Reading comprehension is a skill that follows children throughout their entire lives. Decoding and understanding text happens everywhere, even in our digital world. Help your child improve his/her comprehension and reading fluency.
- Daily leisure reading is an important part of your child’s homework—remember, at least 30 minutes per day is recommended to improve their fluency and comprehension.
- Encourage them to read aloud, no matter their age. It slows them down and allows them more time to process what they are reading.
- Make sure they are reading books at their reading level. Your student’s teacher can be an excellent resource in this regard; they can offer suggestions based on curriculum and your child’s needs.
- Rereading can help your child increase their comprehension of a text, because reading a familiar book allows them to read more quickly and smoothly.
- Visit the library often. This will present your child with a cornucopia of choices for their leisure reading. Additionally, you can find reading level appropriate books on the topics and themes they are studying in school; these books can help them increase their comprehension of class material.
- By far, one of the most effective strategies is asking your child questions about what they are reading. Talking about what they read will help them remember and think through the topics and themes of the text. Asking questions before, during, and after reading can also help them develop reading skills that will benefit them in the classroom.
