further knowledge. Co-reading or reading words at a scheduled rate simultaneously while your child is reading often assists children who are reading books that may be just about their reach.

 

5. Do the Work After You Read

Ask thoughtful questions and check in with your child about the texts that he or she reads. Ask them to retell a specific part of the story or event. Your child may be able to re-enact part of the story in the form of a small theatre or play. There are a number of ways to continue thinking about the story even when the story is over!


Give these strategies a try and see how they help your child’s comprehension!

-Miss Jen

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