Comprehension is simply making meaning of text. Reading is an interactive process between the words on the page and the reader. Children need to understand what the words and sentences mean in order to make sense of a story. Comprehension is all about thinking and it is the key to reading.
Good readers constantly interact with a text using one of six strategies that aid in understanding.
1. Visualizing: Creating mental images as one reads through the five senses.
2. Using Schema (Background Knowledge): Making connections and retrieving prior knowledge before during and after reading.
3. Inferring: Drawing conclusions, making predictions and forming interpretations by using prior knowledge and information read in the text.
4. Questioning: Generating questions about text before, during and after reading.
5. Determining Importance: Identifying the theme of a text and distinguishing between important and unimportant information
6. Synthesizing: Continually changing thinking as one reads through the text.
In this blog I will share some of my favorite stories from children's literature. Along with each story, I will post guiding questions for you to ask your child. Each story's questions will focus on one or two reading strategies. Remember, reading with your child is a fun experience. Do not focus too much on the questions. They are just meant to help guide a conversation between you and your child!
