Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is sometimes ignored in early elementary school because of the more immediate need to teach children to simply read the words. Therefore, when kids get into 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, they are already behind if they are not reading with understanding. How do we teach students to comprehend even at the earliest age?

Even at the earliest age show students the importance of reading comprehension. There is always a reason to read, and something we can learn from it.

If you are reading a story aloud to a child, talk about it with him/her. Focus on the meaning of the story. Ask questions like:

"What do you think the girl was feeling? How would it make you feel?"

"What was the cat's name in the story?"
"Do you like how it ended? How would you have ended the story?"

"What was your favorite part?"

Once a child can read start asking them about what they are reading. If they are reading a story out loud to you, ask them:

"What do you think he meant by that?"

"My favorite part is when....... What is yours?"

"Who is your favorite character?"

Talk with them about the story like you are really interested in it, not like it is a test you are giving them.


If a child is reading silently, ask them about what they are reading. Ask the following types of questions:

"What made you choose this book (or magazine)?"

"What do you like about it so far?"

"Would you recommend it for someone else to read?"

These are just some simple conversations you can have to demonstrate the importance of reading comprehension and reading for meaning with children. And by the way, children will love talking to you about it if you truly act interested in talking with them.

Teaching comprehension strategies begins before a student starts reading. Introduce new books well:

1. Tell them a brief overview/summary of the book. This is for the older student as well as the younger student.
2. Flip through the book with the student. If there are pictures, look at them together.
3. If there is a Table of Contents, look at it together. Discuss the chapter titles and subjects in them.
4. Ask students what they already know about the subject matter. If it is a story about spiders, talk about what they know already about spiders. Ask them what they would like to learn about them.

There is a great graphic organizer called a K-W-L chart that helps organize this information for you. It is a chart with 3 columns for K, W, and L.
In the K column, you list what you already know about a subject.
In the W column, you list what you Want to know about the subject.
In the L column, you list what you Learned about the subject (after you read it).

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are a great way to increase reading comprehencion. They visualize information, events, and characters in stories and passages. The K-W-L chart mentioned earlier is a graphic organizer.

There are many books you can buy with hundreds of graphic organizers. You can make your own with poster and markers, whiteboard and dry erase markers, or paper and pencil.

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