In the summer, reading programs abound. Some are offered by the local library, student groups or clubs, local churches, or even a neighborhood group of parents. Unfortunately, summer reading programs, although well intentioned to get youth reading, are often based on a reward for reading a high quantity of books.
Well, not incorrect in theory that more reading makes better reading, summer reading programs can unintentionally cause students to read faster and less thoroughly. Thus the quality versus quantity concern enters.
Is it important for your student to read 50 or 100 books if he won't remember 2/3's of them and has difficulty following sentences or learning new words? The challenge for parents is to make summer reading meaningful to your student.
Here are a few tips to help you build reading comprehension in your student:
1. Make a weekly book list so you know what books your student is reading. Familiarize yourself with overviews of each story so you can help answer content questions. Choose books that are appropriate to your student's level. Read books together through the week with your student if he's not yet an independent reader or if it's necessary for accountability.
2. Encourage your student to come to you with questions while he is reading if he has about content, grammar, or vocabulary. You can even supply post it notes or tabs for him to mark his questions so he doesn't forget their location in the book.
3. If your student has a hard time following a plot or understanding words, try reading chapters out loud together. Another option is to use supplement with audio books which help your student hear stories so he can comprehend meanings without getting caught up in pronunciation or long sentences.
4. Look up unknown words together in a dictionary. Write meanings down in a weekly vocabulary list that your student can refer back to if he comes across the words again. Discuss the power of word choice with a thesaurus by discussing alternative synonyms or opposites with antonyms.
5. Write up five simple questions to ask your student after each book regarding the book plot, themes portrayed, and the characters. Have him answer these before he starts his next book. This will help your student read not for speed but for comprehension.
6. Continue encouraging your student to think about stories long after he's finished a book by suggesting projects for book reviews for his class next year or prompting him to write his own story using the original for inspiration.
How do you develop reading comprehension with your student?