MACS Flourishing Learners - Vision for Instruction
Supporting Your Child’s Reading Comprehension: Building Knowledge for Understanding
At our recent Professional Development afternoon, we had the privilege of learning again from Dr. Nathaniel Swain, addressing the latest research on effective comprehension instruction. A key takeaway was the idea that “Good readers know things.” Comprehension isn’t just a skill—it's deeply connected to what children know about the world. Just as Velcro sticks better with more hooks, new knowledge "sticks" better when it connects to what children already know.
Reading Comprehension: What Good Readers Do
To understand texts effectively, good readers need three key abilities: 1. Relevant Background Knowledge (Schema): Good readers draw on what they already know to make sense of new information. 2. Strong Word Recognition Skills (Surface Code): They can decode fluently and accurately, understand word meanings, and process complex grammar. 3. Effective Thinking Skills (Mental Model): Good readers interpret clues in the text, make inferences, monitor their own comprehension (“Is this making sense?”), understand different text structures, and use their working memory to hold and connect ideas.
Our practical approach to comprehension includes interspersed reading and discussion to make learning more interactive.
We use questions like:
“What is the author saying here?”
“What's happening in the story?”
“How is this different from what we've learned so far?”
“What would you do if you were in this character's shoes?”
“What is the character thinking or feeling here?”
“What is the author trying to say here with that word?”
By asking these questions, we encourage students to think more deeply about what they're reading, make connections, and expand their understanding.
At home, you can support your child's comprehension by talking about books, exploring topics of interest, and asking questions that spark curiosity. Together, we can help our students build the knowledge they need to become strong, confident readers.
