I’ve been tutoring and teaching for about a decade now, and I figured it would be beneficial to share some strategies that parents, guardians, and other caretakers can use at home with their kids! First up is everyone’s least favourite (WHY?) activity: reading comprehension!

There’s a big difference between reading well and reading comprehensively; you might find that your child can read all the words in a passage, chapter, novel, etc., but when they’re asked to summarize it or answer questions about it, they have no idea what they’ve just read. Sound familiar? Probably! We’ve all caught ourselves reading the same sentence 16 times after zoning out while reading (*cough* a textbook *cough*). If this is a recurring issue for your child, however, don’t fret! If your child is a neurotypical student and they just aren’t understanding texts as well as their teacher thinks they should be (and they read often), it’s more than likely that your child just isn’t reading effectively (or at least, as effectively as they could be). Here are some strategies to introduce to your child so that they can learn to read and understand a text:

1. Talk about the title | Hypothesize about what the text might be about based on the title of the book, title of each chapter, etc. Get their brains thinking about what might happen. Talk about the cover illustrations, too! How do they relate to the title? Does it support your theory? Add any additional information? What might this book teach you? Why are we reading this book, and why do we read books in general? Get those gears turning about literature!
2. Read actively throughout | Reading aloud tends to trigger active reading because people retain information better when they speak, so at home, allow kids to have a space where they can read aloud; reading aloud together is a great bonding experience, too!
3. Make predictions and ask questions | This one relates back to active reading; make sure that your kiddo is trying to figure out what is going to happen, since that means they know what has happened or is happening. Also, are they asking questions about why previous events have occurred? Ask them questions like, “What’s happening with character X?” or “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why did Hermione punch Draco Malfoy in the face?” (That last one’s rhetorical).
4. Highlight | If it’s your own book, highlighting important passages (vital plot information, character analysis, potential foreshadowing, etc.), unknown words and great quotes (guilty) can ensure your child is interacting with the text and recognizing what’s important, as well as what they don’t understand. Recognizing what you don’t understand is a sign of reading comprehensively. You’re able to use context clues (or a dictionary) to figure out words you don’t know, or to figure out information that you’re missing. If it’s a library book or borrowed from a friend, you can jotting down important information on a separate sheet of paper or in a notebook.
5. Summarize | Have your child tell you what they’ve read; this works better with novels if you’re summarizing a chapter or a few chapters at a time. Let them give you their version of the synopsis, and then ask them to fill in any plot holes. Talk about the characters and the plot; ask them questions that provoke critical thinking (see #3). Relate the book back to other works in the same genre; for example, is there a hero who has similar characteristics as another hero from a book or movie you’ve witnessed previously?
6. Read often | The best way to expand your vocabulary, improve your comprehension, and explore some incredible new places — all from the comfort of your couch, no less — is by reading. It’s OK if kids aren’t drawn to novels, or whatever you think they should like at their age. If they’re reading magazines, graphic novels, or comic books, they’re still reading, and that’s what’s important!

 

Happy reading!

 

 

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