How to Spark It

Sat, 10 Jul, 2021

Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension for Kids

reading comprehension skills

Haven't we all experienced this at least some time in life - we finish reading something and have no idea what we just read? This happens because either we are too distracted or tired. But many children struggle while reading comprehensions not because they are distracted but have no accurate understanding of the story of the passage. Reading comprehension is a crucial part of accomplishing complete literacy. If your kid struggles with reading and understanding comprehension, try to make them understand that it is essential for them to think about the text's meaning.

Parents, follow these simple and valuable comprehensions strategies to help develop your child's reading comprehension :

· Building vocabulary: 

It is essential to teach the meaning of words and build vocabulary to children who struggle with reading and understanding comprehension. Using multi-sensory strategies like pictures, mnemonics, and graphics to teach meanings of new words increases the likelihood of building a stronger vocabulary. 

· Reading aloud: 

It does not matter how old your child is; it is always a good idea to read aloud together. As a parent, you can ask a question while reading together to understand the child's line of thought. This will also help the child to engage with and think critically about the literature they are reading.

· Building fluency: 

The fluency with which a child reads also affects how they understand comprehension. If the text is too complex, fluency in reading may be compromised. Initially, children may have to struggle while decoding all the words and thinking about reading. Choosing suitable age-appropriate reading material is essential. Fluency can be developed and practiced by re-reading texts. 

· Reasoning and background knowledge: 

It is a big deal when students struggle with comprehension. Thus, it is important to start encouraging children to think about what they will read and gather a little background of the material they are going to read. Using background knowledge is vital as the child reads the text. 

· Questioning them about the text they are reading: 

When your child has finished reading, interact with them with questions on what they just read. Ask them about their thoughts and the storyline. For lengthier reading materials like novels or reports, talk about each section separately and then as a whole. Please encourage your child to make notes while reading and to pause and reflect on what they read.

· Develop thinking strategies: 

After a child has the vocabulary to make it through a text, they might struggle with the complex thinking or sustained attention required to keep up with all of the essential details and access information implied but not directly stated. Help them analyze the text and encouraging them to picturise what’s written – breaking the text into parts and then analyzing it works well.

Children can improve reading comprehension by practicing how to ask and answer questions while they're reading, taking notes, setting goals, writing summaries of what they have read.