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Luckily, reading comprehension is a skill that can be taught, but it takes practice and a little patience. If your child understands language and can read but struggles to find meaning within the text, there are lots of different ways that you can help them to progress.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this post, we\u2019re going to look at how to improve reading comprehension and the best tips to ensure a love of reading.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Setting aside uninterrupted time to read every day will help your child to practice reading comprehension. Notice how long your child is currently able to read for without getting lost or distracted, then try adding a couple of minutes to this time per week.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Try to keep their \u2018reading time\u2019 at the same point in your schedule every day – such as immediately after school or before bed – so that they can commit and form a habit more easily.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes we can understand vocabulary due to the way it has been used within a sentence. But when we don\u2019t know the meaning of a word, it\u2019s still important to look up the definition for future reference and understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Provide your child with a small notebook where they can note down any words that they don\u2019t understand whilst reading. This way they can take some time after reading to research the words in a dictionary and create some flashcards – with or without your help!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ask your child to spend a couple of minutes every day testing themselves with the flashcards and follow this with a weekly vocabulary test made up of the new words.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If your child is struggling with reading comprehension, buy or borrow a few books that are slightly below the level that they\u2019re expected to be able to read at their age. Their increased comprehension of the text will encourage them and ensure that they enjoy reading!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can move up a level whenever they\u2019re ready.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even adults can struggle to understand a text when reading in silence. Suggest to your child that they read aloud if they\u2019re having difficulty understanding the text. Hearing the words can make it easier to make sense of the context and the meaning of the text.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You might like to ask them to read you a news article whilst you make breakfast or an excerpt from their favourite book.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spending some time talking about the book after reading can be an effective way to increase reading comprehension. You can ask them to tell you what happened, what they liked and didn\u2019t like, or, if you\u2019ve read the book yourself, specific questions about events and characters.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Playing the \u201cguess what will happen next\u201d game is easy to do with any story that contains a cliffhanger or has multiple chapters. Simply ask your child to stop after one chapter or a particular page and have them write down or tell you what they think is going to happen next.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When they expect that they\u2019re going to be asked to guess what will happen, they may find it easier to concentrate on the text.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rereading books is one of the best ways to improve reading comprehension. When your child has already read the text, they can focus less on the structure of the story and more on the meaning behind the sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spend a little time during the weekends exploring, outside of books, the topic that your child is reading about. A trip to a museum, a farm, or the zoo could be a great way to get your child interested in the book they\u2019re reading whilst developing a greater understanding of the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You could start the day by <\/span>reading about a trip to the beach<\/span><\/a>, followed by lunch at the seaside and a walk on the sand to see if you can spot any of the sea creatures from the story. Once you\u2019re back home, you might like to spend time as a family re-reading the book or looking through photos from the day to help your child make associations\/notice the differences between what they saw and what they read.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Experiment with the tips in this article to find something that works effectively for your child. The most important thing is to make sure that your child is having fun whilst reading!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why not treat them to their very own <\/span>personalized storybook<\/span><\/a> – featuring themselves as the main character – to encourage enthusiasm for reading?<\/span><\/p>\n \r\n
\nSet aside time to read<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nMake a note of new words<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nRead easier texts<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nTry reading aloud<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nSpend time talking about the book<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nGuess what will happen next<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nReread books<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nMake an event of it<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nThe takeaway<\/span><\/h2>\n