FollowComprehension Strategies for Kids
Who Struggle with Reading
The more that kids read, the better readers they will become. However, there are some children that have a tough time understanding what they read. Here are some comprehension strategies for kids who struggle with reading.
Make Connections– When you connect what they are reading with things they already know, this helps them to understand better and sharpens their focus. For instance, if the book they are reading talks about a place that you have been to on a family vacation, connect those two things together. Have them talk to you about their memories of that place.
Create Images in Their Mind– By helping your child to create visual images in their mind, it will bring the text they are reading alive. This will help them remember the story much better. Visual images can be created by reading the story aloud and describing the images in detail. You can also invite your child to describe the images in their own words and see how they differ from yours.
Create Inferences– Inferences are a way to combine facts with clues. For instance, if your child reads a text that says, “Her nose was runny and her eyes were red.” We can assume from this that the child has allergies or a cold.
Think About What is Important– When your child is reading a story, have them write down things that are important such as the main characters, the location of the story, the main problem of the story and the solution to the problem.
Monitor Comprehension– it is important that you monitor how well your child is comprehending what they are reading, or not comprehending. Have them read a paragraph or a page and then stop. Ask them if they understand what they just read or if they don’t understand what they just read. If they don’t understand, fix the problem by reading the paragraph aloud and slowly or pointing out the words that confuse them.
