Comprehension is the ability to understand what we are reading. If we aren’t making meaning of the words, then it is simply word calling, not reading. I once had a first grader who could read the Wall Street Journal to me. But when asked what the article was about, he had no idea. He had a great grasp of phonics, but nothing was sticking or making what can be referred to as word pictures in his mind.
To truly comprehend something, there are several processes that are needed. The reader needs to have a broad command of the vocabulary being used, background on the topic, knowledge of the language structures (syntax and semantics), literacy knowledge (print concepts, genre structures), as well as the ability to use verbal reasoning and make inferences.
Yikes!! That sounds like a lot. And it is. But there are several things that you can do to foster all of these things for kids.
The number one thing adults can do for kids to help with comprehension is to provide ACCESS to lots of text. All kinds of text. Take them to the library. A lot. Kids are curious about everything. Make it fun and learn together. Read bedtime stories.
While providing access, give them CHOICE. Foster their interests. If they want to read only about dinosaurs, then find them all the dinosaur books you can. The library where I live has a borrowing system where I can get any book in the region delivered to my home library. When I get the text that a book has come in, it’s like Christmas at my house.
Don’t just read the books, TALK about them, too. Discussion about what you read will help your children move from shallow understanding to deeper understanding. Shallow readers can only understand the surface of the text (who, what, where, when, how). Deeper readers will want to discuss the “why” of the text. Things like main idea, connections to real-world situations, inferences, motives, theme. You don’t have to name these for your child, just bring them up in conversations.
Help your child develop a love for reading by providing MOTIVATION to read. I’m not talking about paying your child to read books, I’m talking about feeding into their natural curiosity. Show them your enthusiasm for topics, too. You are your child’s first teacher and role model. If they see that you use text to help you learn, to relax, to understand, then they will want to do that, too.