cornerstonemom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 My son is going into the 11th grade and I am wondering what to do for him if he is scoring low in reading comprehension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I would first determine if it was vocabulary that was tripping him up, or getting the "sense" of what he's reading or critical thinking skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 The more I read the more I think I believe that reading comprehension isn't something you can teach exactly. is just one example of what I have read more and more about lately. It is a Youtube video by Dan Willingham about how general knowledge is more important to reading comprehension than comprehension programs. This page also has some information about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Comprehending the context (as opposed to the mechanics) of a piece, right? My sister is a high school senior this year and I can share how she tutored her peers on a similar issue. Begin by helping him see WHAT he needs to be looking for in a specific piece. It's almost like he has to be taught from scratch. Choose a novel, and decide that it will be more of a "learn to comprehend" exercise than a literature exercise. Read it (independently or together) chapter by chapter. After each chapter, ask what he got out of the reading - he could narrate, write an essay, do an outline or mindmap, etc. Consult a study guide (Cliffs Notes, etc.) to see how close or far off base he was. Hopefully towards the end of book, he will have a better idea of what to look for and what to notice ("comprehend") in a passage. He should have a greater understanding of various literary tools and methods, and how they are employed. It may take a few books (with accompanying Cliff Notes) for him to truly get to where he can 'see' and comprehend without the added crutch of the Cliff Notes but it will give him a formula of sorts to work off of and reference. But if he is using the Cliff Notes as intended (a guide) then I see nothing wrong with him continuing to use those to aid in his comprehension of literature. Eventually he will learn patterns and make his own connections, as he reads different genres/authors and as he gains exposure and experience of his own to reference in his readings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 The more I read the more I think I believe that reading comprehension isn't something you can teach exactly. is just one example of what I have read more and more about lately. It is a Youtube video by Dan Willingham about how general knowledge is more important to reading comprehension than comprehension programs. This page also has some information about it. Thank you, that was fascinating. Of course SWB has known that all along. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 There can also be phonics problems, it's actually quite common if they were taught some sight words, my reply (#5) in the thread linked below explains that. I've had a lot of students who were though to have comprehension problems who instead needed a bit more phonics work. (And, this can even happen if they seem to be reading every word correctly when reading aloud, if they are reading phonics words slower than sight words.) http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91507&highlight=reading+comprehension+phonics+MWIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUV2EDU Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 My son is going into the 11th grade and I am wondering what to do for him if he is scoring low in reading comprehension. How is your son's vocabulary? https://www.wordsmart.com/tv/ http://www.meritsoftware.com/solutions/high_school/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 What I discovered is that my kids have great reading comprehension...they can narrate things they read back to me beautifully. BUT, I realised they didn't know how to do those reading comprehension tests. So we bought some reading comprehension workbooks and learned how to fill out the questionnaires and write answers that were going to please the examiner. I think it's a separate skill, and one that nees practice for a kid to whom it doesn't come naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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