Do you think this is normal (reading comprehension)?

[Sunshine Mama]

Ok, so I recently asked what other 7 year olds are reading INDEPENDENTLY and was astounded to see Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter as answers. Um, I don't even think we're ready for those as read alouds. My son (age 7) can read at a 6th grade level but comprehension is only at a 3rd grade level (I only know this b/c of testing we had done a few months ago). So he has been reading things like Cam Jansen, the Nancy Drew ready for chapter books (not the real Nancy Drew), Magic Treehouse, A to Z mysteries, etc. He loves the Encylopedia Brown but feels he isn't ready to read them on his own yet b/c he needs me to help explain the solutions. Same thing with the Oz series - loves them but those are definite read alouds in our house right now simply b/c of the comprehension issue. He stops us to ask questions now and then. As long as he can ask us questions then he understands it. He is a perfectionist like his mom which I think might play into it a little. Is this normal? Is there a point where comprehension will just come easier?

[2_girls_mommy]

No I don't think that is "normal." It might be for some, but not all. My dd6 reads more fluently and comprehends better than any kid her age I have known. I am not bragging, it is just an obervation shared by me and those that know her.

 

She reads American Girl books and just about any book suggested in Story of the World. She also still likes Magic Treehouse which she has been reading on her own since she was 5 and the A to Z mysteries. She read an entire A to Z mystery today in less than an hour to give you an idea. She is able to narrate everything in this type of book, and draw pictures, and even turn to a specific chapter to tell me something that she remembered from it to answer my questions.

 

I did recently find a cap to her level. She picked out the book, Ben and Me (I think that is the title.) It is about Ben Franklin and the mouse. She picked it out and read several chapters. I read a couple of chapters and asked her some questions from chapter 1. She couldn't quite recall things it told about. The language used was a little hard for her. I decided it should be a read aloud that we can discuss as we go. It was on the 5th/6th grade level at Barnes and Nobles summer reading program.

 

I have never thought my dd's reading abilities were "normal" though. One comparison that I have is her friend from p.S that won the top reading award at her school last year. She reads haltingly (compared to how I am used to hearing my dd read) and still says Dr. Seuss One fish Two fish is her favorite book. She has read Junie B. Jones for chapter books. Not to say there is anything wrong w/Dr. Suess. I am just saying that if she is no. 1 reader at her school, then that would be more the norm, kwim?

[Sunshine Mama]

No I don't think that is "normal." It might be for some, but not all.

 

do you mean its not normal for most kids to be reading Harry Potter at age 7 or do you mean you my son's comprehension is not normal? do you sense the panic in my voice? :)

[2_girls_mommy]

Sorry, I mean, I wouldn't think Harry Potter is normal reading material for a 7 yr old. My dd will soon be 7. American Girl is enough for her, and the age on it says 8 and up.

 

It sounds to me like ours are reading the same books, and I have always considered mine to be an above avg reader... (My mother is a certified P.S. teacher, and she agrees, btw.)

 

ETA.. gosh I ramble and don't make sense.. Sorry.

 

Ok, I meant to say, my dd is reading the 5th/6th, but couldn't comprehend it. She can comprehend the books that are geared to 3rd/4th and younger. So her comprehension is less than the reading ability too. I have never worried.

Edited August 7, 2009 by 2_girls_mommy

[abbeyej]

Hm... I would certainly expect a 7yo to be able to understand and enjoy The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or the first Harry Potter book read aloud. Obviously, they would miss some of the symbolism and mythological references, but I would absolutely expect them to be able to follow along with the story.

 

What you said about his ability to decode at a much higher level than his ability to read and understand for himself sounds very normal to me. Those two skills are quite different, and often won't match up -- so a child might be able to listen to and enjoy a story that she would struggle to read because of decoding issues, or a child might have the phonetic skills to decipher the words in a book that he simply couldn't understand or appreciate because of vocabulary and content.

 

So your son's ability to read sounds very solid for his age.

 

But I wonder if perhaps you're underestimating his comprehension of read-aloud material? Perhaps he *could* handle listening to more challenging read-alouds? Or, alternatively, maybe he needs a little more practice and coaching in comprehension... Because *listening* comprehension does sound like it's lagging behind his other skills and age a bit...

[Sunshine Mama]

 

But I wonder if perhaps you're underestimating his comprehension of read-aloud material? Perhaps he *could* handle listening to more challenging read-alouds? Or, alternatively, maybe he needs a little more practice and coaching in comprehension... Because *listening* comprehension does sound like it's lagging behind his other skills and age a bit...

