Greetings, tutors, from the Joan Green, JCL Reading Specialist!

In my last article, I explored some issues of Fluency. This time I'm going to concentrate on Comprehension. If you've heard this before, I hope you'll consider it a something of a refresher! I offer two basic statements (mantras in fact) on Comprehension:

1. Reading is a THINKING ACT!

Think about it! Using yourselves as models of proficient, fluent readers, check out the way you question what's going on in a story. How many times do you stop and wonder - why would he say/do that? What's going to happen if she...? Uh-oh! That doesn't look good!

We think about and react to the text all the way through a story when we're reading. Children often don't know that they're supposed to think as they read. We can help set them on the path of being proficient readers if we stop them at important intervals and ask them the types of questions we ourselves ask.

You can illustrate the thinking process and help the children develop and practice their own thinking patterns. It's important and fun to have them guess what's going to happen next, what could have happened if... How would they like it to end?

We also feel for the characters as we read. They become real within the context of the story. Children often don't experience this level of involvement with a story. We can expose them to a range of feelings within a story by discussing it and asking/answering questions about how they feel: Were you sad/happy when...? Were you scared when...? I was worried when...?

2. You're not really "reading" if you don't understand it.

Call it "mouthing", "pronouncing" or when done expressively "reciting", but it isn't "reading" without understanding (Comprehension. Reading, as a thinking activity, can only take place when one understands the text. As a result, building comprehension is a crucial factor in the process of learning to read.

In order for children to read (in my sense of the word) they must have sufficient vocabulary, appreciate the value of words in phrases and understand the word order and structure of the language.

One important way to support the reading process is to build vocabulary. This means working with whole words, represented by an object or picture that the children can recognize, remember and pronounce - not by sounding out in syllables (Phonics), but by absorbing as entities. A picture dictionary is a wonderful tool to use to point out and discuss words.

Phonics has its place in the beginning stages of reading. However, I often hear comments from tutors that the child can read, but doesn't understand anything! I see our role as going beyond phonics. I'm more concerned with the overall process in which children need to read for information and meaning.

Appropriate intonation while reading aids in comprehension. Children need to see phrases, sentences or ideas as a whole and read them with meaningful intonation and understanding. They can do that if they listen to you read first, in small segments in a natural way, and then, asking them to imitate your pattern and repeat what you read. It's important to reinforce your reading and theirs with pictures, gestures and questions/discussion at the same time to enhance their understanding.

This is a time consuming process, but very fruitful when you realize that the children are reading more smoothly and following the text as you read. In addition they are learning the thought process that accompanies reading the story itself, and what it means to be a reader.