Reading comprehension involves the ability to read a text and understand its meaning. To comprehend what we read, we need two closely linked skills: word reading and comprehension. Word reading refers to recognizing the words on the page or screen (such as in Raz Kids). In ABIS, phonics is often used to assist children with this aspect of reading. However, this is only half of the equation – to grasp the meaning of what they’re reading, a reader must understand the words, which is called comprehension.
There is much more to reading than merely seeing a word and vocalizing it. When we read a book, we may engage in various tasks, including:
- Understanding the meaning of new or challenging vocabulary
- Grasping the key elements of a story, such as characters and settings in fiction, or the main purpose of a non-fiction book
- Summarizing the key events
- Making inferences (reading between the lines) about a character’s feelings, actions, behavior, or motivations
- Predicting what will happen next
- Locating information within a text
- Comparing the book to others we have read, or comparing different characters or their behaviors, or connecting information with what we already know
- Appreciating the language choices an author has made or the way information is presented.
Here are some suggestions to foster reading comprehension at home:
- Read aloud with your children.
- Purchase or borrow books at their appropriate reading level.
- Discuss what your child is reading.
- Try to predict what might happen next.
Please do not hesitate to reach out,
EAL Team: Ms Ays, Ms Dorota, Ms Viviana