Comprehension
Reading is more than just saying the words correctly. Readers must comprehend; they must understand what a text is saying. Comprehension is what reading is all about and it is the primary goal of all reading instruction. Parents and kids can work on comprehension at home by doing some fun activities to improve their language and thinking skills.
READ, READ, READ! Make it a habit to read to or with your child every day, whether it is after dinner or around bedtime. Read together and talk about what you have read.
STOCK YOUR HOUSE WITH READING MATERIALS! Keep a wide variety of reading materials - books, magazines, newspapers, advertisements, recipes, comics, poetry - in the family room, in the kitchen, in the bedrooms, and even in the bathroom.
PLAY BOARD GAMES! Help your child read the directions to new games or read to review the rules of old games. Ask if they would like to change the rules or play the game a little differently. Then use their suggestions to play the game.
COOK OR BAKE WITH A RECIPE! Find a recipe for something your child loves to eat and make it together. Have them read the directions a line at a time and then follow the directions. At the end they will have something delicious to eat as a reward for good reading.
PLAY WORD GAMES LIKE HANGMAN OR TWENTY QUESTIONS! These simple games help kids build their vocabularies and work on making inferences - both of which are needed for strong reading comprehension.
GET IN THE LIBRARY HABIT! Make sure your child has a library card and provide them with opportunities to use it.
GIVE BOOKS AS GIFTS! Kids should see getting a book as a special treat to be enjoyed and cherished.
MAKE READING A PRIVILEGE! Tell your children that they can stay up an extra 15 minutes if they plan to read. You could also use reading as a reward. Say, "I am going to read an extra story to you tonight since you helped me get the dishes dried and put away!"
VISIT LOCAL LANDMARKS, MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL SITES! Talk to your child about what they have observed and learned. Background knowledge makes reading comprehension much easier. A student who knows something about the topic discussed in a text can easily figure out the author's meaning while those without background knowledge will struggle.
Here are websites that focus on reading comprehension:
http://www.readtheory.org
http://www.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/324568/827249
READ, READ, READ! Make it a habit to read to or with your child every day, whether it is after dinner or around bedtime. Read together and talk about what you have read.
STOCK YOUR HOUSE WITH READING MATERIALS! Keep a wide variety of reading materials - books, magazines, newspapers, advertisements, recipes, comics, poetry - in the family room, in the kitchen, in the bedrooms, and even in the bathroom.
PLAY BOARD GAMES! Help your child read the directions to new games or read to review the rules of old games. Ask if they would like to change the rules or play the game a little differently. Then use their suggestions to play the game.
COOK OR BAKE WITH A RECIPE! Find a recipe for something your child loves to eat and make it together. Have them read the directions a line at a time and then follow the directions. At the end they will have something delicious to eat as a reward for good reading.
PLAY WORD GAMES LIKE HANGMAN OR TWENTY QUESTIONS! These simple games help kids build their vocabularies and work on making inferences - both of which are needed for strong reading comprehension.
GET IN THE LIBRARY HABIT! Make sure your child has a library card and provide them with opportunities to use it.
GIVE BOOKS AS GIFTS! Kids should see getting a book as a special treat to be enjoyed and cherished.
MAKE READING A PRIVILEGE! Tell your children that they can stay up an extra 15 minutes if they plan to read. You could also use reading as a reward. Say, "I am going to read an extra story to you tonight since you helped me get the dishes dried and put away!"
VISIT LOCAL LANDMARKS, MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL SITES! Talk to your child about what they have observed and learned. Background knowledge makes reading comprehension much easier. A student who knows something about the topic discussed in a text can easily figure out the author's meaning while those without background knowledge will struggle.
Here are websites that focus on reading comprehension:
http://www.readtheory.org
http://www.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/324568/827249