6 Practical Ways to Build Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is one of THOSE skills.

Many educators and parents struggle to teach, reinforce and foster the skill well.

Just as many children struggle, too, bringing frustration to the reading table.

Reading comprehension doesn’t have to bring angst!

It’s a common challenge. YOU are not alone.

Over my more than thirty years of working with children, my own and others, I've rejoiced in light bulb moments when an idea or strategy works. I’ve also sat, frustrated and bewildered. I’ve been in that place as a learner, educator, and parent. It’s a tough place to be.

From my experiences, I've helped parents find alternative solutions, often individualizing teaching methods.

What has worked?

Some families find one strategy works, at least for a time, and then find another. Others need more than one method in the same season. Still others cycle in and out of several.

The key is to use what works for YOUR learner.

1. Find something the child enjoys. Every child (yes, every child!) has an interest—something that engages—something the child won’t put down. For me, it was gymnastics. My fourth grade teacher discovered the interest and used it to teach me to read—when the third grade teacher said it was hopeless. What interests your learner. Grasshoppers? Recipes? Catapults? There is always an interest, though it may take a bit of effort to find it. When it's found? YAY!

   If your state requires you to log this activity. After the learner chooses reading material—perhaps From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman—the time spent reading can be logged as independent reading (or as a read aloud, should that be the case). If you discuss the content, there’s reading comprehension. As the interest grows, If the family observes the change from caterpillar to butterfly on a backyard plant, those experiences can be logged in science.

2. Read together. One mom we know instituted an "everybody reads at 10:30 am" policy. In other words, at 10:30am, each person in the home found something he or she enjoyed, found a comfy place, and read. When there was a toddler, preschooler, or budding reader in the mix, she read aloud to them. Reading time starting with a 15-minute duration and she gradually increased the time. Why? Because the children asked for the time to be increased. To get to that moment when they requested more time, she had to allow the children to bring their choice—a kids' cookbook, the Boy's Life catalog, or the recent subscription to Highlights—to come to reading time. And, the mom? When she wasn’t reading to littles, she dug into her current read. Reading time quickly became a favorite time time of day. Everyone reading, all together. 

   If you live in a state which requires you to log this activity. The time spent reading can be logged as independent reading (or as a read aloud, should that be the case) under language arts with book title and author. Again, if there is a discussion about what is taking place in the books, or there is a synthesis of some kind to a practical activity, it’s reading comprehension. Content (camping, ants, nutrition) can be logged in the appropriate content area.

3. Draw a picture. Creative children love to make and design. Why not try building reading comprehension from the innate desire to create? That’s is what my fourth grade teacher did. She encouraged me to write my own gymnastics book (not because I was a champion speller, but because she knew I loved to draw; the illustrating motivated me to spell to the best ability I could). For your learners, it may look like building reading fluency with a sewing how-to book or a biography about Rube Goldberg and then

   • drawing a picture of a character, the setting or an exciting event in the chapter—an open invitation to design and color something visually pleasing (and you get to see if the learner accurately understood—from the reading—what the character looked and behaved like, wore, or enjoyed)

   • creating a diorama of the setting or a scene (get ready for the glue and maybe more research needed to make it authentic)

   • constructing a model (Rube’s pretty cool)

   • building or baking something (someone will be delighted, further fueling the reading)

   If you live in a state which requires logging the activity. After the learner chooses reading material—perhaps a how-to sketch barns book—the time spent reading can be logged as independent reading under language arts with book title and author. In addition, sketching techniques can be entered in the arts.

4. Read aloud. I know this takes time (I'm a mom of full days, too) however, the time and effort of reading something engaging (perhaps slightly above the child's ability) can build vocabulary and knowledge of language structure. Even a short time each day can pay off great dividends. 

   Some of our favorite family read alouds are:

   A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla

   Helen Keller's Teacher by Margaret Davidson (as well as her other amazing titles)

   George Cohan: Boy Theater Genius by Gertrude Hecker Winders

   If you live in a state which requires you to log this activity. After the learner chooses reading material—perhaps Young Thomas Edison by Michael Dooling—the time spent reading can be logged as independent reading (or as a read aloud or vocabulary if word meanings are discussed, should that be the case) in language arts. The content can be logged in science.