 

Let me clarify.....last year we tried to read aloud Little House in the Big Woods and he asked soooo many questions that it would have taken me a year to get thru the whole book. Once I answer questions he understands the story but sometimes all his questions drives me a little bonkers! This past year we read aloud all the Beverly Cleary books (Ramon series, Henry Huggins series) and it was much more enjoyable. It's like he has to understand everything that is being said.

[Jami]

I think there's a wide variation of what kids are reading at age 7, or at least there has been between my first two. At 7, my son was still getting comfortable with Magic Tree House, Time Warp Trio, and other easier chapter books. He was decoding pretty well, but was intimidated by size of books. My daughter, however, is just 7 and has been reading books at the Narnia, Oz, Secret Garden, HP levels for over a year now. So it sounds to me like your son's decoding is just fine. But both my children have always been able to comprehend read-alouds that were above the level of their decoding, particularly if my husband reads them.

 

I agree with Abbey, maybe challenge his read-aloud comprension a bit more (Audiobooks are great for this!). Maybe things like pre-reading would also help. If you were to "set the stage" of a chapter or book so that he kind of knows what to listen for in the story and doesn't have to work hard at figuring out all the elements of the story.

 

:)

[Sunshine Mama]

When you say 'challenge' his read aloud comprehension - do you mean choose higher level books? Should I be doing anything else?

[Verity]

My 7 year old was an average to good reader at the end of his public school 1st grade last year and he still reads Magic Treehouse and is reading the Pokemon Ready to Read type books. Cam Jansen would be right up his alley, I remember my older son reading those in the second grade. He read the Chronicles of Narnia in mid 3rd grade and read the first 4 Harry Potter books in the 4th grade. My oldest son is a pretty good reader so I think a 7 year old who can read those books and comprehends them must be some kind of child prodigy! :P

Your son sounds fine to me. :D

[JudyJudyJudy]

Sunshine Mama, your son sounds completely normal. The books he is reading now are on grade level, and that's great. Not everyone has to be "advanced" (which I find that many homeschoolers expect). It's perfectly okay for a child to enjoy stories that are meant for young kids. There is time later for more advanced stories.

[cougarmom4]

It is very normal for there to be differences in decoding ability and comprehension. I'd say you want his independent reading books to be at an instructional level of maybe 4th grade (if you know he's currently at 3rd grade...then you want there to be a bit of a stretch, but not too much for him to be frustrated).

 

One of the benefits to reading aloud is to expose children to vocabulary and literature that *is* above their reading level. So I'd suggest you keep him reading *instructional* level books, but also include read alouds that are a few levels above. Frequently...

 

I agree with the poster who said to set the stage a little bit before reading a book. You could also do something like taking a chapter book that he's interested in...talking it up before you begin--introducing the setting, vocabulary, etc--but also giving him something specific to look for each chapter. That would require you having already read the book, but maybe something like, "Listen in this chapter and see if you can tell me where Ralph drives his motorcycle." Or "try to remember the things they take on their picnic" or whatever. Then he has something specific to listen for.

 

Or maybe if it's a selection from an informational book about snakes, for example, you have a few questions that you know will be answered...before you read, you say, "I want you to listen to this and see if you can discover how snakes can open their mouths wide enough to eat an egg" (or whatever!). Then you can also review other things from that paragraph, but break it down into smaller pieces so he knows what to listen for.

 

I think narration is a great way to improve comprehension. You could read a chapter or a shorter reading selection and directly afterwards have him re-tell what it was about. This could be done vocally or he can work up to writing it down himself. I've found that compilations of stories (we use The Children's Book of Virtues or a similar type) work well for this--the selections aren't too long, reading level is a bit higher.

 

Perhaps it might take more than one reading of a selection. Like take a shorter one and tell him to try not to ask any questions yet. Read the chapter or short story. Then let him ask questions. Take one of those and say, hmm, let's listen again and see if we can figure out why he was sad...(or whatever part he asked a question about). Then discuss it again.

 

Also, I bought one of the FlashKids workbooks on Reading Skills for my ds at Barnes & Noble. Not as a full curriculum, but they do a good job of teaching reading strategies--such as read this paragraph, answer the questions afterwards. The 3rd grade level one I have covers: reading for facts, sequence, using context clues, finding the main idea, drawing conclusions, and making inferences. I actually think it's a great resource and find that it is helping my ds learn these types of reading strategies...and helping me with examples of how to introduce these concepts to him. I also like that the reading selections are informational rather than narrative.

 

HTH!

