Talk, Read and Ask

Even though your child hasn't started reading on their own, you can begin working on reading comprehension now.

The three best ways to build reading comprehension are probably things you're already doing!

  1. Talk: The more words, sounds and information they hear, the more background knowledge is stored in their brains to recall later. Talk about everything, talk about nothing. Talk about your grocery list, the sports scores and what's going to happen next in your child's day.
  1. Read: The more books the better! Picture books contain vocabulary words that a child may not hear in ordinary conversation.
  1. Ask: While you're doing the first two, stop to ask questions. Whether they're too young to talk or not, make sure you give several seconds before providing an answer. When they're older, you'll be helping their brains recall information.

Reading comprehension is a skill that your children will working on their entire lives. Continue reading to them even when they're old enough to read on their own.
