What Is Reading Comprehension?

[Paige]

I know reading comprehension is the ability to understand, put together, and make meaning from what you have read, but I'm wondering if it's the same thing as being able to do all that in general from other non-written sources? My kids with challenges scored predictably not so great on the reading comprehension and vocab part of their standardized tests. I think they read pretty well, however, and I'm not sure how to take the results and I'm not sure if helping them with "reading skills" would make any difference at all. 

 

These kids will frequently misinterpret daily conversations and come up with weird ideas about what's going on in a tv show. Would a problem like this make their reading comprehension scores meaningless? I don't feel they understand written material any less than they do oral or visual material...

 

They scored well enough that I don't need to do anything with the school system, but it's just substantially lower than their scores in other areas. I want to help them improve and I'm debating between getting a dedicated reading program vs finding something more like an OT would use with ASD kids or something similar that is not really a typical reading program. 

[Arcadia]

These kids will frequently misinterpret daily conversations and come up with weird ideas about what's going on in a tv show. Would a problem like this make their reading comprehension scores meaningless? I don't feel they understand written material any less than they do oral or visual material...

My boys aren't asd but have the same issue. Test prep helped them improve scores substantially year on year. A lot of my kids errors was choosing the 2nd best answer for multiple choice so points were lost and their percentile for reading comprehension was low. Once they knew what the tester wants and not what they think is the best, scores went up. I actually like written test for them because the teacher could see they have a different interpretation or gave an incomplete answer.

 

For oral communications, their teachers would just paraphrase if my boys misunderstood so it was less of a problem.

[Paige]

My boys aren't asd but have the same issue. Test prep helped them improve scores substantially year on year. A lot of my kids errors was choosing the 2nd best answer for multiple choice so points were lost and their percentile for reading comprehension was low. Once they knew what the tester wants and not what they think is the best, scores went up. I actually like written test for them because the teacher could see they have a different interpretation or gave an incomplete answer.

 

For oral communications, their teachers would just paraphrase if my boys misunderstood so it was less of a problem.

 

That's interesting. Did test prep also help improve their ability to understand what they see and hear in daily life? They aren't ASD either (so far) but I was thinking those types of materials might help.

[Heathermomster]

A local friend used McGraw Hill's Corrective Reading to improve comprehension and understanding through inferences.

[Mandamom]

Reading comprehension is the ability to comprehend written material, silently and orally. 

 

Listening comprehension is the ability to comprehend oral communications and language. Usually people understand at a level 2-3 years above their actual grade level. 

 

Typically if L.C. is weak than reading comprehension/language will be weak, too. 

 

Working on reading comprehension will help with listening comprehension because you are working on improving language. (general you not specific you). 

 

 

 

 

[Pen]

My ds does not have a particular comprehension problem, but I think talking about meaning with regard to a lot of areas, real life, movies, etc. helps.

[Arcadia]

. Did test prep also help improve their ability to understand what they see and hear in daily life?

Yes and No.

It helped them for formal communications/instructions because they learn to not think too deep. They were inferring and questioning explicit instructions which makes simple things complicated. They don't have a problem with listening to the news.

 

It did not help them as much in nuanced conversations. They think the speaker is being polite or politically correct but they are not sure how to react. What they hear conflict sometimes with what they sense.

[geodob]

One reading program that can help with comprehension?

Is learning 'Speed Reading'.

With Speed Reading, the eyes move to 'keywords' in a sentence, and the surrounding words are visually processed in the background.

 

These 'keywords' are what are transferred and retained in short-term memory.  

Where they form a pattern of associations.

Which is what we call 'comprehension'.

 

 

[MomOfABunch]

A local friend used McGraw Hill's Corrective Reading to improve comprehension and understanding through inferences.

This is a fantastic program that I use often with clients!

[PeterPan]

I've lost track, but does the op's dc have ASD?  If they do, their comprehension issues could be much more complex and based on language deficits, social thinking deficits, or both.  You would need testing to sort that out.  An SLP can do it.  You want a pragmatics test and a language test (CELF/CASL).

[Paige]

I've lost track, but does the op's dc have ASD?  If they do, their comprehension issues could be much more complex and based on language deficits, social thinking deficits, or both.  You would need testing to sort that out.  An SLP can do it.  You want a pragmatics test and a language test (CELF/CASL).

 

They do not have ASD, but I think they have similar language issues. We are getting our neuropsych results this week and I should have a better idea. 

 

I guess my question is whether tests of reading comprehension are reliable or useful for kids who have a general problem with language? For instance, if a child would come up with an incorrect motive for a character or person he watched on a tv show, if he listened to a story read to him, or even if it were a real event in the child's life: is it fair to say he or she has poor reading comprehension if he came up with the same incorrect motive from written material? Or, is it only poor reading comprehension if the child comes up with the wrong motive when he reads the story, but would have given the correct motive if the same scenario was given to him in a different, non-written, format?

[PeterPan]

Probably the psych did enough testing that he was able to tease that apart.  Yes, that's why they spend so much time on the testing.  You'll have expressive and receptive components, and you'll have it verbal and in other tests written, so they can compare.

 

It sounds like you're going to have a lot of data when you get your reports!  That will be good!  You can post things here if you want to talk about them.  One person once told me she encourages people to photocopy their report and go through it with a highlighter.  I *scan* all my ds' stuff with Turboscan to convert to a pdf and then I upload to a folder in Dropbox.  That way any professional I need to share his files with can see everything they need.  You only have one report now, but over time you may have more.  :)

 

Well I'm glad you're getting a report to help you sort this out!  It's good to have data to make your decisions.  Also see if they did an APD screening.  You just want to see all the things that could be working together, affecting it.  Our np did not make a big deal out of ds' CELF scores, but they were a HUGE problem underlying his reading issues, behaviors, etc.  So even if the np doesn't tell you much what to do with them, you can go in, find discrepancies, and decide for yourself what to do with them.  Typically schools are going to intervene either when scores are objectively low (1.5-2SD below the mean) or when they are 1.5-2SD discrepant from expected.  We can use our judgment and intervene more aggressively than they would.

[geodob]

Paige, when you write about coming up with the wrong motive?

Rather than comprehension, this involves reasoning to arrive at a 'motive'.

Where we have 3 basic 'types' of reasoning: "Abductive, Deductive and Inductive'.

 

What I wonder, is if perhaps you could perhaps look at the 'incorrect motives' that he comes up with?

Looking at them, in terms of these different 'reasoning processes'?

Where you might find that he is using  Aductive or Inductive  Reasoning, to arrive at wrong motives ?

 

I'll add a link to a Wiki explanation of these different types of Reasoning:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abductive_reasoning

 

Edited July 5, 2016 by geodob

[bluebonnetgirl]

For my DS it's really language comprehension, which spills over into everything you mentioned and more. There is no one test for that though. For those with APD, auditory comprehension can be worse than reading comprehension. Such a complex issue and no one solution.

[Kat w]

Heathermomster so glad you provided that link. I love everything McGraw hill. Did not know that one existed.

Gonna order on Monday.

[Kat w]

Geobob, YES. We do speed reading here BC it was stressed in ps spec ed. Now, we are on the 1-2 grade level and still struggle and do a preview read so I can help them with the words , but wow what a help that has been.

Also has been tremendous help in fluency . huge fan of speed reading and gives them a goal to work towards.