EV Readers' Room
February 2019
Strategy of the Month for K-3
Questioning Promotes Comprehension
Children are curious by nature, and as parents, you can take advantage of the questions your child asks to increase his or her comprehension. Research has shown that when children learn to ask their own questions during reading, their comprehension improves. Although the idea of questioning seems simple, the following tips will make your reading and questioning sessions even more powerful.
- When you check out a new picture book from the library, try not asking your child to make a prediction right away. Instead, take a "picture walk" of the book and try asking, "What do you notice?" or "What questions do you have?" as your child previews the cover and illustrations. By using these prompts, you'll be developing your child's ability to self-question.
- Look for "perplexing" books to check out. What does this mean? Look for picture books with illustrations that seem to be the opposite of what your child already knows or has experienced. The conflict between what your child expects and what he or she sees in the illustration will spark the "question-finding" process.
- Encourage your child to use post-it notes during his or her reading. Each time a question pops up, stop-and-jot it on the sticky note. As you read together, ask your child to search for the answers.
- Remember that comprehension strategies such as this one are best practice with "just-right books". Ideally, your child should self-select a book that is neither too hard nor too easy.
Adapted from "Promoting Self-Questioning Through Picture Book Illustrations" -The Reading Teacher
Primary Book Recommendations
Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School
Valensteins
Pig the Stinker
Strategy of the Month for 4-6
Determine and Analyze Author's Purpose
Every time an author writes, they write for a specific reason. As readers, it is important to understand why a piece was written because we infer the meaning of the text based on the author's purpose for writing it. Although there are many reasons for writing, we mainly focus on P.I.E. (Persuade, Inform, or Entertain).
How can you help your child at home? Easy!
- When you sit down with your child, have them predict what they think the purpose is?:
"Why do you think the author wrote this story/text?" - Ask your child to look for clues in the book that support their prediction:
"What clues can you find in the text that support what you think?"
"How might you approach reading this text, knowing the purpose?"
"Now that you are done, do you still agree with your prediction about why the author wrote this text? If not, what made you change your thinking?