Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension

Provide the right kinds of books. Make sure your child gets lots of practice reading books that aren't too hard. She should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help. Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for her to focus on the overall meaning of the story. Make reading fun.
Create a family reading time where everyone reads for fun.
Fill your home with lots of kinds of reading: magazines, comic books, newspapers, and nonfiction books.
Have them read aloud. This forces your child to go slower. Plus, they are not only seeing the words but hearing them, too. You can also take turns reading aloud.
Reread to build fluency. To understand stories, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly — a skill known as fluency. Rereading familiar, simple books gives your child practice at figuring out new words quickly, so she'll become more fluent.
Supplement class reading. If we’re studying a particular theme, look for easy-to-read books or magazines on the topic.
Talk about what he's reading. Ask questions before, during, and after a reading session. For example:

Before: "What are you interested in about this book? What doesn't interest you?"
During: "What's going on in the book? Is it turning out the way you thought it would? What do you think will happen next?"
After: "Can you summarize the book? What did you like about it? What other books does it remind you of?"
8. Read Aloud: One of the single most important activities for building the knowledge required for success in reading is reading aloud to children! Even older children can benefit from being read aloud to.

Hawthorne Elementary School

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