Reads well but doesn't picture the story-poor comprehension.what to do?

[Just2MoreSeasons]

I'd be very grateful for any help or insights please.

My DS (9) reads words quite well. But when questioned after silent reading will do a very poor job of answering what I think are really easy questions. Eg, what did he find on the floor? He can't tell me. The whole page is dedicated to the stone he found on the floor!

I am left wondering about his reading overall.

He was taught phonics but doesn't seem to use them to decode an unfamiliar word and I think he sight reads all words (fine) and skips anything he doesn't know (fine sometimes but not all the time).

Never asks me what a words means in a book. But would ask me in real life conversations.

It's like he sees reading as a chore to read out or silent read the words he sees without understanding that it's a message conveying some information.

I've really upped his reading practice for a few months now after getting a below average score in his nfer reading comprehension test, but whilst he's getting through books quicker I don't think this comprehension is improving.

What to do?

Thanks

There's quite a lot going on there...
Encourage him to read out loud, not silently so you can check he is actually reading it all.
Can he answer questions when you read to him? Practice comprehension without focusing on him reading.
When he is practising comprehension questions that he has read himself try doing it with a text that is easier than his actual reading level, so there's less effort going into reading.

I agree with @Usernamewassavedsuccessfully

Maybe he isn't actually interested in the books he is reading; are they being given to him because they are in the school reading scheme? I should imagine that if he is not interested in the story or topic then there is little motivation to decipher unfamiliar words.

My son was similar - he was able to decipher the sound of a word but not necessarily understand what it means because he just didn't have the vocabulary, and was bored rigid with Biff, Chip and Kipper (as was I!)

Thanks both for answering.

He's really reluctant to read out loud, I think he thinks it's babyish and he's past that level. But when I have got him to do it , his comprehension is similar to what it is when silent reading anyway, so I'm not sure it's worth the battle!

Really good idea about simplifying the text when focussing on comprehension- I'll definitely try that.

The book is from school but it's appropriate -about some boys lost in the woods. He prefers non fiction, but for a story book (chapters) It seems at the right level and I think it's engaging.

Part of me thinks it's just mood dependent and the other part is wondering about dyslexia or similar.

I feel like there a missing piece of the puzzle but don't know what it is!

Do you read to him? What is his comprehension like if you do? What is his comprehension like with non-fiction about something he's interested in? If he was asked to read a paragraph to find the answer to a question, would he be able
To do so?

Ask for a speech and language therapy assessment - it might indicate a problem with receptive language. It can be hard to spot

Really good questions. I do read to him, or we listen to audible together but I have to very frequently have to bring his attention back. His comprehension is better though.
I'm not sure about non fiction reading. I think he'd be better with it (so that's reassuring at least!) but I need to check.
Really good points Thankyou

I agree that i would check his comprehension generally - separated from his reading skill.

you read to him, ask him questions.

Start with that.

and start with easy texts and questions and slowly work upwards. Then you can identify if it’s reading or comprehension and whether you need to try and dyslexia assessment or a speech and language one. Although I would think an educational psychologist would tell you if they did a general assessment.

Interesting. He's just had an assessment with speech and language as he's stammering a little and is sometimes mumbly and unclear.

The wait lists are very long for intervention, but I will look into whether I can claim it on private health insurance.

Receptive language is definitely worth looking at. He can follow instructions though and understand the YouTube shorts that he loves.

I will do this thankyou.

His uncle has dyslexia.

He saw an educational psychologist last year who said some traits of adhd but not enough to diagnose.

He's now (eventually, thanks Covid) under Speech and Language.

Good idea to separate reading from comprehension. Will definitely try.

If he’s already under an SLT would be worth mentioning as they can do the assessments that will tell you whether there is any sort of language issue. I would hope they would do a brief assessment anyway (which would indicate if further assessment is required) if he is being seen for stammering, but services are very stretched now so I guess there is a no guarantee.

Also when reading to him get him to read along too, let him see the words you are reading. If he will get him to keep track with his finger or use a piece of paper or ruler. He is in charge of that so he pays attention.

With some children I have worked with they had a "special" ruler that had a clear centre part to see around 2 lines of text but then had a top and bottom that were opaque and it was to stop their eyes wandering all over the place. They could see enough to infer context and so could match their tone. You can make one with one of those clear A4 pockets or cut a section out of some paper.

Reading aloud is something that my children did every week at school. They were on the Accelerated Reader scheme so they read a book and then sit a quiz which tests their comprehension. It is not babyish, we teach them to read aloud, then silently but they should be doing some reading aloud as practising this helps them with their cadence and tone, learning when something is shouted or whispered and speaking accordingly.

Lots of children read without taking in what is happening in the book which is why the school brought in the Accelerated Reader scheme. I volunteered in the school and had to ask questions when I listened to the children read, what has happened so far? What is Joe feeling? Why is John sad? Why did Olivia shout? Can you tell me what that word means? Can you find a better word than "said"? What do you think might happen next? What do you think riding in that hot air balloon might feel like? etc etc. It gets them to think about the story and knowing they will be asked these questions it also means they will pay attention.

He absolutely refinishes a ruler or his own. Fingers to keep track of words. He's been like that since Reception. Will tire rate me using my own finger though.
He is in a reading recovery group that helps readers reading aloud with confidence, cadence etc. he absolutely hates it. Thinks he doesn't belong in it as he can read well and is a bit sensation about his speech.
Lots to think about. Thanks all

My son has similar issues to OP, he’s being assessed for autism. Initial indicators are it’s “mild”.

School initially were the ones who reported on his reading comprehension, they were surprised at the low score he achieved during a test. So now they’ve put him on a accelerated readers course which is provided by a company called “Renaissance” but this seems
to be causing more harm than good as you need to read the entire book before completing the test.

were totally stuck, we’ve tried reading aloud / him reading aloud / asking questions after every page / during the page / reading in short chunks, but more often than not he doesn’t comprehend or just makes up an answer.

he is an avid reader, but we don’t want him to lose confidence and stop reading.

are there any alternatives to Renaissance, we looked at sprax but you need a school to sign up to that platform.

any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

thank you