Introduction
Early literacy is one of the most significant indicators of later success in school and the job market. If you’re a parent whose child is struggling with reading, you’re likely feeling the pressure to ensure they improve their skills and don’t fall behind their peers at school. Our guide will give you the tools to understand how to help [your] child with reading comprehension, and also make the experience of reading more fun for them.
Understanding Reading Comprehension
In a nutshell, reading comprehension is the ability to understand the meaning of each sentence your child reads. This includes the individual words and the overall message. It's more than just pronouncing each word — can your child follow the meaning in a paragraph, a page, and a whole book? Taking into account their age, it’s important that you are helping them to meet developmentally appropriate milestones in their reading comprehension.
The Importance of Reading Comprehension
Human beings love stories. We’re wired to tell them, and to listen to them. Reading, however, is a fairly new skill in terms of human evolution. While learning to speak is innate, learning to read is a complicated process that requires dedicated teaching and learning.
As a parent, you know that comprehension skills can have a massive impact on children’s ability to perform in school. No matter what the subject (even math!), reading is essential to completing homework tasks, taking tests and following instructions during solo work in class. When children improve their reading ability, it has a positive impact on their grades, and it can also improve their self-esteem. As a parent, you have the biggest impact on your child’s literacy outcomes.
Identifying Reading Comprehension Problems
While some parents may recognize their child’s struggle early, other students may begin school with an adequate reading comprehension ability and only run into problems later. Some common signs of struggle for young readers can include confusing letters that look or sound alike, such as ‘p’ and ‘b’, or having difficulty with rhyming words, like ‘cat’ and ‘bat’.
Issues with recall can also be a flag. If your child has trouble answering questions about a passage you've just read, they may be struggling with their comprehension. Other indicators can include omitting prepositions while they read out loud, or misreading similar words (tail vs. trail, for example.) Remember that all young readers will make these mistakes to begin with, but if they persist past the kindergarten to Grade 2 stage you may want to consider seeking professional advice.
For older readers, an obvious sign is difficulty reading aloud in a smooth and fluent way. But there are other more subtle signs of a reading comprehension problem. These can include written answers in tests or homework that don’t match their level of understanding when asked the same question orally. If their writing is messy or has lots of misspellings crossed out, this can indicate that they’re struggling to put their meaning on paper. Misspelling the same word in different ways within the same document can also be a flag.
Other less obvious signs of dyslexia or similar learning issues can include mixing up common mathematical symbols like ‘x’ and ‘+’, or using a calculator for simple calculations, but understanding high level math concepts easily. Or your child may be forgetful about their homework and after school commitments, and show signs of being easily distracted during tasks that require concentration.
If these symptoms are ringing a bell, there’s no need to panic. Nearly all children can improve their reading ability with dedicated help from you, their teachers, or an experienced tutor.
Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension
When you’re searching for “how to help my child with reading comprehension” it can be difficult to parse the solid advice from the unhelpful parenting blogs tips. One of my first after-school jobs was tutoring young children with reading difficulties, and helping them to develop a love of language. When I was a young child, reading books was a special time with my grandfather, and reading became a way we showed love. I hope that as you embark on helping your child improve their reading skills, you approach it as a way to spend time together and connect, rather than as another task on your to-do list.
Give the Gift of Your Attention
In fact, that’s our first tip: Make reading a positive experience where you can bond with your child. Set aside time apart from distractions. Put away your phone and purely focus on your child. Your positive attention will help them to relax as they try to focus on improving their reading comprehension.
Read the Right Way
The second tip is to focus on how you read together. Studies show that simply reading a book to your child does not improve their literacy skills. To grow their comprehension, you have to keep them engaged and test their skills. Ask them questions about what you’ve just read, but also ask them predictive questions. “What do you think will happen next?” Questions like, “How do you think this character feels?” or “How would that make you feel?” help them to connect to the meaning of the text and improve their understanding.
While you read together, also connect the story to their personal experiences. If the story mentions going to the park, for example, mention the last time you went to the park together. You can also improve their understanding by prompting them to visualize, or paint a sensory picture of the story. What would it sound like? What would it smell like? These questions are a fun way to use their imaginations, but also to help them grasp the meaning of the text.
Use their Memory
For younger children, read and re-read picture books together, including at bedtime. When you eventually ask them to read aloud themselves, their memory will prompt them and help them to connect the words they already know to the symbols on the page.
Connect Reading to Identity
For older children, remember that you have to model the behavior that you want to see. If you want your child to read, read yourself. Demonstrate that making time for reading is important, and that learning can be enjoyable and relaxing. Talk about the books you love and that you’re reading now in a way that’s age-appropriate. Reinforce the idea that we are a family that loves to read.
You can also help them to develop their interest in stories and the subjects they enjoy through reading. Seek out books related to their hobbies, or tv shows and movies they love. Read short stories or poems as a family, and use the same type of engagement questions we listed for younger children to spark their imaginations.
Use reading to introduce your children to your own childhood passions. What did you like to read as a child or teen? Lean on the stories that ignited your own curiosity and wonder. Your enthusiasm will likely be contagious. Finally, podcasts like Book Club for Kids and The Daily Poem can also help to grow their interest in reading. There are a number of kid-friendly podcasts out there that you can switch on in the car or while you do chores as a family.
Communicating with Teachers
One of the best ways you can improve your child’s reading outcomes is to talk to their teacher. They will likely have good insight into exactly where your child struggles, and tips to help them with homework and reading skills at home. Their teacher can also do their best to support your child in the classroom, and help improve their reading confidence. Finally, your child’s teacher will know what resources are available to you through the school to help understand your child’s reading issues. They may offer assessments for developmental milestones, or for learning disabilities like dyslexia or dysgraphia. If your child’s school does not have a professional who can complete these assessments, they may be able to refer you to services through public or private providers.
Remember that there is no stigma involved in getting your child a diagnosis with a learning disability. It does not mean that they’re unintelligent or that they will struggle in their career. The sooner your child is diagnosed, the sooner help they can receive help to overcome their struggles. Early intervention is key to more successful outcomes, so seek help as soon as you can.
Maintaining Progress
Getting extra help at school and at home will likely have a strong impact on your child’s reading comprehension and grades, but you may still be worrying about their performance as they progress in school. How can you be sure that they won’t fall behind again? Consider hiring a professional tutor who specializes in reading comprehension. If you’re a busy parent, you can be sure your child is getting the one-on-one attention they need to help with their homework and overall literacy, as well as develop their enjoyment of and skill in reading.
A tutor’s individual attention also means that they can develop a curriculum that suits your child’s specific skills and problem areas. If you’re worried about how to help [your] child with reading comprehension, a tutor can provide you with regular reports on their progress and how they compare with milestones for other children their age. With the right tutor, your child may even begin to read above their grade level!
Continued Learning
As your child begins to improve their reading skills, be sure you stay in touch with what is appropriate for their grade level. Be encouraging, even if they slip in their progress. Learning is a journey, and it’s not usually a straight line. If you connect reading with disappointment or punishment, your child may fall behind even further and never learn to love it. However, if you can make reading positive for them, it can open doors you never thought possible.
Be sure to check out our article What Age is Best to Get a Tutor: Expert Recommendations for more tips for parents on understanding learning challenges and developmental milestones.
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