5. Take turns. Mix it up. This has work extremely well for us as our budding readers take off. We take turns reading, first in small sentence chunks, working to pages—I read a sentence, you read a sentence, building to I read a paragraph, you read a paragraph. Then one day, the learner takes of and reads the whole chapter, independently. This is an important strategy for emerging readers building fluency and confidence to read aloud. We have found Step-up books and Discovery Biographies by Garrard Publishing  are perfect for this purpose. They are out of print, but super worth the time to find them. Check out Ebay or used book sources.

   If you live in a state which requires you to log this activity. Perhaps the learner chooses reading material—maybe Meet Abraham Lincoln by Barbara Cary from the Discovery series mentioned above—the time spent reading can be logged as independent reading (or as a read aloud, should that be the case) under language arts. If you spend time talking about what happened in the chapter, add reading comprehension. As for the information learned about Abraham Lincoln, add that to history.

6. Give content. Real-life dilemmas and adventures intrigued my readers. Real-life and real people grab the attention of many children—there’s problems to solve which influence history-changing events all of which the reader is invited into with Living Books.  For example, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo from the Landmark book series written by Captain Ted W. Larson (Doolittle Raid pilot) pulled my readers into the plot almost immediately. We were with the fliers in training, events, and aftermath of the raid. Yes, there was mention of injuries, blood, and bombing, but courage, perseverance, real-life challenge (not fabricated and artificial) enveloped every page. We dug deeper into learning about WW2 and why these pilots chose to fly this mission. I have to say, I never learned this in my years of school, so I was just as intrigued as my children.

   NOTE: This book is one of the more graphic of the Landmark series and we chose wait until late middle school to introduce the content. And, I read it aloud so we could talk about anything which brought a question. I encourage parents to read the content prior to making the decision to offer this book to their children. Not all Landmark books are as graphic, but knowing the author was the pilot of the plane reminded us that it was his first-hand account, not just details written from someone looking in or choosing what to or not to include. The event was real, lived out by a real person who had to solve real problems.

   If you live in a state which requires you to log this activity. For the book mentioned above, I logged reading aloud, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension. I also logged geography (because we located the places mentioned on a world map) and Doolittle Raid or WW2 in history.

What if my child just doesn't like to read?

Some don't. Others are reluctant or don’t know they could like reading. That was me—non-reader, discouraged, and frustrated. I needed someone to take one-on-one interest and appreciate my strengths.

If there is a continuous aversion to reading, even with content of interest, consider whether a physical limitation or delay may be contributing to the challenge. For example, if the eyes don't converge on the page of written material, reading will be difficult and not enjoyable. And, for some learners, letters are scrambled meaningless symbols (me again!). These struggles may not be readily observable or obvious, yet should be considered a possibility when children have an aversion to reading. A key element to this process is compassion. Knowing someone is willing to lean in and understand is a treasure.

There are practical ways to build reading comprehension. It can be as SIMPLE as enjoying a read aloud and discussing what was heard or it can be a combination of several methods. And, having someone cheer you on helps make the journey easier. The secret is not to make more complicated than necessary.

20 Questions to Check Reading Comprehension Without Paper and Pencil

Question this week—

My child is devouring books. How can I make sure he or she is comprehending what is being read?

Children are like us.

They want someone to take interest and engage in what they are doing, whether they are learning to ride a two-wheeled bike or cheering on their teammates. The same is true when they’re reading a book. There’s something to be noticed, something to learn, something to communicate—it could be the details of the book, or it may be how the reader is feeling or what the book is teaching as it is read. This is reading comprehension.

Reading comprehension can be evaluated in several ways. Most often. people think of reading comprehension as a worksheet of multiple choice questions or a short essay test. For others, it may be a culminating activity to celebrate the completion of the last chapter. However, there’s another option. The reader might want to talk to someone about what’s being read. Often this is the favorite means of determining what level of comprehension is being achieved. It's what I call relational reading comprehension. This method focuses on the reader and the unique perspective or value he or she gained from the selection. These aspects of comprehension are often the most valuable takeaways, yet are the least likely to be sought out.

This method of reading comprehension—a discussion—is more beneficial than most paper and pencil activities.

