Parents are always asking what they can do to help their children.  Below I have provided a variety of comprehension strategies that may be helpful.  These can be used with any grade level.  Comprehension strategies are sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. 

     Strategies:

1.     Story maps (used to chart story structure)

2.     Think-Alouds (children ask themselves questions and make comments about the book as they read it)

3.     Make predictions (what will happen next?)

4.     Oral or written retell (after reading the book either tell someone orally about the events of the story or write the story in sequence order on paper)

5.     Use graphic organizers (these can help students show relationships in the text and can be found on www.readingrockets.org website )

6.     Identify cause and effect

7.     Identify story elements (characters, setting, events/plot, problem and resolution)

8.     Summarize (identify what is important in the story and put it in your own words)

9.     Answering questions: (see examples of questions below)

·        Who are the characters?

·        Where did the story take place?

·        What do you think will happen next?

·        Why do you think the author wrote this book?

·        Why did the character do that? or, Why did he react that way?

·        How does the character feel?

·        Can you remember a time when something similar happened to you?  Tell about it.

·        What was the problem in the story?

·        How was the problem solved?

·        How would you have changed the story? or, How would you have changed the ending?

·        Which character can you best identify with? And why?