ABC’s of Reading Comprehension for Pre-K – Grade 1
This post has a free developing reading comprehension skills eBook for parents and teachers of young children. It is an instant download here, so abc-of-reading-comprehension-pre-k-grade-1. Please note it has a US Copyright Office copyright.
During conferences, parents would often ask me what they could do besides read to their child or have the child read to them. There is a world of possibilities, and this PDF has 26 suggestions. We can begin to develop concepts of print (hold the book right side up, turn pages left to right, and use pictures to help understand the story) as well as comprehension before children even learn to read. Once children can read on their own, do not stop having reading time and book conversations. Here are a few ideas.
A is for Always Have Books Available
Good books children own and love should be kept at home or in the car. New books should be checked out from the library. Parents and teachers need to be aware of and use the many teachable moments that accompany read-aloud time.
C is for Comprehension and Conversations
When we discuss books with young children, they are learning about the world. Many topics are brought up that may not be raised surface any other way. This doesn’t mean asking a list of “comprehension questions” at the end of a story but allowing the children to say what they are thinking about as we read.
F is for Follow the Child’s Interests
How we want to teach our children and lead them to what we think they should know. Usually, however, we realize children are very much their own people with their own interests and opinions and it is much easier to follow their likes and dislikes as we nudge them toward learning.
V is for Various Genres
Children will like and enjoy more genres if exposed to them early on. Be sure to include folk tales, fairy tales, nonfiction, modern fiction, biographical, historical fiction, outer-space stories, humorous books, and easy reader books. Yes, read reader books to your child so they will feel the books aren’t silly or stupid.
W is for Word Solving Suggestions
For instance, try saying, “Skippy Frog!” when a child is stuck reading a word out loud. Skippy Frog means to jump over the word, finish the sentence, then come back and figure out what the word meant. Several strategies are explained on the “W” page.
