We are working on listening comprehension in class. Children are expected to listen carefully, and then respond to literature in some way. Reading aloud at home can help set your child up for success. If children are taught to understand a story read aloud at an early age, then reading comprehension may come more easily when they read on their own. Reading aloud to your child models fluency and may help your child read with phrasing and expression when he/she reads independently. As you read aloud to your child, you may want to take it a step further and strive to increase your child’s listening comprehension. Here are a few ideas:
- Take a picture walk: try to predict what might happen.
- While reading, draw attention to the expressions on the characters faces.
- Ask questions along the way
- Make connections: maybe your family has experienced a similar event, or maybe the book at hand reminds you of another story previously read.
- After reading, help your child to tell what happened at the beginning, middle or end of the story.