Here are 20 questions (and a few activities) you can use to check the reading comprehension, orally. Not all these questions will be needed for every book or every reader. Choose the ones you feel are most appropriate for the reading and the reader. The bonus is the child feels like what he or she is doing is important. That matters.

Questions

Where and when does this story take place?

Who is the main character of the book?

Are there any other characters or signifcant figures?

How did the main character relate to the characters?

Does the author help the reader get to “know” the characters? How does he or she accomplish this?

What problem is the main character trying to solve?

How did the main character handle his or her conflict?

What decisions did the main character have to make?

Would you make the same decision? Why or why not?

What do you admire about the main character?

Would you agree with the choices the main character made? Why or why not?

Who is the antagonist?

Does the plot move slowly or quickly?

What keeps you engaged in the plot?

This book you are reading is really interesting. Thank you for telling me about it since I don’t have time to read it. What happened in the plot today?

Were you able to predict how the chapter would end?

Did you learn anything new from this chapter/book?

If you were to recommend this book to a friend, what would you say?

What would you say was the author’s purpose in writing this book?

How would you compare this book with others you read?

Activities

Talk about who the main character is and the decisions he or she has to make.

Draw a picture of the main character, or other character of interest.

Draw a picture of a scene in the book.

Create a new cover for the book.

Write a different ending to the book.

Make a diorama of a scene from the story.

Reading comprehension is important, but the deepening of a relationship is even more important. Sometimes it is easy for us to be hyper-focused on the task or outcomes that we forget there are people involved in the learning process. Our children matter—how they process, what they think, how they internalize what they are learning, and who they are becoming. Reading comprehension is an important skill, no doubt, but let’s not forget the individual processing what’s being read.

Years ago, about eight years into homeschooling, I was doing what I thought to be the “school” thing with comprehension. In addition, I was taking vocabulary and spelling from the content. All effective. All necessary. But with EVERY book? In the midst of “school” that day, my learner looked at me, inquisitive yet with a partial frown. “Do we have to dissect EVERY book I read? I really just want to read this for my enjoyment and not have to stop at every chapter or look up every word.” Genius! I was implementing good educational ideas but destroying the enjoyment of reading. Hmmm? Those words have resonated in my mind to this day, eighteen years later.

There’s balance. Everything is learning, not everything has to be “school”. And, there’s a person in the midst of it all—a person with hopes, interests, and curiosity. I want that person to thrive, not just process through the hoops of evaluative measures.

What is a Picture Book?

A picture book is a work which combines literary eloquence with artistic merit--words and illustrations--working together to tell a story. Generally, picture books are written with 200-800 words (depending on the age of the targeted audience) on 28-32 pages. Historically, picture books have been written to the preschool through mid-elementary audience, yet these masterfully crafted gems speak to the hearts of readers of all ages. 

Wordless picture books. A wordless picture book is just that, a book without words. The illustrations alone tell the story, unless, of course, the person holding the book chooses to imagine and craft the text. One of the Bastian's favorite wordless picture books is Jerry Pinkney's extraordinary The Lion and the Mouse, a retelling of Aesop's classic tale. This treasure won the 2010 Caldecott Medal for its illustrative excellence. 

If your younger readers enjoy visual storytelling or prefer to create their own storylines based on provided illustrations, these wordless picture books may add some spark to your morning read-aloud time. 

• Briggs, Raymond, The Snowman

• Spier, Peter, Noah's Ark

• Spier, Peter, Rain

Concept picture books. Little learners devour information, especially if content is presented with a twist of fun or catchy repetitive phrases and rhythmic rhyme. With this engaging, low-stress presentation, picture books can teach age-appropriate concepts (colors, numbers, opposites, and letters) to eager, curious littles. 

Children ages 2-8 enjoy learning concepts through topics of interest, for example, cowboys, insects, or construction vehicles. Concept picture books make this possible and do so through relaxing moments with resources which foster both early learning and literacy.

