Helping Early Readers With Simple Comprehension Questions

Did you know that between the ages of 4 and 9, a child will have mastered about 100 phonics rules, be able to recognize 3,000 words with just a glance, and develop a comfortable reading speed nearing 100 words per minute? By the age of 5 or 6, most children have developed the skills necessary to recognize words and read simple, short stories. In most cases, early readers are almost completely focused on phonics, sounding out syllables, and identifying words on a page and less focused on reading comprehension and actually understanding the meaning behind the story.  While this focus on pronunciation and decoding of words is important, comprehension of the text holds equal weight.
Without understanding the meaning of the written word, there is no purpose behind reading.

Here at Kids ‘R’ Kids Avalon Park, we’ve taken a huge interest in helping early readers develop the skills they need to not only read the words that appear on the page but also gain the necessary comprehension to understand what is happening in the book. We’ve come up with a few questions you can ask your child as you read with them to help them “read for meaning.”

“Reading for meaning” means students focus on discussing and understanding what they are reading, not just pronouncing the words correctly. Parents of early readers can help by asking literal questions, or questions that focus on the who, what, where, and when of the story. The answers to these questions can be found in the text and pictures of the book and won’t leave room for interpretation. Being able to answer literal questions is essential for understanding any text, whether fiction or nonfiction, and here’s how to start a discussion with your early reader:

• Who? Who was in this book?
• What? What happened?
• Where? Where did this happen?
• How? How was a problem solved?
• When? When does this story take place?
  

Children will eventually anticipate that these questions will come up in a discussion of the books you are reading and they will learn to focus on content. While it is very important for children to understand what they’ve read, straight forward drilling your child about what happened in the story can make them feel like they’re being tested and this can squelch a child’s natural desire to talk about a book. Instead, open a conversation or discussion about how they enjoyed the book and slip in a few of these questions as you talk with and listen to your child.

With the proper guidance, early readers can learn about story structure and how to describe the characters, setting, problem, and solution in a story as they read the text. Enrolling your child into an early education program like preschool or VPK can make huge strides in early ready abilities and skill development. Contact Kids ‘R’ Kids Avalon Park to find out how we can help your child enjoy reading & literacy.