Comprehension, Comprehension, Comprehension
With summertime fast approaching and my mind shifting from after school routines to summer routines, I want to examine a very important aspect of reading: comprehension. There is a very important difference between identifying words on a page and reading. Reading involves experience. When we encourage our children to experience a book instead of simply identifying words on a page for a set number of minutes, then—and only then—are we helping them to see a world beyond their own. Reading comprehension is what makes the words on a page transform from being merely letters and spaces to life-changing stories.
Example
Consider an example from history of a young boy (about 10 years old). He and his sister were considered a pretty uncivilized pair, though he had attended a year of school and had at least learned how to read. His school, unfortunately, did not have enough books for each student, and his family did not own any books. Thankfully things changed when his stepmother arrived on the scene with a small collection of books. Though illiterate, this woman knew the power contained in print and she impressed that knowledge on the uncivilized boy. She became his best friend, and he became the sixteenth President of the United States. Perhaps you’ve heard of President Abraham Lincoln? Yup, raising kids to be readers can change the world. It all starts with reading comprehension because if you really think about it, that’s what makes reading fun.
No Standardized Testing, Please
So often when we talk about comprehension, we are thinking of “comprehension questions” and that leads us to think of quizzes and tests and that leads us to feelings of drudgery and stress. Let me assure you that this is NOT what we want. Reading is fun! Reading opens doors and helps people see and understand things they can never experience any other way. For example, I have never traveled to Ireland, but last weekend I read a new book by my writer friend Jenna Evans Welch called Love & Luck and I felt like I spent the weekend traveling Ireland! What a fun and affordable way to see the world!
When we are encouraging and enhancing comprehension with our kids, there are a few things we can do to help strengthen their comprehension muscles.
Comprehension Exercises–Do Try These At Home
1-Start a book together before you hand it over.
When my twins were starting 2nd grade, they wanted to read Harry Potter. I was happy to oblige, but I noticed right away that they were not sure how to pronounce most of the names and they were struggling to piece things together. I knew that as I asked them questions about what they were reading and I could only hear the sound of crickets chirping in the background, that they were not comprehending what they were reading. So I took 20 minutes for a few days and read the first few chapters to them.
2-Ask genuine questions.
You don’t have to ask ridiculous questions like, “What color was Hermione’s cape on her first Tuesday at Hogwarts?” That would definitely discourage anyone from wanting to discuss a book with you. Instead, ask things like, “Hey, what do you think about Ron?” or “Do you know anybody like Hermione?” These are the sort of questions I asked when my boys first began reading and when I got no response, I knew we needed to begin again together. I do not write my questions down and expect my boys to write essays in response. I try to keep my questions conversational. Just like I ask about what they played at recess, I ask what a character is doing in the books they read.
3-Try to read the books your kids read.
Right now, my twins are reading the Michael Vey series. It is fantastic. We own copies of the first three books in the series and my boys are reading them right now. So I wouldn’t interrupt their reading, I checked out a digital copy from the library and read it on my own in a few days. This does two (if not more) wonderful things for my kids: 1-it gives me an opportunity for them to see me reading and 2-I can have a conversation about the book because I know the story. I can read a book in a few days that they will take weeks to read. I have found it to be worth the investment. Best of all, once I have read it, I am ready for my younger kids when they choose to read it, too. If you absolutely, positively, no-way-in-the-world, flat out can’t read the books your kids are reading, you may want to consider listening to them on Audible (you can get a free trial here that includes 2 free books).
If any form of listening or reading is out of the question, do a search for comprehension questions for a specific book. Many books have questions and often include answers written and shared on various blogs and websites all over the World Wide Web. If the book is more obscure and has no online resources from anyone, you can just ask basic questions like the ones below, listening for clues from your child and following up daily.
-What is happening in the story today?
-What do you think is going to happen?
-Do you like ________? (after response) Why?
Life Skills
If your child is struggling to answer your questions or has missed a critical part of the story, you may want to show him how he can go back and find an answer. This isn’t necessarily something they should do after every question you ask, but occasionally it may be necessary or helpful. This is a life skill. I think we all zone out sometimes when we are reading. When we can teach our children how to go back and look for things they may have missed, they are strengthening those reading comprehension muscles. Think of all the ways this will bless their lives in the future!
What do you do with your kids to make sure they are comprehending what they are reading?
