Good reading comprehension instruction begins with an interaction between the content and the reader. It is the ability to read a sentence and make sense of the overall meaning. Reading comprehension is directly linked to reading fluency (see below). After reading fluency is established, reading comprehension begins with children’s ability to plan, check, and adjust their understanding while in the learning process. Explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies will improve children’s ability to monitor their own understanding as they read. Teach your child how to comprehend what he or she reads with these five steps.
1. Make connections: When we make connections between new learning and previous experiences, our brains make stronger links between our learning. Some questions to ask are:
What does this story remind you of?
How is this similar to other stories you have read?
Can you relate to the characters in this story?
Can the events in this story happen in the real world?
2. Ask questions: Part of developing children’s reading comprehension is teaching them to ask themselves questions as they read. Start this habit early by asking your child questions about what he or she is reading. Begin by reading aloud and asking questions about the story. A few examples are:
What do you think?
Why do you think the character did that?
What do you think will happen?
3. What is important? Narrow down the details of the text
What is the topic of this story or text?
What are the details in the text?
What are the details in the text mostly about?
4. Monitor Comprehension:There are many different techniques for monitoring reading comprehension. Incorporate a few into your nightly reading routine.
identifying confusing words
5. Provide the right types of books
Choose books that are within your child’s reading level and ability. If the reading text is too difficult, children will spend most of their brain power decoding new words and not remember or understand what they read. If you don’t know how to make sure your child is reading books within his or her reading level, try the 5 finger rule.
The Five Finger Rule
Choose a book
Have the child read the second page
Hold up a finger for each word the child doesn’t know
If there are five or more words the child doesn’t know, choose an easier book
If you are still unsure, do the same thing again on another page. Also, discuss whether or not your child understands and likes what he or she is reading.
What is fluency and how does it affect reading comprehension?
Reading fluency is directly connected to reading comprehension. Without fluency, reading comprehension becomes very difficult. Fluency is not about reading as fast as you can, but about reading at an appropriate rate with accuracy and inflection. Every time your child is reading, he or she is decoding the words carefully in his or her head. The more exposure children get to new words, the faster their young minds can remember words and recognize them without sounding them out. This is called automaticity. As students transition into fluent readers, they are able to focus on the content of what they are reading rather than the words.
How Is Your Child Doing?
Listed below are reading level recommendations for students to read grade level–appropriate texts by the end of the year. Experts’ opinions vary, but these are some good baselines to monitor your child’s fluency.
Keep in mind that these are a simple gauge and just one measurement tool used to identify students’ readiness. Every student learns in a unique way and at his or her own pace. If your child is not at grade level, focus on increasing his or her current score by 10 to 15 words by the end of the year and then celebrate your child’s successes!
If you would like to test your child at home, pick a grade level–appropriate book and time your child reading for one minute. Count the number of words he or she reads correctly within that time frame. (Added words and incorrect words cannot be counted.) Please do not ever make your child feel deficient because he or she cannot read the correct number of words per minute.
The most important thing to do to improve reading comprehension is to read consistently throughout the week. Practice is an essential part of students’ word recall and understanding. The more words your child can read with ease, the easier it will be to understand the content of what he or she is reading.
About the Author: Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative for students. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.
