Do you remember that ‘reading’ means understanding the author’s message, not just calling out words? If you cannot answer comprehension questions after reading a page, you have not truly read anything.
There are specific reading-comprehension skills that will help you understand what you are reading. Whereas my last article focused on Main Idea, Predicting Outcomes, Inferences, and Fact or Opinion; this article will cover Context Clues, Cause and Effect, Drawing Conclusions, and Sequencing. When reading with your children, be sure to ask questions that reinforce these comprehension skills, especially during summer vacation or other long absences from school.
1. Context Clues – When you are reading, suppose you come across a word that you have never seen or heard before. If you understand the other words, sentences, and paragraphs that come before and after the new word, you will be able to figure out what that new word means.
Example: Two friends met and had a persiflage over lunch. They talked about
seeing a movie, going shopping, or going to the beach.
Can you tell that ‘persiflage’ means light, frivolous...