Being an Active Reader
Reading is the ability to make meaning from words. This means that your child not only needs to recognize or be able to sound out words, but also has to put the words together and understand what they mean. Interacting with text to construct meaning is often referred to as active reading. You can teach your child active reading strategies which means that he/she is doing things while reading the text. These are especially useful for Social Studies or Science reading assignments.
1. Find the main points. Make a list of all of the main ideas in the reading. Stopping to find the main idea is a great reading comprehension exercise as well as a helpful way to be sure you are understanding what you are reading.
2. Put it in your own words. Restating what the text says can help a child understand. This could be in the form of writing or a discussion depending upon what kind of learner the child is.
3. Re-read for meaning. Have your child take the time to pause, think, and ask himself, Does this make sense to me? Do I understand? If not, then it is advisable to go back and re-read.
4. Ask questions for clarification. So, your child has read it, thought about it, re-read it, and tried to find the main points, but does not understand. An explanation from a parent, relative, or even a friend could be just the trick. So, make it safe for your child to ask questions for clarification.
Remember to be a model. Children learn from what their parents do. Modeling active reading will show your child how to become an active reader!
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Tags: Active Reading, Auditory, Education, Help, Homework, Kinesthetic, Language, Learning, Reading, School, Skills, studying, Verbal, Words, Writing
