Do you have a fluent reader, but weak comprehender? There is so much that goes into the process of reading! First kids have to learn sounds, be able to blend those sounds together into a word, then decode words while reading, and eventually string those words together to read sentences and paragraphs.
Some kids seem to become fluent in their reading rather quickly and easily but when asked about the content of what they read, they really seem to have no idea.
To support retelling (and checking in on what they understood) try this strategy next time your child gives you a blank stare after you ask them about the book they are reading.
Somebody Wanted But So Then
This is a type of reading summary tool that is often used in school. I love using it to support retelling (and check for comprehension) because it helps kids recognize that stories generally follow a sequence. There is a character (somebody) who had a goal in mind (wanted) then something happened when they attempted that goal e.g. the problem (but) and so how do they attempt to solve the problem? (so). Then, how does the story end/get resolved? (then). I like to use very basic drawings (I'm no artist- ask any of my past students - my toddler doesn't know any better yet) to depict these. Better yet, see if your child can draw simple parts to represent the retelling areas. That can be a tool to help them retell the story. Or just write these words on four different note cards and hold them up as cues.
Who is the main character or characters? (somebody)
What are they trying to do? (wanted)
What happened when they tried to do that? (The problem) (but)
So what did they do to solve the problem? (so)
How did it get resolved/how does the story end (then)
For a child reading chapter books, this can be done chapter by chapter.
Use the cards as a cue for them initially. If they don't need them after a while, awesome! If they do, it's nice to just point to that word instead of interrupting them and breaking their line of thinking.
Keep an eye out for patterns in your child's story retelling. Are they always leaving out the problem? Or how the character tried to solve the problem? Does it seem like they are jumping all over the place in their retelling of the story? Expect to model the story retelling using the cards. Over time, you will start to recognize specific areas where they need more support.
You can also have them point to each card as they are telling that portion of the story summary. This can be an additional cue to support them and keep them on track.
Start with books below their reading level when introducing this skill (or better yet, a book they are very familiar with). It would be so much fun to try this with something like "Pigeon Finds a Hotdog" rather than a grade level text they have no idea about.
What other questions do you have about reading comprehension?
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