• Alakija, Polly, Counting Chickens

• Carle, Eric, 10 Rubber Ducks

• Demarest, Chris, The Cowboy ABC

• Demarest, Chris, Firefighter A to Z

• Emberley, Barbara, Drummer Hoff

• Krull, Kathleen, M is for Music

• Laroche, Giles, If You Lived Here: Houses of the World

• McMillan, Bruce, Jelly Beans for Sale

• Pallotta, Jerry, The Icky Bug Alphabet Book

• Schnur, Steven, Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic

• Wadsworth, Olive A., Over in the Meadow: A Counting Rhyme

Traditional picture books. I remember the librarian reading Blueberries for Sal as I sat imagining the smell of fresh muffins cooling in the kitchen. Through the unfolding plot of the the book, I could feel the fear Sal felt as she wandered off in the field and could no longer see her mom. Sal became my friend. I hoped she would find her mom, cheered her on as she met a mama bear. This is just one of the classics I associate with read-aloud time and school library visits. As a young mom, I couldn't wait to introduce my children to my literary pal, Sal.

Traditional picture books invite readers into the story, into the lives of the characters. While reading, listeners develop empathy and understanding of others' feelings and circumstances, almost without knowing the transformation is taking place. For this reason, picture books become a child's first experience with the power of story. Together as a family, we've jumped into the plots of Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens, and Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.

Should you be a time and life season where you are building your home library, here are some must-have picture books to brighten up your shelves. 

• Ackerman, Karen, Song and Dance Man

• Brett, Jan, Town Mouse and Country Mouse

• Brown, Marcia, Stone Soup

• Burton, Virginia Lee, Katy and the Big Snow

• Burton, Virginia Lee, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

• Burton, Virginia Lee, The Little House

• Cooney, Barbara, Miss Rumphius

• Estes, Eleanor, The Hundred Dresses

• Galdone, Paul, The Gingerbread Boy

• Gramatky, Hardie, Little Toot

• Hoban, Russell and Lillian, Bread and Jam for Frances

• Keats, Ezra Jack, The Snowy Day

• Keats, Ezra Jack, Whistle for Willie

• Krauss, Ruth, The Carrot Seed

• LaMarche, Jim, The Raft

• McCloskey, Robert, Lentil

• Newberry, Clare Turlay, Barkis

• Swift, Hildegarde, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

• Ward, Helen, Unwitting Wisdom: An Anthology of Aesop’s Fables

• Ward, Lynd, The Biggest Bear

• Yolan, Jane, Owl Moon

Biographical picture books. Our older picture book readers (which includes mom!) enjoy reading about real people who solve real problems. With biographical picture books, young readers don't have to wait until they can read chapter books to read about and meet some of the world's most significant history changers. Our favorites have included

• Dooling, Michael, Young Thomas Edison

• Moses, Will, Mary and Her Little Lamb

• Martin, Jacqueline Briggs, Snowflake Bentley

“Every child ought to know the pleasure of words so well chosen that they awaken sensibility, great emotions, and understanding of truth. ”

— Gladys Hunt, Honey for a Child’s Heart, Zondervan, 2002, p. 18

What is a picture book?

A picture book invites readers into learning and into the stories of others, gently, peacefully, and purposefully. There will be pondering. There will be wonder. There will heart-changing impact, sometimes so subtly it will go unnoticed for a bit of time. 

Some of our most treasured family read-aloud moments and discussions have come from the pages we've turned together. With each book selected, read, placed on our shelves, and the read again, a legacy formed. That legacy is sweet, precious, unique to our family, as it will be yours. That story legacy is a gift, a gift which will continue to span generations. It is just one benefit of keeping learning real and relational. 

Every. Moment. Matters. 

I recently presented Picture Book Treasures at the 2018 FPEA Convention. If you would like more information on picture books and building a home library, the MP3 can be purchased in the FPEA store. 

When Living Books Become Tickets to Travel

It was a stress-filled day. Guests coming; comments becoming sarcastic. 

I knew a few quiet, intentional minutes would be a great reset--a reset and a relationship builder. 

And, we could go to LONDON! The text and illustrations of A Walk In London by Salvatore Rubbino would take us there.

I asked a learner to go to the library bucket and find the London book. Once retrieved we sat on the living room floor, backs positioned against the couch. I read the title and author from the cover and opened the book. The illustrations immediately caught the attention of my ten-year-old. Her excitement was quickly caught by my five year old. I began to read and we were immediately transported to the streets of London, each page highlighting a landmark or introducing a bit of history. We talked about words we didn't know; ah-ha'ed over new facts.

