In third grade, we focus on reading comprehension, much more so than in the
previous grades. I teach the children strategies to help them comprehend
what they read. When your student takes iLEAP or LEAP, they will not receive
assistance in any way. We do not read aloud to them, and we cannot tell them
words. Therefore, they must become independent readers. These strategies are
not in any particular order of importance.
Strategy 1: I teach the children to read the story carefully. Then read the
questions that follow the story. Read all the answer choices. They should go
back to the story, find the answer, underline it, and then mark the correct
answer.
Strategy 2: Another strategy is to read the questions first, and then read
the story so that they have the questions in their mind as they read.
Strategy 3: Drawing Conclusions/ Inferring- Sometimes the answer is not
written in the story. They may have to infer or draw conclusions (decide) as
to what the answer is based on what they have read. Then they must choose
the BEST answer according to the story.
Strategy 4: Cause and Effect- What happened in the story? Why did it happen?
I teach them to look for clue words in a story such as because, so, to etc.
These words will help them find why something took place.
Strategy 5: Sequencing- Many stories are written so that the events are
ordered. They should also look for time order words such as first, next,
then, before, and finally to find the sequence of a story.
Strategy 6: Main Idea and Details- Students need to be able to determine the
main idea of a story. What is the �big idea� in the story. In a short story,
like the stories on our comprehension sheets, the main idea is often the
first or last sentence of a paragraph. In a long story, students must often
decide what the main idea is based on what they have read. Details are parts
of the story that support the main idea of the story.
Strategy 7: Context Clues- If your child finds a word or part of a story
that he or she does not understand, he/she should use context clues. Read
the words or sentences around the unknown part of the story to determine the
meaning. This is important because students must be able to independently
read passages.
Parents often ask �What can I do to help my child with reading
comprehension?� We do not read reading comprehension stories aloud to 3rd
grade students. It is up to the child to read a story that is not familiar
to him or her and understand what he or she is reading.
I suggest you talk to your child about taking time to read the story
carefully and read the questions and answer choices carefully. You may also
have your child read at home more. Ask your child questions about what he
has read. A child becomes a good reader by reading and being read to.
You may purchase reading comprehension workbooks at retail stores such as
Wal-Mart and teacher supply stores that are great for practice. Many sources
are available online as well. Do a Google search on reading comprehension
and you will find many activities. I have included a few web sites that will
help you find materials for your child to use at home. Our class homepage
has resources as well.
http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/34sites.htm
http://www.rhlschool.com/reading.htm
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/reading_comprehension/grades_24/