[razorbackmama]

Your son sounds completely normal to me also. For one, my 7yo isn't reading PERIOD:tongue_smilie: but whenever we do read things like Narnia, etc. aloud it goes WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY over his head.

 

Also, with those test results, he's advanced in BOTH areas. DEFINITELY do not worry about this at all.:)

[ElizabethB]

Comprehension is influenced by background knowledge, and is not just decoding.

 

My daughter can have trouble with a piece on a 2nd grade reading level that she knows little about. The other day, we were having "church at home" because we had to miss church due to move-related issues. My husband read a passage from the Psalms and asked the children to tell him what they thought it was about. I was trying to think of a good answer myself...it had discussed many different things. My daughter piped up, "Don't be bad, be good." My son repeated "Don't be bad, be good." So, she had an excellent comprehension for this, but much more background knowledge, as well. (She came up with a better summary than I could have, and much quicker! Also, at just the right comprehension level for her 4 year old brother.)

 

(That also reminds me of the joke about Sunday School, "I know the right answer is Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!")

 

My daughter reads adult level bird field guides on her own but likes child level books on subjects that she has not read as much about. She does not enjoy reading fiction yet, except for an occasional horse book. My husband still does not read fiction.

Edited August 7, 2009 by ElizabethB

[LinRTX]

Your 7yo is your oldest. My little one was/is reading and comprehending way beyond her years, BUT she is by far my youngest. Her siblings are 14, 11, and 7 years older. Her life experiences are just different. I nursed her as I was discussing ancient history, trig, and Odyssey with my oldest. No, I don't think she retained anything from those conversations, but the language that followed around her was just different than it was when my olders were little.

 

She was able, at barely 4, to dicuss during a 30 minute car ride with just the two of us, the differences between the book and movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I still don't know how to teach this child.

 

Your son is doing fine. He is a normal 7yo, not behind at all. Every child develops differently and the comprhension comes so much from life experiences. That will be differnent for your oldest than when you get to this point with your youngest.

 

I hope this all makes sense. I'm still trying to get to my morning coffee.

 

Linda

[Pamela H in Texas]

Seriously, there is a wide range of "normal." And you just said that your 2nd grader is on a 3rd grade level for comprehension so you already know he's a little ahead of average. Of course there are some kids who read considerably better. My daughter was reading regular chapter books at 3. My son didn't read his first real chapter book til like 10 (and it wasn't quality, let me assure you).

 

And yes, most kids can decode and fluently read much better than they can comprehend if they've been given a firm foundation and enough, for them, practice. Also, like Linda said, experience plays a good part.

[....]

Daughter finished 1st grade last year in public school and was considered at the "top of her class". She was reading (at the end of the year) Cam Jansen, Amelia Bedilia, Magic Treehouse, etc. Heck, she'll still sit and read one of those beginner reader books. I don't think she would have the attention span for Harry Potter or anything like that.

 

I think your kid is perfectly normal. Don't worry.

[PeterPan]

Have you thought about audio books? Might help keep it moving and stop the "driving you bonkers" thing while building his vocabulary and comprehension. My dd enjoyed:

 

the Little House series

Charlotte's Web read by E.B. White

Chronicles of Narnia by Harper Audio

Uncle Remus and anything read by Julius Lester

[Carrie12345]

Let me clarify.....last year we tried to read aloud Little House in the Big Woods and he asked soooo many questions that it would have taken me a year to get thru the whole book. Once I answer questions he understands the story but sometimes all his questions drives me a little bonkers! This past year we read aloud all the Beverly Cleary books (Ramon series, Henry Huggins series) and it was much more enjoyable. It's like he has to understand everything that is being said.

 

Ah, but what type of questions were they?

 

My kids have a lot of questions about the Little House books b/c we haven't studied that time period and they don't know what many of the words/actions/ideas mean. Even trying to picture a one-room school house or a home without bathroom is difficult for them, and needs to be explained.

 

My 6yo is reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but only after I've read it to her and we've seen the movie. She never would have gotten through the usage of cultural/time period language on her own.

 

There's a difference between reading comprehension and understanding strange words and ideas.

[lgm]

Ok, so I recently asked what other 7 year olds are reading INDEPENDENTLY and was astounded to see Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter as answers. Um, I don't even think we're ready for those as read alouds. My son (age 7) can read at a 6th grade level but comprehension is only at a 3rd grade level (I only know this b/c of testing we had done a few months ago). So he has been reading things like Cam Jansen, the Nancy Drew ready for chapter books (not the real Nancy Drew), Magic Treehouse, A to Z mysteries, etc. He loves the Encylopedia Brown but feels he isn't ready to read them on his own yet b/c he needs me to help explain the solutions. Same thing with the Oz series - loves them but those are definite read alouds in our house right now simply b/c of the comprehension issue. He stops us to ask questions now and then. As long as he can ask us questions then he understands it. He is a perfectionist like his mom which I think might play into it a little. Is this normal? Is there a point where comprehension will just come easier?

