Reading comprehension and basic reading skills are critical to the success of every child. I have created a series of videos that you can use to strengthen your child’s reading skills. Click the button and get your updates and free videos today.
Hello, My name is Rosemerry Blash and I am an experienced educator and reading comprehension interventionist. Strong reading skills are critical to your child’s success in every area of life. I also want to instill a love of reading in your child. They need to be lifelong learners and reading is the key that opens that door. Partner with me as I reach out to children and families with materials that will help strengthen those skills. Click the donate button and help me help children in need. Daystar Arising Academy is an outreach of Releasing Heaven Ministries which is a 501c3 organization and your gifts are tax deductible. Your gifts go towards creating academic materials for students and families as well as supplementing tutoring sessions for students in need. Thank you for helping me teach our young people the joy of reading.
What is Reading Comprehension? – Reading comprehension is understanding a portion of text that has been read. It is an important skill for readers to acquire in order to learn something from reading. This is a major skill that must be mastered in order for students to be successful in school and later on in life.
Is Reading Comprehension Important?-The answer to this question is a resounding YES! Reading and understanding what has been read is the major goal of education. It is the springboard from which all of education launches. Children gain knowledge and understanding of what they are reading. They also form ideas that impact their behavior and thoughts when they have strong comprehension skills. Reading comprehension also is the foundation for students becoming enthusiastic readers.
Why is Reading Comprehension Important for Student Success?- Students that learn reading comprehension strategies are able to learn from what they are reading. This opens up the world for a student. Children are unique and have specific interests and inclinations. The child that is able to read can do deep dives in areas of interest that may never be covered in school. In essence, reading comprehension is a powerful tool in the hand of a curious child.
The Connection Between Reading Comprehension and Reading Fluency?
- What is reading fluency? Reading fluency is connected to reading at a good pace and with proper phrasing so that the student understands what they have read. If the student is spending a great deal of time trying to figure out what words mean, they are not going to have the mental capacity to grasp the meaning behind those words.
- What is word calling? Word calling is simply calling out the words as the student comes upon them. There is no real understanding of what is being read.
- How does reading fluency impact reading comprehension? Without reading fluency, there would be very little reading comprehension. When a child is able to quickly read the words in a text, they are able to take the words in and recognize the connection between those words. Proper phrasing is another strong indicator that the student understands what they are reading. This is a demonstration of the connection between words. When the phrasing is absent, the likelihood that the student comprehends what is occurring.
Reading Comprehension and Character Analysis-One of the pleasures that children get from reading great stories is learning about how people react in different situations. These character traits give the student something to hang onto as they mature.
Often-times students will identify with a character. Knowing and understanding character traits in a character draws the student further into the story. Engagement is increased and students learn the value of various character traits such as patriotism, courage or loyalty. Character analysis helps the student understand these qualities and how they are displayed.
What are Some Important Reading Comprehension Strategies?
- Activating prior knowledge-students should ask themselves what they know about the topic to be read. In other words, when they look at the cover of a book, they should look carefully at the title and the picture and then think about the things they know about what they see on the cover.
- Making predictions-students should also try to guess what will happen in the book so that. This helps them pay attention to what they are reading. Their job would be to determine if what they predicted came true. It is important that students understand that if their prediction did not come true that it is ok.
- Asking questions-As the student is reading, they should ask questions about what might happen in the next part of the story. If it is an informational text, they may ask questions related to the text. Use this graphic organizer with your students to help them develop questions and answers. Students ask questions to understand the text. They use the text to find the answers to the questions.
- Re-reading is a reading comprehension technique that can help students increase their comprehension. Interestingly, Charlotte Mason would encourage students to pay close attention to the first reading of the text so that there would not be a need for a second read. Charlotte felt that children can be taught to pay attention to the text. This encourages engagement and focus.
If students are accustomed to having text re-read to them, they will have little reason to pay attention when text is read. They will feel that there will always be another opportunity to pay attention.
Charlotte Mason and reading comprehension-Charlotte Mason taught that narration is the best way to teach and assess reading comprehension. The traditional way of assessing reading comprehension is to use worksheets with pre-determined questions. Many children (and teachers alike) find this to be boring and very much like work and drudgery. It serves to suck the life and joy out of reading.
Furthermore, it allows the child to use only a portion of his attending skills as he learns to attend to text that only appears to be connected to answering predetermined questions.
Charlotte Mason’s approach called for the child to put forth energy in paying attention to the text. The approach helps the teacher communicate that there is value in listening to what is being read and if attention is not paid, then there will be a loss of some sort. It is very clear to the child that there will not be a re-read of the text so they need to pay attention the first time it is read.
I appreciate Charlotte Mason’s approach to education. Her approach honored the Lord’s gift He placed in each child. When you connect with me you will be working with a tutor that will give your child the best in education. Contact me today and get your videos today.
Hello! My name is Rosemerry Blash
Welcome to Daystararisingacademy.org
I am so glad you are here! Let me introduce myself.
I am a Christian educator, a mother of two young adults, and a wife of one wonderful Christian man. Online tutoring is a wonderful way to support your child. Think of me as a Reading Comprehension Interventionist. My passion is to help you with your child’s reading needs.