For twenty minutes we listened and learned together--learners from five to thirteen. 

When I closed the book, stress had been replaced with calm and we had enjoyed our minutes together.

This book was our ticket to visit a country, but it was also an opportunity to reset attitudes and deepen our relationships.

For the past 27 years, books--fiction and non-fiction--have provided us with tickets to travel. Some of our favorites include

• What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World, Maya Ajmera
• Counting Chickens, Polly Alakija
• Over in Australia: Amazing Animals Down Under, Marianne Berkes
• Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow, Marianne Berkes
• The Five Chinese Brothers, Claire Huchet Bishop 
• The Littlest Matryoshka, Corinne Demas Bliss 
• The Three Snow Bears, Jan Brett
• Italy ABCs: A Book about the People and Places of Italy, Sharon Katz Cooper
• The Story of Ping, Marjorie Flack
• Germany ABCs: A Book about the People and Places of Germany, Sarah Heiman
• Kenya ABCs: A Book about the People and Places of Kenya, Sarah Heiman
• Paddle to the Sea, Holling C. Holling
• If You Lived Here: Houses of the World, Giles Laroche 
• The Boy Who Held Back the Sea, Thomas Locker 
• The Story of the Statue of Liberty, Betsy Maestro
• The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History, John S. Major
• Bread, Bread, Bread, Ann Morris
• Houses and Homes, Ann Morris
• A is for Africa, Ifeoma Onyefulu
• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, Marjorie Priceman
• Marguerite Makes a Book, Bruce Robertson 
• This is Venice, Miroslav Sasek
• D is for Down Under: An Australia Alphabet, Devin Scillian
• C is for China, Sungwan So
• The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto, Natalie Standiford
• Round is a Tortilla, Roseanne Thong
• E is for Eiffel Tower, Helen L. Wilbur

Chapter Books for Older, Independent Readers or Family Read-Aloud

• The Family Under the Bridge, Natalie Savage Carlson
• The Wheel on the School, Meindert DeJong
• Hans Brinkner, or The Silver Skates, Mary Mapes Dodge
• A Cricket in Times Square, George Selden

If you enjoyed A Walk in London, check out A Walk in Paris and A Walk in New York also written by Salvatore Rubbino. 

Books can also bring comfort in difficult times. If your family is walking through a challenging season, snuggling up together to read might be one way to invite calm to the moments of your day. Check out this post, Light-Hearted Reads for Difficult Moments. 

Vintage Science Readers for the WIN!

There is something to be said about tried and true. That's one reason our family enjoys older books.

This week we rediscovered Follett Beginning Science Books. 

Three learners, Kindergarten to middle school, have been glued to content as I read aloud Frogs and Toads by Charles A. Schoenknecht. During our time together, I heard "I never knew that." and "That's so interesting!" more times than I can count. YAY!

In fact, I am still learning. I didn't know that frogs pull in their eyes to help swallow caught insects--which they ingest WHOLE! Fascinating!

There's more I love about this series--at least the ones we have managed to find. Large font, simple text packed with content, invited my budding reader to give independent reading a try. I mean-- interesting content, large font, hardcover--she was excited!  

"It's a real book and I want to read it!"

She is motivated to become a more fluent reader and will learn science in the process.

That's a WIN!

I will add, these gems are difficult to find--published by Follett Publishing Company in the 1960s--but well worth the hunt. In fact, we have more coming this week! And, my learners can't wait.

In case you've been intrigued to find one to find out if your learners will be enjoy this series, here is a list to help your quest. Consider starting with a title of interest. For example, my learners are more interested in the animal titles, hence our beginning point. 

