Mike and Susie Williams were worried. As their son's teacher explained the report card, it became obvious that what they had suspected was true. Their son wasn't understanding a word of what he read - it didn't matter if it was a chapter book or history textbook.
Mike and Susie were panicked. After all, he was a fifth grader. Middle school loomed ahead. What to do? Was all hope lost? Maybe an expensive tutor or another year in elementary school would help. Before drastic steps are taken, there are several simple, inexpensive methods and resources to help your child understand what they are reading.
Get reading at the right level
For a second, let's think like a kid. Video games - most have different levels from beginner to super advanced. A beginner would be devastated at an advanced level. Well, the same applies to books. Some books are very simple and easy to read while some children's books would rival Tolstoy's "War and Peace". So how do you know what level your child is at? Either ask your child's teacher, or you can approximate by what grade they are in.
For example, if your child is a 3rd grader, then she should be able to read a book at a 3.0 level book. Each book is given a level based on story line, difficulty of vocabulary, and other factors. Many books published today have the book level on the back cover or inside the front cover. If you can't find it, then go to the free website entitled AR Book Finder.
Teachers and students use AR Book Finder to determine the difficulty of a book for an in-school paid reading program entitled Accelerated Reader (AR). You can access this site free of charge. Simply click on the site, mark that you are a parent, and type in the title of the book. In seconds, you will see the cover of the book and the book level. Children who read at the right level of difficulty will have more success understanding what they are reading.
Read with your child
Anything worth doing well takes time. Your child's ability to read is no different. Take time to read the same book along with your child. You may be surprised how much you enjoy reading the same book. To make sure he is understanding his reading, read 2-3 pages together. Then, stop and simply ask your child a couple of open ended questions like "What do you think of those pages?" Or the more direct: "What happened on those pages?" You'll be able to tell right away if he is getting it. If he is not, then try to adjust to a lower level book. The public library is a great resource to help you find that right book.
A quick word of caution
Don't be fooled if your child can read a passage aloud with no mistakes. In my ten years of teaching, I have often heard students read beautifully aloud. Yet, when asked to talk about what they read, they are at a loss. It is a fact that some students are masters of word recognition and decoding words. That is great! But it doesn't mean they understand it. Thus, your child might read Harry Potter aloud with ease, but not comprehend it. Something to consider!
Listen to a book on CD or tape
Many libraries and schools have books on CD and tape. Sometimes, all a student needs to do is hear someone else read the text. Be sure your child follows along in her own book with what is being read. Education specialists Stephen McCarney, Ed. D; Kathy Cummins Wunderlich, M. Ed.; and Angela M. Bauer, M. Ed. in their 1993 work "The Pre-Referral Intervention Manual" recommend: "Prerecord the student's reading material and have him/her listen to the recording while simultaneously reading the material."
I have seen the value of this first hand with several of my students. By listening to a chapter book or history book on CD, the student really understands what is happening. As a teacher, I could tell by the in-depth answers the students gave once they had listened to the material that they had understood it.
Reduce distractions for your child
Is the kitchen table with a blaring TV in the background, crying sibling, and barking dog really the best listening environment to understand a book? Your child might well be able to understand his book if things were just a bit quieter. If you know you will pretty much always have a loud house, no worries. Invest in a pair of inexpensive sound blockers from the local hardware store. These things look like large headphones and block a lot of sound. It can help reduce "noise pollution" that might prevent your child from understanding what he is reading.
Don't blame yourself, but take action
Thus, if your child struggles to comprehend, don't beat yourself up and take the blame. Try these simple methods first before more drastic options. Will these methods always work? Not one hundred percent of the time, simply because each child is different. However, most of these methods will help your child understand her reading. Once she has that understanding, she will develop an inner confidence to try harder reading. When she has that confidence, you can rest at ease. She is mastering a skill that will continue to help her understand her world and create a successful future.
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