Developing Comprehension is Important in the Primary Grades An Overview by Elaine M. Czarnecki, M. Ed.

Why Developing Comprehension is Important in the Primary Grades The goal of reading is comprehension. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has identified “deficits in acquiring reading comprehension strategies and applying them when reading” as one of the factors that can cause students to struggle in reading. Though much of the emphasis in primary reading instruction is on teaching children to “read the words,” it is important not to neglect developing their comprehension of text, as well. Recent large scale studies in reading, such as, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children and Starting Out Right, A Guide to Promoting Reading Success by the National Research Council and the Report of the National Reading Panel on Teaching Children to Read provide guidelines for developing comprehension in the primary grades.

Early Literacy Experiences Research consistently shows that the more children know about language and literacy before they come to school, the better equipped they are to succeed in reading. Listening and speaking development are the first components of literacy growth. A wide range of experiences with printed and spoken language, from infancy through early childhood, will strongly influence a child’s success in reading. Vocabulary and Concept Development A child’s oral vocabulary is directly linked to listening and reading comprehension. Most children enter school with an oral vocabulary of between 3, ,000 words and a very small, or nonexistent, reading vocabulary. This knowledge of word meanings allows children to listen and comprehend during shared reading experiences and read-alouds. It also facilitates comprehension of content area lessons, as vocabulary is directly related to background knowledge. As children are learning to read new words, the task is made easier if knowledge of the word’s meaning is already in place. For these reasons, it is important to develop a child’s knowledge of vocabulary and concepts in the primary grades.

Knowledge of Story Structure or Narrative An understanding of the way narrative stories are structured begins to develop when read-alouds are shared frequently. This understanding will help prepare children for reading instruction, because they will be comfortable with the basic structure of stories, such as, characters, problem, attempted solutions, solution, and resolution. This knowledge will thus provide “a framework” for comprehension of the events in the story. Activities to develop knowledge of narrative structure are an important component of comprehension instruction in the primary grades.

Becoming a Strategic Reader An awareness that print conveys meaning is one of the early concepts about print. This awareness can be enhanced by providing opportunities for children to be metacognitive about their understanding of print. Focusing on interacting with text before, during, and after reading will allow children to make the connection that reading is an active process. Instruction in before, during, and after reading strategies, e.g., previewing, predicting, retelling, etc., is crucial for developing comprehension in the primary grades.

Reading to Learn Primary reading instruction has traditionally been characterized as the time for “learning to read,” while intermediate reading instruction focused on “reading to learn.” The most current views on reading development contend that both aspects are important to all ages of readers. Introducing expository text for the first time in the intermediate grades has proven to be too late for many students who struggle throughout their school careers to comprehend content area reading material. Just as we work to build an understanding of narrative structure in young children, our students will also benefit from being introduced to the unique features of nonfiction text in the primary grades. Instruction that provides opportunities for children to “read to learn” in the primary grades will facilitate comprehension of content area reading material in the years ahead.

Overview for this Session In this session you will learn about the following: The 4 levels of support in reading Concepts About Print Read Alouds as an Instructional Technique Student Response to Reading Vocabulary Development Reading Strategies Non-fiction in Primary Classrooms