by Jo Ann Wentzel

Created on: March 15, 2011

Reading to promote comprehension might be a different type of reading than your children usually do. They may presently be reading strictly for pleasure and there is nothing wrong with that idea. Comprehension can be achieved at various levels from what a school student needs to just helping a small child understand better what they are reading for fun. But as children mature, school and eventually college and possibly a job will require a reading technique that focuses on comprehension.

Comprehension means more than a quick view of or a ‘once over’ while reading. It requires reading thoroughly and carefully and even rereading the same thing several times.

The first time, a person reads for an overall idea of what the story is about. A second, more careful reading may be accompanied by taking notes so the pertinent facts are written down. If you a need a third reading, those points you found important should be followed by explanations, definitions or even a list of factors or elements that is connected with those points from which you took notes. This method, of course, is for those actually studying a subject, preparing for a test, or trying to learn a new job or policy.

The basics for those persons are meant to help a student who needs to remember and repeat the information he learned while reading.

A child, who reads for fun, can add some of the basics, but his comprehension expectations are more about having a deeper understanding of the book so he enjoys it better. He will get more ‘out of a book’ if he really understands who the story is about and any major factors that influence the story. He should be able to read with the idea that he will remember the main characters names and something about them. He will understand where they live and what the main topic of the story is about. He will also be able to sum up the book’s main idea in a few words.

If you are reading to the child or he is reading to you, there is an opportunity to ask questions about the characters, their feelings and what your child thinks about the decisions his characters make. You can also ask innocent questions about the pictures in the book to make sure they help explain the action and your child understands them.

Some ways to help a child read with more comprehension is to let them know you will ask them some questions about the book when they have finished reading for the day. You can do this in a test form, but a much more informal questioning

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