A First Teacher’s Guide to Developing Reading Comprehension

By 

By Sharon Oberne

Chrissy was reading books before she entered kindergarten.  She knew all of her sight words and could easily ‘sound out’ unfamiliar words.  She had been the top student in her kindergarten class and it seemed that she would always excel.  After all, Chrissy was accepted into the gifted program. 

Therefore, it was a shock for Chrissy’s mother to learn that her daughter was struggling with reading comprehension in the second grade.  As a reading specialist at the school, I understood about Chrissy’s dilemma.  Why would such a seemingly bright child have a problem with reading comprehension?  It was unfortunate that I would not be able to work with her. 

Chrissy’s mother had learned to work with her daughter from the parent workshops she attended, while her daughter was in Pre-K.  Unfortunately, for Chrissy’s mother the workshops never focused on building comprehension.  It is a common misconception to assume that if a child is reading the words with clarity and expression, surely the child comprehends.  WRONG! 

When a young child is introduced to a book, whether it is a book the parent intends to read to a child or the child is a beginning reader, it is important to build prior knowledge.  The usual procedure to accomplish this task is to discuss the picture on the cover of the book.  The child should be asked to describe what he/she sees in the illustration.  If possible, the child should be encouraged to relate what he/she sees in the illustration to something that the child understands.  For example, if the cover shows someone playing with a dog, the child should discuss what he/she knows about dogs.  However, if the child has never seen a dog, but is familiar with raising a cat, the child can still make a connection.  The child should discuss what he/she knows about playing with a cat.  Then, the parent can discuss the similarities and differences between dogs and cats.  In other words, no matter how limited a child’s experience might be, it is important that children have some basic understanding before they begin reading a book or one that will be shared.  After all, the purpose of reading is to learn more about the world we live in.  The more connections children can make between what is read to what they know, is what comprehension is all about. 

Once when an oral discussion has taken place, children should make a prediction on what they think the book will be about.  It’s okay for them to be wrong.  Children will be more encouraged to read or to listen because they want to know if they are right about the book. 

Another strategy in fostering comprehension is to do a ‘book walk.’  Once when the child has made a prediction, then discuss the illustrations in the book.  Ask the child to talk about the pictures.  Let the child tell you the story.  If the child is having difficulty with this task, then feel free to intervene.  After the ‘book walk’, then it is time to read the story. 

After the story has been read, children should be asked what they can remember about the story.  Write down what the child says.  Then, reread the book with the child to verify the child’s input. This act will teach the child to focus on the theme of the story, which is one of the beginning stages of reading comprehension.

 The purpose of reading is to build personal knowledge about the world around us and how new information interrelates with what we already know.  It is a common belief that verbal interaction with young children helps to develop a strong oral vocabulary. 

When a child does not receive this oral stimulation at an early age, they are not ready to begin the early stages of reading when they enter school.  They have difficulty in understanding that sounds make up words and that words make up sentences.  So, how does one help a child with this background deficiency?

Besides being a reading specialist, I am the mother of a child who did not speak until the second week of her third birthday.  My daughter, Laura, had numerous ear infections and required the use of surgical implants for more than a year.  Her hearing was only at a minimum of forty percent for the first two and half years of her life. 

 Since a young child’s world involves around themselves, I wrote stories about Laura and her world.  I did my best at illustrating.  Sometimes, I would use a Polaroid camera and take pictures of activities that she participated in.  I worked on her oral vocabulary focusing on her as the ‘star.’  When Laura spoke for the first time at the age of three, she did speak in complete sentences.  I did not have to go through a basic word vocabulary, where she had to name items and point to them.

 Eventually, I made the transition to reading books to Laura.  She enjoyed books with huge, colorful illustrations with comical themes.  I bought a recording robot, which she absolutely loved.  She would pretend to read the story to the robot and then push the button to hear the story she told.  Laura learned the alphabet by watching her favorite show, ‘Wheel of Fortune.’

Parents can begin the process of developing their child’s vocabulary by reading books, as early as six weeks.  That’s right!  Reading books to an infant can put him/her on the road to reading. 

Between the ages of one to two years old, children begin to participate more actively in listening to simple stories, songs, and rhymes.  They can also point to pictures of things in a book when you name them and are able to follow simple directions. 

When a child is two or three years old, they are beginning to understand differences in meaning.  Children know the difference between ‘up and down,’ ‘in and out,’ and ‘big and little.’  They are able to express themselves using 2-3 word phrases.  A parent can easily expand on what their child says.  For example, if a child says, “ball bounces,” a parent can respond by saying, “Yes, the ball does bounce.  It is round and can roll.  Do you want to play with the ball?” 

At this age, a parent can increase their child’s vocabulary by introducing new words through reading books that have a simple sentence on each page.  The parent can name objects and describe the picture on each page of the book. 

When a child is three or four years old, they can talk in sentences with four or more words.  They can understand and answer simple who, what, and where questions.  Parents can read books that have a simple plot, and discuss the story line with their child.  Children can retell the story or act it out with props and dress-up clothes.  By the time a child is four or five years old, they can pay attention to short stories and answer simple questions about them.  They are able to discuss the sequence of the story and are able to discuss their favorite part. 

In fostering a child’s reading comprehension, it is important to keep in mind that oral discussion should take place before the story is read, while the story is being read and after the story is read.  This oral interaction stimulates the child’s curiosity and motivates them to want to learn more.  The simple act in just reading a story to a child without asking questions or discussing the illustrations is not going to help a child in learning to comprehend. In this situation, the child might learn to mimic the reader’s tone of voice and expression.  The child is not learning that the purpose of reading is to acquire new knowledge.  When parents model the purpose of reading, children will have a better understanding of ‘why’ reading is important.  That’s why parents are considered to be their child’s first teacher.