Many parents and educators will agree that comprehension is the main goal in reading. If the reader does not comprehend what the author is trying to convey, then nothing has been gained during the time spent reading. The meaningfulness of text relies upon the author’s knowledge and expression of the concept and the student’s comprehension. Because comprehension is a main goal of reading, it is necessary and beneficial for all students to be aware of and understand their comprehension level of each text that is read.
Comprehension Strategies
Reflect on the process that you undergo in your attempt to comprehend a written text. Below are some general strategies that you might use:
1. Activating current knowledge of subject
2. Integrating subject matter into your life
3. Determining importance of text
Monitoring your reading and rereading if necessary
First, one strategy that generally is used in comprehending a text is activating your current knowledge of the subject. If you have a knowledge base of the concept to build upon, your understanding of the text will most likely be much higher.
Second, another strategy you might rely upon is striving to integrate the content into other aspects of your life. If you can relate the concepts of a text to additional areas in your life, it is easier for you to remember and understand the things that you have read.
Third, you probably will also rely heavily upon determining the importance of a text. However, be careful not to place too much weight upon the importance of the text according to the author. It is essential to know what the author thinks is important but you should also focus more on how the text is important to you and how it relates to your life. As you look back on your educational experience in elementary and secondary school, you probably will agree that there was generally only one “right” answer. In today’s world, there are often several ways of comprehending and doing things and it is important to make the text of a book meaningful according to your experiences and life.
Finally, another strategy you probably use in striving to comprehend a text is monitoring your reading. It is common to reread a paragraph and even chapters to make sure you understand the concepts that are being conveyed.
Improving Reading Comprehension
With the importance of reading being placed upon the comprehension of the text, it is fortunate that comprehension is something that you can improve in children. Comprehension is improved when you provide explicit instruction in the use of comprehension strategies and when activities are designed and implemented to support the understanding of texts. Some of these activities include story retellings, using experience – text relationships to structure text discussions, and using extensive studies of text.
Read Every Day
One of the easiest ways to improve reading comprehension may be as simple as reading every day. Read to your child as well as having them read to you. Make sure you are not reading just to finish a book. Discuss each page with your child. Ask questions such as, “What is happening to this character?”, “What do you think is going to happen next?” By asking your child questions, she will become actively engaged in the story which will greatly help with reading comprehension. After you have finished the book, don’t simply close the book and end your reading time. Ask your child to summarize what happened. Ask your child if she liked the story and if not, what she might change. It can be fun for a child to imagine and even write her own story. The important thing is to have an open discussion about the book with your child.
Conclusion
Teaching children to understand their comprehension levels of a text is invaluable. It has been said that some children are “clueless about clueless.” Some children don’t understand that they just aren’t “getting it”. By teaching children to use comprehension strategies, their understanding of text will increase. Children should know that it is okay to go back and reread a section of text that didn’t make sense to them. You should teach children to incorporate comprehension strategies to help them more fully understand the text and then they will be able to relate the concepts they have learned to real life. After all, if the goal of reading lies in the comprehension of the text, it is important to teach children how to be aware of their own comprehension level.