Learning to read is one of the fundamental skills a child should master in the primary grades. But it’s more than learning which letters make which sounds. It includes skills like building a vocabulary, sounding out words, and being able to explain what happened in a story using their own words.
However, some students struggle to improve their skills because they don’t enjoy the material or there’s a lack of prior knowledge to help them understand the text. And sometimes, students have trouble figuring out what something means because they haven’t mastered phonics or don’t know how to determine something in context.
So, how can parents help struggling readers improve their reading comprehension and skills outside of the classroom?
Key Skills for Improving Reading Comprehension
The National Reading Panel was convened in 1999 when Congress requested the establishment of a panel that would assess and appraise research and evidence to determine the best ways to teach children to read.
From this work, the National Reading Panel identified five components of reading that are foundational for the reading skill of any child.
Phonics
Phonics deals with how letters and their sounds are related. With a strong phonics foundation, students can use decoding skills to sound out words. Some studies show that learning to read by phonics dramatically impacts reading comprehension and accuracy.
Fluency
When you hear the word “fluency,” you may think of someone speaking a foreign language almost as well as their native language. Reading fluency is similar and is an important skill to learn when improving reading in the primary grades. It significantly impacts word recognition and reading comprehension.
Reading fluency is the ability to:
- Read accurately at a conversational rate
- Read effortlessly and with expression
- Decode new vocabulary
- Comprehend the text
Vocabulary
Vocabulary refers to understanding the meanings of words or determining the meanings of new words in a sentence. A strong vocabulary knowledge helps students more easily understand the text. Growing a primary-grade student’s vocabulary can happen directly and indirectly through:
- Storybook reading
- Listening to others reading aloud
- Learning new vocabulary
- Repetition
- Computer technology
When students can determine the meanings of new words and make relationships with terms they already know, they are better equipped to:
- Make assumptions
- Develop ideas
- Understand what they read
Comprehension
Comprehension is the cognitive process we all go through to understand what we’ve read. Several factors can play a role in reading comprehension, including:
- Vocabulary development
- Instruction
- Retention
Making inferences is also a skill that contributes to better comprehension. When reading about an unfamiliar subject, students can make inferences by connecting information from the text to previous experience, background knowledge, or ideas.
Spelling
Though spelling wasn’t one of the original five essential components identified by the National Reading Panel, researchers have found a connection between spelling and reading comprehension.
And that makes sense because spelling and learning to read require much of the same knowledge. Both spelling and reading deal with relationships between letters and sounds, and when students improve in spelling, it follows that reading should also improve. Knowing the spelling of a word also contributes to greater fluency.
It’s important to know that improvement in reading doesn’t necessarily translate to improvement in spelling. Spelling instruction is still needed in addition to frequent reading.
Reading Strategies to Help Primary-Grade Students
Whether your child is in traditional school or you’re homeschooling them, there are several things parents can do at home to help their child build their reading skills.
Read Out Loud
Fostering a love of reading is one of the best ways to help your primary-grade student improve their reading skills. Reading aloud to your child from a very young age can help them develop a positive relationship with reading, along with their early literacy and language skills.
Read at the Right Level
If a student is below grade level for reading, trying to read texts above their ability can be defeating and ineffective. Choosing material at their current reading level will help them sharpen their reading comprehension skills and reach the next level.
This can be challenging, but with a little practice, teachers and parents can find books and other reading materials that are the perfect fit.
Focus on Weak Areas
Reading is a broad category that involves many skills in relation to one another, and sometimes weakness in one skill results in weakness across the board.
For example, if a student’s phonics foundation is weak, strengthening their abilities in that area can improve their reading comprehension and help them feel more confident when they encounter a new word.
Break Things Down
Skilled readers aren’t born, they’re made! Accomplished reading comes from practice and taking things step by step. Breaking the process down and explaining the steps can help students decode the text and improve their reading comprehension.
For example, pre-reading is:
- Thinking about the genre
- Previewing the text
- Reviewing vocabulary
while reading is:
- Reading a section of text
- Reading the entire text
- Reading with a group or alone
- Looking at illustrations and diagram
Talking to a student about each step and all of the sub-steps can help them understand what they need to do and why, building their skills and confidence.
Positive Reinforcement and Encouragement
When students receive praise or a reward when they achieve goals, they are encouraged and motivated to keep trying. Positive reinforcement as a strategy for reading improvement could include:
- Expressions of approval and praise
- Choosing a desired activity as a reward
- Tangible rewards like certificates or toys
- Points or tokens to be exchanged for other prizes
Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies
Reading comprehension is a skill just like any other, which means it can be taught. To help primary-grade students improve their reading comprehension, you can:
- Have them practice reading aloud
- Reread books to increase fluency
- Discuss the reading by asking questions about the key ideas or key points
- Provide supplemental reading
Practice Decoding Skills
Decoding is the ability to sound out unfamiliar words in the text. When students can see the relationship between a letter or group of letters and the sounds they make, they are growing in their decoding skills.
Some ways to help students improve their decoding abilities include:
- Writing the sounds they are hearing with their fingers in the air to “see” the words and letters in their imagination.
- Sound and letter imagery to help the student transfer a “picture” of the letter or word to their mind from a visual cue.
- Including spelling practice in reading lessons.
Encourage More Reading
One of the best strategies to improve reading comprehension in the primary grades is to read — and keep on reading. Students improve their reading by doing it and practicing it over and over. So, one of the best things to do is to keep a steady supply of options at their fingertips by keeping reading-level appropriate books nearby at all times.
Build Critical Reading and Comprehension Skills
Reading and comprehension are crucial skills that help us throughout school and life, from reading books for fun to understanding written instructions. Using these tips and strategies now can help your student improve their reading abilities, increase their comprehension, and develop a love of reading.
But if your primary grade student is struggling or you’re concerned they’re falling behind, Emergent Education can help. Our tutors work with students of all ages and abilities to help them improve their skills and abilities using proven methods that get results. Contact us today and schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to see how we can help.
