I like to tell a student in any grade, that strengthening comprehension skills is a lot like building up biceps! I explain that when a person commits to lifting “weight”, his muscles strengthen and grow over time. Likewise, I want my student to have the awareness that comprehension “behaves” in the same way! The more he “commits” to reading, the more his comprehension skills will strengthen and grow. It is a rather “invisible” process, but you do “see” results!
Proficient readers grow their vocabulary and “worLd” knowledge rather effortlessly. As they progress, comprehension skills advance as they are asked to read and discern more complicated text. Children who are remedial readers or dyslexic also move forward with individualized instruction but are supported with targeted strategies. Yet, they BOTH intersect on this significant point: The more they read, the more they “grow” cognitively.
Some parents though, will experience a different reality and express concerns such as this: “Our fourth grader still struggles with word recognition and when he reads, his focus is on decoding. As a result, he remembers very little of what he has read. How can he build his comprehension?” This scenario has to be addressed and within a classroom setting, modifications can be made such as using audio aides as well as reviewing text through pre-reading skills (discussing difficult words, studying illustrations etc.). Reading often to your child at home builds up that comprehension “muscle” in the same way as reading silently. Parents may also expand their child’s understanding by simply showing interest in what he is reading and creating discussion.
Motivation remains the “strongest weight”. In her book, WHY JANE AND JOHN COULDN’T READ – AND HOW THEY LEARNED, author Rosalie Fink in her Interest-Based Model of Reading, shares stories of struggling readers who “had a burning desire to know more about a favorite topic.” Through that avenue of interest, they found their books and wanted to read them, so in turn, comprehension was effortlessly “exercised.”
Lastly, I want to share book recommendations that include high interest/low level readers with stories appealing to the age of the child but written on an easier grade level. My wish is that your child will discover some that he wants to read!