Family Resources for Early Literacy

Reading Comprehension

Comprehension is the ability to make meaning from what is read and is the goal of reading.

At Home Activities

  • Read books together and discuss. Read to your children every evening. At the end of each chapter, discuss what happened. Allowing children to retell a story that they read lets them practice comprehension skills. Video example: https://youtu.be/OEz4Z7w85Tw 

  • Cook or bake using a recipe. Find a lengthy recipe for something that your child will love to eat and make it together.

  • Who are the people you meet in a book? Talk to your child about the characters in the book. Ask questions…Do you like this person? Why or why not? What does this person look like? Where in the story does it tell you that?

  • Illustrate a favorite book. Have your child draw pictures based on the story and put them in correct order.

  • Sequencing errands - Talk about errands that you will run today. Use sequencing (first, next, last, finally, beginning, middle, end) when describing your trip.

  • Sequencing comics - Choose a comic strip from the Sunday paper. Cut out each square and mix up the squares. Have your child put them in order and describe what is happening. Encourage your child to use words like first, second, next, finally, etc.

  • Help your child make connections to his/her life experiences while reading. You could say, “Is there anything you read in the story that reminds you of something?

  • As you are reading, think out loud to your child. Ask questions such as “I wonder why the boy is crying in the picture? Will he find his lost toy?” This demonstrates that reading and comprehension is an active process, not passive.

Additional Online Resources