 

 

Fall birthday 7s are starting 3rd grade here..so it's quite possible that some are gifted and read 2-5 years above grade level...which puts Harry Potter easily in the range they read comfortably at. Some will look up the unfamiliar words in order to get a precise definition, but with HP you don't need to to enjoy the story. Some of the symbolism and mythology references will escape them, or they will ask and learn.

 

Comprehension becomes easier when the book is below the instructional level although not always. HP1 was actually the book that made my son realize there were such things as flashback, symbolism & foreshadowing, and it dawned on him that novels use the pattern of rising tension, conflicts, and resolution. He seemed to enjoy discovering these elements on his own. The other part of comprehension is experience and vocabulary...it's possible to get a low or appropriate level book and have difficulty, especially if the theme is aimed at teen or adults.

 

Your son sounds fine to me. I would recommend adding more literature and nonfiction to the series mix - I recall that several people in the previous thread suggested excellent titles that will help your child grow as a reader. I'd like to add considering Time for Kids magazine.

 

My all time favorite inspiration about reading is Jim Trelease:

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/

[EKS]

This is going to sound like I'm the worst mother in the world, but I don't allow my 7yo to interrupt with question after question when I'm reading aloud. Many times (in fact most times) if he would just listen the answer will come up in due course. Also, sometimes there simply aren't answers for his questions.

 

Also, for books like the Little House books, it takes a bit of learning about another time and lifestyle in order to understand the books. His questions would likely taper off after a bit. But in books like the Little House series, he will also need to learn that there are things he simply is not going to understand completely and that's ok too.

[justamouse]

Sunshine Mama, your son sounds completely normal. The books he is reading now are on grade level, and that's great. Not everyone has to be "advanced" (which I find that many homeschoolers expect). It's perfectly okay for a child to enjoy stories that are meant for young kids. There is time later for more advanced stories.

 

This.

 

In Sweden children do not go to school before 7 and they are encouraged to just be children, they don't have all of the pressure we put on them in the states. By nine they are reading at the levels of other children around the world. Relax. He's reading, that's the important thing.

[japhmi]

He loves the Encylopedia Brown but feels he isn't ready to read them on his own yet b/c he needs me to help explain the solutions.

That's very common. Many of the solutions are things that a kid wouldn't know (just the other day my daughter was reading one with me, and we both couldn't figure it out. It had to do with the way something ran through a projector - which neither of us have ever used :lol:).

 

I remember as a kid learning things via Encyclopedia Brown about the world when I read the solutions.

[RootAnn]

I think your 7 yr old boy sounds "above average." Lots of questions are frustrating (for you), but also mean he is interested in learning. That's a good thing.

 

My oldest at this time last year (as an almost-7-yr-old) was reading on a shaky first grade level and comprehending less. In just a few months, she zoomed through several levels and this spring, was comprehending at a mid-fifth grade level (per testing) and comfortably reading fourth grade level books for fun at a pace of one or two 200+ pg books per day. Now, ask her to read something _aloud_ to you . . . and it is rather painful. :tongue_smilie: So, we're working on that.

 

Anyway, kids at this age vary a LOT in their abilities. My just-turned-6-yr old is still painfully making her way through 100EL! There are other HS kids we know who are her age reading on a third to fifth grade level.

 

Don't stress! :chillpill: There has been some good advice, but take it all with a grain of salt. Reading is supposed to be fun. If you push too much at an early age, they'll learn to hate it.

 

Good luck! :grouphug:

[DianeJM]

Your 2nd grade son is comprehending "only" at a 3rd grade level?

I wouldn't worry about that!

Just my opinion.

[MrsMe]

Yes, he sounds completely normal. And what is normal anyway? Kids tend to be able to "read" words, but not necessarily comprehend them. So they can read words at a 5th grade level, but actually reading/comprehension is a bit lower. Kids are all over the board on this. A lot of the time they don't know the meaning of the words used so they lose the jist of the story. Some vocabulary work tends to help. Introducing words he may not know before the start of the story, going over their meanings, then proceeding to read. Some kids just aren't able to pull the context of the word out of the story if there are too many they don't understand.