Simple Tips For Teaching Kids Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension refers to how readers process what they read, understand its true meaning, and integrate it with what they already know. Many school curriculums have a focus on reading comprehension throughout all grades until students graduate from high school. If you are homeschooling your children, you will probably spend plenty of time on areading comprehension home program. Consider these simple tips to help kids get the most of what they read. 

Customize the Program for Each Child

Every student processes what they read a little differently. As children gain greater depths of understanding about how written letters correspond with spoken language sounds, you may also be learning more about how each of your children learns best. Tailor how you teach kids about reading comprehension to how they best understand other subjects. For example, visual aids may help be a huge help to some students, while others will benefit more from in-depth discussions.

Prioritize Systematic Phonics 

According to Forbes, teaching systematic phonics is the most effective way to help children truly comprehend what they read. It involves helping kids make the connection between the letters on the page to the sounds they make when pronouncing those words. That's important even if they are only pronouncing the words silently in their head as they read. This can include giving kids spell-sounding assignments and helping them recognize certain essential words. Build their confidence as they decode sentences and paragraphs by providing a lot of positive feedback. 

Let Frustrated Kids Take a Break

If one of your children gets extremely frustrated by their struggles with reading comprehension, let them take a break. One of the benefits of a home-schooling program is the power you have to alter the curriculum to serve each child's learning needs. While consistency is important while children are learning, taking a break can be equally important. Letting children turn their attention to things they excel in can help build their confidence and help them return to their reading comprehension assignments with a refreshed mind.

Add Fun to Each Lesson

As students gain phonemic awareness and master spelling, incorporate fun activities into your lessons. The United States Department of State recommends having a reading relay to add fun to a reading comprehension lesson. Ask your children questions based on what they've read, then let them move forward when they give a correct answer. Continue asking questions until someone gets to the end of the designated relay track.

Finally, stay flexible as you work with your children on the reading comprehension home program. You may need to do more or less of some things that you thought would be a foundational part of the program. As long as the students are improving their reading comprehension skills and thriving as young readers, your approach is serving the individual learning needs of each child. Ultimately, it's all about teaching your kids how to decode language and truly understand what they read in books. It will be the foundation that helps them enjoy reading for life.