Improving Reading and Comprehension from Prep - Year 2: Strategies, Apps and Sites
One of the questions I am most frequently asked is, “How do I improve reading and comprehension?” Reading instruction in school alone is not enough. It also promotes the idea that reading is just for school.
Research suggests that at least 90 % of children can learn to read at grade level if parents and educators properly intervene. Intervene how?
1. Read to and with children. 2. Teach letters, sounds and sight words. 3. Balance learning with fun: boring = tuning out and switching off. 4. Label things in the house. 5. Consult a reading specialist, occupational therapist, optometrist, audiologist, etc if needed. 6. Rhyme and sing songs focusing on the sounds of the word. 7. Build vocabulary. 8. Develop comprehension skills.
Constructively helping a child with reading and comprehension is not always an easy task and it does require action. Reading itself includes a variety of skills. This post will provide the strategies, apps and sites that I believe are some of the most effective ways to improve reading and comprehension skills.
To learn more about How Learning to Read Works - Developing a solid literacy foundation before school click here. To read more about Getting Ready for Reading click here.
Strategies
After a child has learned to read learning to refine individual skills becomes the focus. These skills include: fluency, expression, comprehension, motivation.
Motivation:
Wanting to read is most of the battle. Ideas to encourage this include:
Visiting bookshops to find books that interest your child.
Allow a variety of reading options: comics, folktales, humorous stories, science books, adventure stories, magazines, joke books, poetry, chapter books, etc.
Having special one on one reading time together that is safe, individual and focused attention.
Practice engaged reading. When you read with your child, point to the words as you read them. This draws your child’s attention to the word, helping to solidify their word recognition and spelling abilities.
Visit the local library. A positive friend can also come along and they can look for books together.
Join reading clubs or enter competitions with prizes! Here are a few:
Scholastic Books http://www.scholastic.com.au/schools/bookclub/competitions/
Penguin Books https://www.penguin.com.au/competitions
Gain reading levels at school.
Make sure the books aren’t too hard.
Be able to read anything!
Place value and importance on reading (but make sure your child knows they are more important than anything else!)
Read the same book separately and go out for milkshakes to discuss it – a brilliant idea to continue through life, open conversations and keep relationship.
Get an age appropriate magazine subscriptions.
Read the book before you watch the movie – talk about it. Which was better – your imagination or the movie?
Provide an inviting reading space with good light.
Play games that utilize reading.
Publish a book review
Take turns reading pages.
Follow the leader reading. Parent reads the page first and then the child (builds confidence).
Be flexible enough to quickly stop reading a book that does not appeal after a reasonable try at reading it. Not every book is worth the read and may be detrimental to developing a love of reading.
It’s extremely important to keep reading activities as stress free as possible. If your child gets tired of reading, take turns, or take a break. For most elementary aged students with learning disabilities, about ten minutes of reading at least three days a week is a good place to begin.
Fluency
Model excellent, fluent, expressive reading.
Read along with CD books or read along sites.
Learn and know sight words well. Alongside this develop spelling skills. If a child knows a sight words really well they should be able to close their eyes, see the word and spell it.
Learn and know how to use word decoding skills quickly (phonograms, married phonograms, blends, word families, etc)
Look for difficult or unusual words before reading. Sound them out and find out their meaning.
Extend vocabulary by having a word for the week that the family has to try and use correctly as often as possible. Keep a record and revise every now and then.
Reread a section of text a few times concentrating on rhythm. Note the reason for any odd pauses. E.g. an unknown word, misunderstood punctuation causing the reader to be out of breathe.
Comprehension
Comprehending is understanding what is being said or read. It is an active process requiring
involved listening and well developed reading skills. To begin to comprehend reading skills are vital. If reading skills are already high read the text carefully and then read the all the questions. Go back to question 1 and reread it. What is it asking? As the reader progresses through the questions he or she will usually notice a progression in complexity. When reading with your child at home encourage your children to listen, ponder, make comments, and ask questions.
There are three key levels of comprehension.
Literal: it’s literally in the text. Look for key words in the question and hunt for them in the text. When you find them reread the question and see if the section of text you found contains the answer or if you need to keep looking. These types of questions can be close activities or recalling facts from the text. The question may ask the reader to identify the main idea or details about characters or settings.
Inferential: this means to ‘read between the lines’. Writing that demonstrates an action rather than just straight out stating it is inferential. Inferential comprehension questions may ask how a character is feeling, what characters were doing, what an outcome might be.
Critical: this is to do with analysis and conclusions. Typically they are how and why questions. For instance, why did the character react that way? How will a character respond in the future to a similar event? What is important to a character? Explain why you do or don’t agree with the author.
Responding to Writing
Write a letter to the author.
Post a book review.
Recommend it to friends.
Phone, Skype or Facebook a relative and tell them about what you have been reading.
Keep a journal.
Re-write the ending.
Draw a map outlining the locations.
Make a family tree or connections web of characters.
Design a new book cover.
Modernize a favourite scene.
Cook food that the characters might have eaten.
Add words to your vocabulary record sheet/book.
Give the book to someone else and when they have finished reading it discuss it. Write questions for each other.
Make an ad for the book.
Choose an event in the book and write a newspaper article about it.
Explore the emotional response at different sections of the book. Why did you feel that way? How would you have responded to the situation?
Draw what happens next or write the sequel.
Apps and Sites
(click on the name or the pictures)
A key question parents and educators have revolves around the potential of technology in enhancing students reading comprehension skills. Technology is a useful tool, but it is not the only tool. Technology can be used as part of a larger program.
Kids Reading Comprehension Level