Mafundisho mazuri ya kuelewa kusoma huanza na mwingiliano kati ya yaliyomo na msomaji. Ni uwezo wa kusoma sentensi na kuelewa maana yake kwa ujumla. Kuelewa kusoma ni moja kwa moja kushikamana na kusoma fluency (tazama chini). Baada ya kusoma kwa ufasaha imara, kusoma kuelewa huanza na uwezo wa watoto wa kupanga, kuangalia, na kurekebisha uelewa wao wakati katika mchakato wa kujifunza. Ufundishaji wa wazi wa mikakati ya kuelewa kusoma utaongeza uwezo wa watoto wa kufuatilia uelewa wao wenyewe wanaposoma. Mfundishe mtoto wako jinsi ya kuelewa mambo anayosoma kwa kutumia hatua hizi tano. 1. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Kuunganisha: Wakati tunafanya uhusiano kati ya kujifunza mpya na uzoefu wa awali, ubongo wetu hufanya viungo vikali kati ya kujifunza kwetu. "Kwa hiyo, swali la kwanza ni, ""Je, hadithi hii inakufanya ukumbuke nini?""" Hii inafananaje na hadithi nyingine ambazo umesoma? Je, unaweza kuhisi kama wahusika katika hadithi hii? Je, matukio katika hadithi hii yanaweza kutokea katika ulimwengu halisi? 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Kuuliza maswali: Sehemu ya kukuza uelewa wa kusoma wa watoto ni kuwafundisha kujiuliza maswali wanaposoma. Anza zoea hili mapema kwa kumwuliza mtoto wako maswali kuhusu kile anachosoma. Anza kwa kusoma kwa sauti na kuuliza maswali kuhusu hadithi hiyo. Mifano michache ni: Unafikiri nini? Unafikiri ni kwa nini mhusika huyo alifanya hivyo? Unafikiri kitatokea nini? 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Ni nini kilicho muhimu? Punguza maelezo ya maandishi Ni nini kichwa cha hadithi hii au maandishi? Kuna mambo gani ya kina katika andiko hilo? Maelezo katika andiko hilo yanahusu nini hasa? 4. Uwe na uhakika Ufuatiliaji wa Uelewa: Kuna mbinu nyingi tofauti za kufuatilia uelewa wa kusoma. Weka baadhi ya vitabu hivyo katika orodha yako ya kila usiku. Kujua maneno ya kuchanganyikiwa Chagua vitabu vinavyolingana na kiwango cha mtoto wako cha kusoma. Ikiwa kusoma ni vigumu sana, watoto watatumia nguvu nyingi za ubongo wao kufunua maneno mapya na hawatakumbuka au kuelewa yale wanayosoma. Ikiwa hujui jinsi ya kuhakikisha mtoto wako anasoma vitabu ndani ya kiwango chake cha kusoma, jaribu sheria ya vidole vitano. "Kila mtoto anaweza kuchagua kitabu ambacho anajua kusoma, na kama anajua maneno matano au zaidi, achagua kitabu ambacho anajua kusoma, na kama hana uhakika, achague kitabu kingine.""" Pia, zungumza na mtoto wako ikiwa anaelewa na anapenda kile anachosoma. Uwezo wa kusoma kwa ufasaha ni nini na unaathiriwaje na uelewa wa kusoma? Uwezo wa kusoma kwa ufasaha unahusiana moja kwa moja na uelewaji wa kusoma. Bila ufasaha, kuelewa usomaji huwa vigumu sana. Uwezo wa kusoma kwa ufasaha haukuhusu kusoma haraka iwezekanavyo, bali ni kuhusu kusoma kwa kiwango cha kutosha, kwa usahihi na kwa ufasaha. Kila mara mtoto anaposoma, anaandika maneno kwa makini akilini mwake. Kadiri watoto wanavyojifunza maneno mapya, ndivyo akili zao zinavyoweza kukumbuka maneno kwa haraka na kuyatambua bila kuyasema. Hilo huitwa moja kwa moja. Wanafunzi wanapokuwa wasomaji wenye ustadi, wanaweza kukazia fikira mambo wanayosoma badala ya maneno. Mtoto Wako Anaendeleaje? Orodha hapa chini ni mapendekezo ya kiwango cha kusoma kwa wanafunzi kusoma kiwango cha darasa <unk> maandishi sahihi mwishoni mwa mwaka. Maoni ya wataalamu hutofautiana, lakini hizi ni baadhi ya misingi nzuri ya kufuatilia fluency ya mtoto wako. Kumbuka kwamba hizi ni kipimo rahisi na tu moja ya chombo kipimo kutumika kutambua wanafunzi 'tayari. Kila mwanafunzi hujifunza kwa njia ya pekee na kwa mwendo wake mwenyewe. Ikiwa mtoto wako hajui kusoma, angalia kuongeza alama yake ya sasa kwa maneno 10 hadi 15 hadi mwisho wa mwaka na kisha sherehe mafanikio ya mtoto wako. Ikiwa ungependa kumtihani mtoto wako nyumbani, chagua kitabu kinachofaa kiwango cha darasa na muda wa kusoma kwa mtoto wako kwa dakika moja. Hesabu maneno ambayo umesoma kwa usahihi katika kipindi hicho. (Maneno yaliyoongezwa na maneno yasiyo sahihi hayawezi kuhesabiwa.) "Msimu mmoja, msichana anaweza kuwa na ""mzigo"" wa kusoma kwa sababu hawezi kusoma maneno sahihi kwa dakika." Jambo muhimu zaidi la kufanya ili kuboresha uelewaji wa kusoma ni kusoma kwa ukawaida kwa juma zima. Mazoezi ni sehemu muhimu ya wanafunzi 'neno kukumbuka na kuelewa. Kadiri mtoto wako anavyoweza kusoma maneno mengi, ndivyo atakavyoweza kuelewa mambo aliyosoma. Heather Foudy ni mwalimu wa msingi aliyehitimu na uzoefu wa zaidi ya miaka 7 kama mwalimu na kujitolea katika darasa. Yeye hufurahia kutengeneza masomo yenye maana na yenye ubunifu kwa wanafunzi. Yeye kwa sasa anafanya kazi kwa timu ya uuzaji na mawasiliano ya Evan-Moor na anafurahia kujenga fursa za kujifunza ambazo zina maana na ubunifu kwa wanafunzi na walimu sawa.