You've just finished reading a story with your child. One of the best ways to boost your child's understanding of the story is by asking her to retell it.
Retelling a story requires a child to think about the details. It also helps a child think about what's really important.
Give your child three rules for retelling a story:
Your child should be able to tell what happens at the beginning, the middle and the end of the story. She should also be able to name the main characters.
You can help by asking your child open-ended questions, such as, "What happened next?" Your child may not remember all the details in the story. That gives you a chance to say, "Let's go back and look at that part of the story again." This will show your child that she sometimes has to read things more than once to gain a real understanding.
Studies show that this simple activity will help your child become a more thoughtful reader. She will start to pay attention to words whose meanings she doesn't know. She will focus on story structure and pay more attention to important details. All of these things will improve your child's reading comprehension and make her a better reader.
Reprinted with permission from the February 2011 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2011 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Barbara M. Taylor & James E. Ysseldyke, editors, Effective Instruction for Struggling Readers: K-6, ISBN: 978-0-8077-4821-3, Teachers College Press.