Principals Corner

Mr. Billingsley

PRINCIPAL'S CORNER

 

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

Reading For Meaning

 

Who? What? When? Where? Why? Experienced readers ask themselves these questions as they read. Finding the answers helps them understand the story.

 

To boost your child’s comprehension, ask a few simple questions before and after reading.

 

What do you know?

Together, look at the cover of the book before you begin reading. Read the title and talk about the cover’s picture. For example, a book called “Polar Bears of the Cold” may have a picture of a mother polar bear with her baby. Ask your child, “What do you already know about polar bears?” Her answers could include: “They are white. They eat fish.” This gets your child thinking about polar bears before she starts to read the story.

 

What do you want to know?

Have your youngster think of questions he has about the story. He might ask: “how much do polar bears weigh?” “How do they keep warm in icy water?” “Do they teach their babies to fish?” By deciding what he wants to know, he has set a goal to reach by reading.

 

What did you learn?

Ask your child questions about the story after you’ve finished reading it together. Examples: “Did you learn what you wanted to know about polar bears?” “Did you learn some new things? Tell me about them.” This will reinforce what she has learned.

 

This is a great time to be with your child and get to know them a little better. Make it a fun activity and they will remember spending time with you for the rest of their lives.