How do you improve their comprehension?

[Cortina]

Any tips as to how you can improve a child's comprehension (reading)? (Year 1). Thanks .

[misshardbroom]

These were given to me by DD's Y1 teacher as suggested questions to use at home:

What words told you how [character] was feeling?

On page [number] it says [quoted text]. What does this tell you about the setting?

Why did the author choose the words [word] and [word]?

Who / What / Why / Where / How questions to test their ability to recall the story

What does [quoted text] mean?

What did you find out about [character]?

Which word told you that [e.g. Biff was scared?]

How was [animal] rather like a human in the story?

Did anything surprise you in the story?

How was the information in the story different from the picture?

What characters were in the story that we find in traditional tales?

Why does each instruction have a number?

What does the list tell you?

Why is [word] in bold type?

Best of luck though, getting this level of critical analysis out of your usual ORT 32-pager!

And IMHO, a really important thing in improving a child's comprehension (or the teacher's perception of a child's comprehension) is to make sure your child understands that there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer. I know for definite that my DD can answer questions like these at home and discuss the book in some detail. Her teacher disagrees because in class she doesn't have the confidence to answer in case she's wrong. A really big milestone for me is getting her to realise that the discussion is as important as the ultimate answer.

[Cortina]

Thanks. Will keep this list, brilliant!

DS is v frustrating because I know he understands the story (he's no genius but gets the basics) .

He isn't demonstrating this in assessments or in class etc.

If asked about how Biff feels for example, he'll tell you the colour of his trousers. He KNOWS how Biff feels but decides not to tell you, he's already answered mentally in his head and has moved on to something else!

If course, in a class of 30, the teacher is busy, hasn't time and isn't a mind reader so DS isn't seen as understanding much in his books!

Is this uncommon I wonder??

[MommyG]

This is very informative, misshardbroom.
But my DS hates me asking questions like this. But maybe thats because this is forcing him to think creatively, which he is avoiding. And thats probably what I should try and change !
Thanks ! Will defn give a go

[cory]

Wondering if I'm being silly here, but is it really that important if such a young child demonstrates all he understands or not? Surely the main point here is instilling a love of reading and hearing stories that will then benefit him as he grows older. And if he has the emotional understanding (as you think he does), then eventually he will come to a point where he is savvy enough to use it because getting good marks will actually mean something to him.

Speaking as the mother of a child who totally failed to impress any teacher for the first 5 years of his education (all parents evenings being focused on what a lovely sweet child he was ) and who has suddenly shot ahead in Yr 5 because he is beginning to see that showing what you can do actually does carry rewards. I tried not to fuss him too much, but just make sure he heard enough really good stories/saw enough good films/had access to good books, to make sure that a general interest in learning was there.

[MommyG]

One thing I have noticed in DS is .. he reads a story, and when I ask him what the story is, he explains a lot.. but sadly, what is most important in the story is not given that much importance.
He understands for sure, and when I ask him - didnt this happen in the story - he says yes, that did happen too.. and explains that, but when he narrates the story that main portion is left behind.
Anybody has an experience on that? That will go when he grows isnt it.. He's in Yr 3.

[Cortina]

MommyG, that's what I am seeing too. Perhaps that IS what is most important to him? There is a 'right' answer on the sheet that's the thing. DS is being asked 'what showed that Jack was brave'? In Jack and the Beanstalk and he'll give rather an 'out there' answer, for example 'going back for the golden goose because it's important to be very kind to animals' . Depends on teacher perhaps? Perhaps in the sort of example you give it's up to the teacher to probe more to check understanding? Maybe if you have a tick box 'has he understood and given x answer to the question' system the prescriptiveness makes it difficult? It means, maybe in some cases, a lower grade for reading than they really merit?

I agree about instilling a love of reading and imagine that these things do come in time. Sometimes I feel that I am 'teaching to the test'!

[mumof2wifeof1]

Google stuff on 'Reciprocal Teaching' which will help with some of this