• Air by Edna Mitchell Preston      
• Animals without Backbones by Robert E. Pfadt   
• Ants by Charles A. Schoenknecht            
• Beavers by F. Dorothy Wood     
• Birds by Isabel B. Wasson             
• Birds That Hunt by Willard Luce
• Butterflies by Jeanne S. Brouillette          
• Climate by Julian May   
• Comets and Meteors by Isaac Asimov           
• Deer by John Feilen       
• Electricity by Edward Victor        
• Friction by Edward Victor             
• Frogs and Toads by Charles A. Schoenknecht     
• Galaxies by Isaac Asimov             
• Grasshoppers by Robert E. Pfadt              
• Heat by Edward Victor  
• Hummingbirds by Betty John     
• Insects by Jeanne S. Brouillette
• Light by Isaac Asimov    
• Machines by Edward Victor        
• Magnets by Edward Victor          
• Mammals by Esther K. Meeks   
• Molecules and Atoms by Edward Victor
• The Moon by Isaac Asimov         
• Moths by Jeanne S. Brouillette  
• Plants with Seeds by F. Dorothy Wood  
• Robins by Edwin A. Mason           
• Rocks and Minerals by Lou Page
• Snakes by Esther K. Meeks         
• Soil by Richard Cromer  
• The Solar System by Isaac Asimov           
• Sound by Charles D. Neal            
• Space by Marian Tellander          
• Spiders by Ramona Stewart Dupre          
• Squirrels by John Feilen               
• The Sun by Isaac Asimov              
• Trees by George Sullivan             
• Tropical Fish by Loren P. Woods               
• Weather by Julian May
• Whales by Val Gendron               
• Your Wonderful Brain by Mary Jane Keene  

Reading and science? Yes, please. And that's a WIN! WIN! 

Light-Hearted Reads for Difficult Moments

Sometimes the only thing I know to do is pull them close and read aloud. 

Difficult days. Napless afternoons. A sick grandma. Health issues. Flooded laundry room. Itchy mosquito bites. 

It had been a long day. We had accomplished math and worked on our family project for Christmas around the world night. Yet, I was determined. There was much to be done before our December baby was to due to be born.  On little sleep, I ventured out with four children to help them get their Christmas shopping done early. Honestly, my intentions were good.

Though the early afternoon was quite productive, mid-afternoon arrived with traffic jams, hungry tummies, and tears. I was overcooked and dinner hadn't even been started. 

I knew if I didn't hand out a few crackers for snack and gather the emotions, the night would continue to be difficult. 

I grabbed a sleeve of cheddar rounds from the pantry, asked the oldest to select two books from the book basket, and pulled teary-eyed littles to my lap (what was left of it). Two pages into the first book, emotions settled and crumbs accumulated on the couch cushions. 

---

Stories have power; power to calm attitudes, power to turn tears into smiles, power to smooth rough evenings. Stories pull people close and offer diversion.

Stories also bring understanding; understanding of emotions, understanding as to how to be a part of solutions, understanding of people, places and events. Stories bring perspective. 

Stories can lighten heaviness. At times, stories offer a metaphorical hand to hold through difficult seasons. For our family, a humorous light-hearted read invited us to chuckle through paragraphs when our days were heavy and sad in Grandma's last weeks.  In those times, stories helped lighten our heaviness, soothing hearts, souls, and minds. 

Stories help answer questions and bring clarity. We all have questions, children and adults.  In fact, a whole family may be trying to make sense of confusing, hurtful, or uncomfortable circumstances. In those times, stories can offer opportunities to see situations more clearly or from a different perspective. 

Stories help us know we are not alone. I remember reading Where the Red Fern Grows, written by Wilson Rawls, as a middle schooler after having a pet die. Knowing other children had been through and understood the loss of a pet, I no longer felt alone in my sadness. 

Have you had a difficult afternoon? Maybe a string of doctor visits have left your family exhausted, in need of fun and light-hearted humor.  Consider one of the fun reads below. One of these titles might just be an invitation to some down time, time away from stressful moments.

Picture Books

• Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey
• The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats
• Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney
• Caps for Sale, Esphyr Slobodkina 
• No Roses for Harry, Gene Zion
• The Napping House, Audrey Wood

Chapter Books

• Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater
• The Borrowers, Mary Norton
• Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren
• The Cricket in Times Square, George Selden
• The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Barbara Robinson
• Henry Huggins, Beverly Cleary
• Homer Price, Robert McCloskey

---

Sometimes pulling the family close to enjoy a good story is needed in order to carry hearts, minds, and souls away from present difficulties. 

Every. Moment. Matters.

