Strategies for teaching comprehension (KS1/Lower KS2)
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Strategies for teaching comprehension (KS1/Lower KS2)
Many parents have come to me and asked how they can better support their children with comprehension, so I thought it would be helpful to write a blog about it!
What is comprehension?
Comprehension is the understanding and interpretation of what is read.
To be able to accurately understand written material, children need to be able to:
(1) Decode what they read (apply their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words)
(2) Make connections between what they read and what they already know.
(3) Think deeply about what they have read.
Why is comprehension important?
It is important because it shows our understanding of what we read. It shows our ability to make inferences and predictions. If we lack comprehension skills, it means that we won’t be able to truly understand what we have read.
When should I start teaching comprehension?
Of course the younger, the better. However, you can start at any time. With so much online material and so many fantastic comprehension books to purchase, there are many opportunities to support your child with their learning of comprehension.
The most important thing to remember, is that in order to gain mastery in any comprehension activity, your child needs to become an avid reader. They need to read for pleasure and look forward to reading. Encourage them to choose books that they love - that will keep them engaged and interested.
Steps to teach comprehension whilst reading with your child:
1. Encourage your child to read to you out loud. I have found that older children become more reluctant to read out loud and prefer to read on their own. Encouraging them to read out loud will allow you to see if they are making any errors with their reading and also check that they have understood what they have read. Too often children tell me that they have finished reading but when I ask them to tell me what the book was about, they are only able to tell me one or two points. Most children that I teach love to read out loud because they love to be listened to. If they make mistakes or don’t understand, that is never a problem. Take the time to truly study the sentences and understand the meaning being portrayed within them.
2. When they come across a new or unfamiliar words, ask them to stop. Make a note of this in a glossary (you can make it yourself by getting a blank notebook and writing A-Z or you can purchase one) By doing this, you will be increasing their vocabulary. Dip into the glossary daily and ask your child if they remember the meaning of a certain word. Can they put it into a sentence? If they don’t remember, practice it with them. Keep revisiting the word until your child is confident with the meaning.
3. Look up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.
4. Write down the meaning and discuss (Many children skip words if they are unsure of them. Try to avoid this as much as possible as it can become a habit)
5. Ask your child questions about the book that they are reading.
6. Ask your child to make predictions.
7. Ask your child to explain the meaning of certain sentences to you.
8. Encourage your child to ask you questions too and model how to answer the question correctly.
The more your child reads and is exposed to a variety of different vocabulary, the better that they will become at comprehension.
The main problem that I see is that if there is even just one word within a sentence that a child is unsure of, it could completely throw them in the understanding of that particular sentence. This will then make it very difficult to answer a question relating to that particular sentence.
There will inevitably always be words that a child will not know. As long as they are able to try and guess at the meaning of the word either through the context of the sentence or through trying to interpret the meaning of the word- this is the skill that we must teach. Often, children will say to me – ‘I just do not know!’ All I have to do is ask them to re-read the sentence and have a guess at the meaning of the word and 90% of the time they will be able to.
Ultimately, the more you expose your child to high quality vocabulary, the more they will be able to try and infer meaning.
Top tips!
Read daily
Build a love of reading
Write new words in a glossary with their meaning
Answer comprehension questions daily – it’s all about practice!
Make it fun!
Encourage children to ask you questions
Never skip words that they are unsure of
Be an inquisitive learner!
Read every day! Start at 10 pages a day as a very minimum.
If you have any questions about teaching early comprehension, please comment below and I will get back to you.
Happy Creative Comprehension Teaching!
