How to Increase Reading Comprehension

20 Reading Strategies You Can Use at Home Right Now

Kesha "Ms. Kaye" Keychler

Introduction 

A love for literacy starts in our homes. Some kids have an innate motivation to learn to read. I can remember being a small child watching television. The screen was filled with colorful vertical bars, and underneath was a ticker tape of text scrolling by. It seemed important, and I wanted to read that text so badly that I made up the words and blurted them aloud until I annoyed everyone in the house - a reader was born!  

If you're here, I can tell it's also important to you to cultivate an appreciation for reading in your home (without the irritation). Good teachers are doing their best, but true literacy starts at home. Studies show that students from a literary-rich environment have an advantage when they start school.

" . . . home literacy environment does have an impact on both a struggling reader and an emergent reader. The more involved a parent is in their child’s academics, the more successful the child will be. Children will be more prepared for school and transition smoothly through the home and school discourse." (Colarocco).

And as parents, who wouldn’t want to give their children an advantage at school and everywhere else?

If you still need to start, no worries; it's never too late! 

Why is Reading and Reading Comprehension Important? 

1. A Source of Enjoyment:  Inside of school - reading serves a purpose. It is to read and learn about a topic and answer comprehension questions. Outside of school, reading adapts to your wants and needs. For example, you may choose a relaxing, funny, or mysterious book when reading for leisure.  In addition, if you need to fix something, read a manual. Proper reading will help you get the job done precisely in a timely manner. 

2. A Useful Tool: Excellent reading is not limited to English Language Arts (ELA) classes. Consistent reading builds readers up to be good readers. Good readers can understand the text in all their academic subjects because they have the tools and strategies to understand the words. This skill is also beneficial outside of school. For example, coursework and a study guide must be comprehended by students to obtain a learner's permit to drive and eventually obtain a driver's license. 

3. Building Background Knowledge: Reading the news is also an excellent way to increase reading comprehension. Reading the news instead of watching it and reading books about different people, places, and things builds students' background knowledge, improving reading comprehension. In a brief Titled “Think Again: Should Elementary Schools Teach Reading Comprehension, “ Daniel Buck cited a study by Tyner and Kabourek that found the following:

students who receive an additional thirty minutes of social studies instruction per day . . . outperform[ed] students with less social studies time by 15 percent of a standard deviation on the fifth-grade reading assessment” [62] (notably, effects were particularly strong for girls and students from low-income and non-English-speaking homes).

This instruction could be done at home. For example, you could ask your child to read a news article, and then you would discuss it with them or have them write a one-sentence summary. 

Materials: Here are some suggested materials to get started. Most of them you already have at home or you can buy them at your local dollar store. 

• Pencils

• Pencil sharpener

• Journals or composition books

• Timer on phone

• Sticky notes

• Envelopes/stamps

• Lined paper

• Newspaper

• Library books

20 Practical Activities to Increase Reading Comprehension

Below is a list of twenty practical reading tips and activities you can do to encourage literacy and increase reading comprehension in your home. A pleasant bonus of doing these activities is the quality time you spend with your family.

1. Require your child to read for at least 15 minutes before they get on media (television, phone, social media, etc.) Ask your child to write a one-sentence summary of the text. *

2. Buy a Sunday paper or read the newspaper online. 

3. Turn on the captions when watching television, streaming, or YouTube.

4. Buy your child a journal, and encourage them to write anything they want once a day.

5. Buy another journal in which you and your child write conversations back and forth with each other.

6. Pick a time and have your children only speak in complete sentences during that time.

7. Leave each other encouraging sticky notes. Encourage your child to write in complete sentences.

8. Create a (short) shopping list together, and talk about other times when using a list would be better than writing out whole sentences.

9. Ask your child to list their favorite things, birthday wishes, etc.

10. Look over your child's homework, discuss the questions they didn't understand, and make a plan to talk with your teacher or get tutoring 

11. Share an alliteration or a tongue twister. For example, "She sells seashells by the seashore." Ask your child to create or share one as well.

12. Metaphors say one thing is another. For example, "Baby, you're a firework." Ask your child to share examples in their favorite songs when someone is called something else.

13. A pun is a play on words. For example, the dog had a "ruff day." Create one with your child.

14. Dramatic Irony is when we think one thing will happen, but another occurs. Ask your child for an example of irony from their favorite show.

15. Write a compliment for your favorite celebrity and comment under one of their posts.

16. Write a letter to a family member and email it. Ask the recipient to reply.

17. Write a letter to a friend and mail it by snail mail. Include a sheet of paper and a self-addressed envelope so they can reply.

18. Help your child write an encouraging note to your favorite teacher/subject.

19. Listen out for similes in your favorite songs.

20. Play word games on your phone or Scrabble in the old-fashioned way.

Even though these activities lead to a good end, they may not have the best beginning, which is okay. Your children may not like a disruption to their schedule, but as an ELA teacher for twenty years, I can tell you that most of the things I have to teach children may not be innately excited about them.

I overcome students’ hesitation by presenting topics that are relevant to the real world. I also allow students to make a personal connection and am upbeat in my presentation of the material. 

How do I do that? Here’s an example with Number 4 from the list—write in a journal. 

1. Ask them if they know what a journal is and what it is used for. (If they are unsure, you could look it up together.) 

2. Explain that journaling is a great way to express your feelings. Sometimes, we may feel angry and don’t want to say those angry words or sad feelings out loud, but getting them out helps us feel better. Also, it’s a great way to write for enjoyment without worrying about being graded. 

3. Share that there’s no pressure and that the writing is just for them. Additionally, you could model journaling. Let them see you writing, and their natural curiosity may kick in. You’ll both reap the benefits. 

In Conclusion

There are many simple ways to create a literacy-rich environment at home. Whichever way you choose to start, I congratulate you in advance for preparing your child for a lifetime journey.  

References

Buck, Daniel. Think Again: Should Elementary Schools Teach Reading Comprehension? May 2024. Accessed June 2024. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/think-again-should-elementary-schools-teach-reading-comprehension

Colarocco, Ashley. The Home Literacy Environment Impact on a Struggling Reader and Emer and Emergent Reader Reader's Readiness for a PreKindergarten Program. John Fisher University. 2012.