1. Check Word Identification Skills
When you learned to drive, you had to focus on a multitude of small actions to remember: use your turn signal, press the brake pedal, start the windshield wipers in the rain, remember to check your blind spot before changing lanes, etc. In the early days, I'm sure you didn't necessarily have the mental space to listen to your favorite radio show or look at the various shops around you on your way.
With practice, these small actions became automatic for you. You can now focus on the route, sing out loud, or listen to the passenger telling you a story. For many, driving can even be a relaxing activity.
Learning to read can be compared to this learning process. Your child who is learning to read or has difficulty in reading has to process a lot of information: associate the right letter with the right sound, deal with complex sounds (an, on, ein), remember spelling rules (e.g., the "s" between two vowels that makes "z"), etc.
These are decoding skills, also known as word identification skills. These numerous processes can overwhelm your child. There is no remaining energy or space for them to understand words, phrases, and connections between sentences. Reading decoding, therefore, has an impact on reading comprehension. If you realize that your child doesn't understand what they are reading, this could be a clue to explore. Discuss it with your child's teacher or an education professional.
In this case, in addition to working on reading decoding, it is possible (and necessary) to support comprehension simultaneously by reading aloud to them, alternating reading with your child, or listening to audiobooks. The tips described below will be more accessible in such a situation.
2. Make Reading Interactive by Asking Questions
Before, during, and after reading, you can ask your child questions to validate their understanding. You can also ask yourself questions out loud to model what goes on in the mind of an "expert" reader. (e.g., I wonder what the character will do next. I think he will try to ask the wizard for help... (later: Oh, I was right! That's exactly what he did!) For examples of questions to ask, visit our "Resources" page! It's free! Caution! Do not interrupt the reading too frequently to ask questions to the child. This could have the opposite effect. Ask questions sparingly :)
3. Make Reading Activities Meaningful
Reading is part of everyday life. Often without realizing it, we have to read to complete a task, to work, to learn, to have fun. Use these contexts to make the links between decoding and comprehension tasks evident.
Some examples:
Read a recipe (and make it with your child).
Stop at a park to read informational plaques.
Visit a museum and read explanatory signs.
Read a greeting card aloud.
Read the instructions of a board game to play it.
etc.
4. Use Oral Language to Expand Vocabulary
The connection between written language and oral language is well established. Knowing a variety of words orally can help your child understand what they are reading more easily. Don't worry, you don't need to diligently study the dictionary to enrich your child's vocabulary! Everyday life situations are ideal learning contexts:
Vary cultural activities (Museum, Science Center, Theater, etc.).
Play with words: nursery rhymes, rhymes, category games, board games.
Be a model by varying your vocabulary.
Read! Reading is an excellent way to learn new vocabulary. You can focus on certain useful words that you can reinvest in daily life and explicitly define the word to your child.
A future blog article will actually cover this topic!
A little note for parents who do not speak their child's language of instruction: All these tips can be applied in your native language. Feel free to make reading time a quality exchange moment, regardless of the language you speak.
Hoping that these enjoyable tips help your child refine their comprehension skills and ultimately, give them more and more motivation to read for learning or for pleasure.
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