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Reading Comprehension Made SIMPLE

Reading comprehension is one of those skills which can cause gray hairs!

Many parents struggle to teach, reinforce and foster this skill. 

Just as many children struggle with the skill, too!

We are not alone. We are all in this together. 

Over my almost thirty years of working with children, my own and others, I've rejoiced in light bulb moments when a strategy works. And, I've helped parents find alternative solutions, often individualizing teaching methods.

What has worked?

Some families find one strategy works. Others need more than one option. Still others cycle in and out of several. The key is to use what works for YOUR family!

Find something the child enjoys. Every child (yes, every child!) has an interest. Something engaging. Something the child will not put down. Grasshoppers? Recipes? Catapults? Military strategy? There is always an interest though it may take a bit of effort to find it. When it's found? GLORY!

Read together. I know a mom who instituted an "everybody reads at 10:30 am" policy. In other words, at 10:30 each person found something they enjoyed, found a comfy place, and read. Starting with 15 minutes, she gradually increased the time. Why? Because the children asked for the time to be increased. You know the "Mom, I want to keep reading!" exhortation. To get to that moment she had to allow the kids' cookbook, the Boy's Life catalog and the recent subscription to Highlights to come to reading time. And, mom? She enjoyed her current read. Reading time quickly became a favorite time time of day. All reading, all together. 

Draw a picture. Creative children love to create. Why not try building reading comprehension with the innate desire to create. Suggestions to draw a picture of a character, the setting or an exciting event in the chapter is an open invitation to design and color something visually pleasing. Draw a picture might also mean choosing reading material which fosters creativity, perhaps a how-to book, for example, how-to sketch barns. The child logs his or her reading time by learning sketching techniques and then applies what was read (comprehension and application) to create a piece of art. 

Read aloud. I know this takes time (I'm a mom of full days, too) however, the time and effort of reading something engaging (perhaps slightly above the child's ability) can build vocabulary and knowledge of language structure. Even a short time each day can pay off great dividends. 

Some of our favorite family read alouds are:

• A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla
• Helen Keller's Teacher by Margaret Davidson (as well as her other amazing titles)
• George Cohan: Boy Theater Genius by Gertrude Hecker Winders (and other Childhood of Famous American titles)

Take turns. Mix it up. You read a sentence, I read a sentence builds to I read a paragraph, you read a paragraph. Then one day, the learner takes of and reads the whole chapter, independently. This is an important strategy for emerging readers building fluency. We have found Step-up books and Discovery Biographies by Garrard Publishing  are perfect for this purpose. 

Give content. Often, today's book content is shallow, less engaging than the choices of days gone by. When we began purchasing vintage books, books penned in the 1950s and 1960s, our children read more often and more widely. Why? Real-life dilemmas and adventures--generally of lesser known people and events--intrigued my readers. There were problems to solve. History-changing events in which to be invited. For example, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo by Captain Ted W. Larson (Doolittle Raid pilot) from the Landmark book series pulled my readers into the plot almost immediately. We were with the fliers in training, incident and aftermath of the raid. Yes, there was mention of injuries, blood and bombing but courage, perseverance, real-life challenge (not fabricated and artificial) enveloped every page. 

NOTE: This book is one of the more graphic of the Landmark series and we chose wait until late middle school to introduce the content. Parents should read the content prior to making the decision to offer this book to their children. Not all Landmark books are as graphic. 

Practice and apply comprehension strategies. There are six components to comprehension: connection, visualization, question, inference, analysis and synthesis. All play an important role in the ability to comprehend written material and as such children must be given the opportunity to use, apply and master each component. 

What if my child just doesn't like to read?

Some don't. Although most will with something of interest. If there is a continuous aversion to reading, even with something of interest, consider whether a physical reason may be causing a learning challenge. For example, if the eyes don't converge on a page of written material, reading will be difficult and hence not enjoyable--because it's hard, if not impossible. Learning challenges are not always obvious and should be considered a possibility when children have an aversion to reading. 

Reading comprehension can be as SIMPLE as enjoying a read aloud and discussing what was heard. On the other hand, several methods might be needed. Whatever the situation, building reading comprehension doesn't have to bring fit-induced gray hairs and is worth the effort.