Do you know a student who struggles with poor reading comprehension? Does the student stumble over difficult words that slow down the reading speed or confuse him or her? Reading comprehension improves as word recognition improves. Here is a tutoring technique to help improve reading comprehension through use of pre-reading activities and oral reading practice.
Select the Passage
Select a short chapter or reading passage–not more than a full page in length and preferably with a corresponding picture. I recommend having at least 4-5 paragraphs. Be sure the print isn’t too small, there is enough white space, and the reading selection is slightly more difficult than the student can read.
List the Difficult Words
Before you present the reading passage to the student, you need to find about a dozen difficult words that you are sure the student will stumble over. Put those words in a vertical list on a piece of paper. Using another page to cover up the words, allow only one word at a time to show.
Word by Word Review
Ask the student to read the first visible word. Help the student with pronunciation and be certain he or she understands the meaning of the term. Vocabulary development and word recognition are worth the time it takes on each word.
After the first word is learned, slide the paper off the second word and do the same. Before moving on to the third word, ask the student what the first word was again; then ask what the second word was again. You will do this word repetition for every one of the words on the list. By the fourth or fifth word, the student will have the pattern understood and may review from the top of the list without your direction.
After reviewing the vocabulary words, it’s time to look at the picture and question what might be happening in the story. Following this pre-reading activity, it’s time to have the student read the passage orally. This is an important time to over-read with the student or help on any individual words that seem problematic. It will surprise the student when he or she comes to a difficult word that is now known, because it was just practiced.
Next, have the student read the passage again without your help. Usually, the student will do a fairly good job the second time, but he or she will probably still have a few struggles. The student’s speed will be faster and the reading will be more fluent. Be sure to offer lots of praise for the student’s good oral reading.
Eyes Closed Reading
Then you will do the unexpected. You will tell the student that you want to close your eyes and listen to the story, because his or her reading sounds interesting. You ask the student to please read it to you with your eyes closed. If a parent is observing, have the parent close his or her eyes too. Amazingly, the student reads with smoothness, accuracy, and the kind of uninterrupted speed that improves comprehension–no more stumbling after words that cause him or her to lose the meaning of a phrase.
Reading Comprehension Technique Benefits
What is gained by this reading comprehension technique is word recognition and vocabulary for a dozen or more words. Students and parents also discover the student can read quickly without errors. Finally, confidence is built and reading comprehension is strengthened. To prove it, ask the student oral questions about what he or she has just read, and the student’s answers will most likely be correct.
If you know a student who needs more self-confidence with reading, needs to build vocabulary and word recognition, and needs to strengthen reading comprehension skills, this technique is an effective one to use.
