Reading Comprehension Strategies

These are the reading comprehension strategies that we have worked on in class, and some ideas to help your children when you are reading with them at home.

Making Connections
We have learned how making connections can help us understand what we read. When we make connections while reading, we connect what we already know to new ideas in the text.
Linking New to Old  Before, during, or even after reading, ask you child questions like: What do you think about this book/text? Does this remind you of anything? Have you read a book/text like this before? How did thinking about your connections, or background knowledge, help you understand what you just read?


Creating Sensory and Emotional Images
We have learned how creating sensory and emotional images can help us understand what we read. When we use our senses and feelings to create images in our minds, we can better understand what we read.
Experience Your Senses  While reading, ask your child questions like: How does this make you feel? What can you see, hear, smell, taste, touch while you read? How do your senses paint pictures in your mind as you read?


Asking Questions
We have learned how asking questions can help us understand what we read. When we ask questions as we read, we understand better.
Curious Child  Find a book your child hasn't read. Tell your child you are going to read a new story together. Ask: What do you want to find out about this story? Prompt you child to generate a list of questions, such as: What is the story about? Who is in the story? What happens to the characters in the story? What is exciting about the story? Write down your child's questions. Read the story. Go back through the questions and see if your child can answer them. Remind your child that asking questions makes us active readers.