Contents introduction chapter I. Approaches to teaching reading skills

Read-Aloud Questions
No matter a child’s age, it’s always good to do read-alouds together. One benefit of reading together is it allows the adult to ask questions along the way. Asking questions such as, “What do you think will happen next?” or “I wonder why the character did that?” helps the child to engage with and think critically about the text and allows the adult to judge how well the passage is being comprehended. Take a look at these questions to increase reading comprehension from My Story Time Corner.
Story Sequencing
Sequencing is another way you can help a little one gain reading comprehension. Being able to order the sequence of events in a story is a key component in understanding plot. There are several ways you can practice story sequencing with your reader. You could simply have him write a sentence or draw a picture about what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story. You could also create these cute story stones if you wanted to get extra creative. Visit Imagination Soup for complete story stone instructions.
Retelling
Closely related to story sequencing, retelling is also good practice for achieving reading comprehension. The rainbow reading bracelet is the perfect tool for gaining proficiency in retelling. Using colored beads on a bracelet as prompts for retelling (green – get ready for a few more details) the child learns how to summarize a story in an orderly fashion. Check out directions for making your own rainbow retelling bracelet at Growing Book by Book.
Close Reading
Learning to pay careful attention to a text is a skill that doesn’t always come naturally to beginning readers. Children have to be taught how to look closely at a passage in order to glean the most details and thus gain a better understanding of the author’s intent. Teaching a child to reread a passage slowly and thoughtfully will help her better comprehend what she has read. Close reading with Oreos is a great (and delicious) way to hone careful reading skills and will have your kiddo begging for more close reading practice. Visit Who’s Who and Who’s New for details on implementing this fun activity.