Reading comprehension is a test of whether a reader understands what he has read. There are lots of ways to test for this, and lots of levels of comprehension. Second graders are just starting out on their reading journey, and the best way to work on comprehension is to read as much as possible and read all different kinds of literature. There are activities to do with your child that can help if he is struggling in this area.
Find Practice Worksheets or Workbooks
Print out practice reading comprehension worksheets on the Internet, or buy workbooks with reading comprehension exercises in them, available in many bookstores. Use these for practice and to assess your child's ability and strengths and weaknesses. Go over the wrong answers with her so she can learn from her mistakes. Look for patterns in the types of mistakes she makes to narrow down what you need to work on.
Practice Narration
Narration is a method popularized by homeschoolers who follow the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason, an educator in Britain at the end of the eighteenth century. But anyone can use narration; it's not just for homeschoolers. It involves having your child tell you, in her own words, either orally or in writing, what a story he read was about. Start with short stories, maybe stories he is familiar with. If he's new to narration, have him practice with easy stories first, or even a TV show or movie, before moving on to stories he has read. As he gets more proficient, prompt him to add in details and note the types of things he tends to omit. Look for patterns and have him work on aspects he often misses. For example, have him describe a setting if he tends to have trouble with descriptive passages. Or have him draw conclusions about a character's motives, if he is weak on making inferences from his reading.
Tell the Main Idea
Reading comprehension tests often ask the main idea of a passage. You can practice this at home in many ways. A good way for a younger student to start with main ideas is to think up a title for a story or article. If your child is struggling with reading, have her find the main idea in a TV show or in a story you read to her, before she tries on a story she has read herself. It is often easier to find the main idea of an article rather than a story, so look for magazines written for kids, or read newspaper stories to her and look for a main idea.
Pay Attention to Sequence of Events
Another reading comprehension skill that figures prominently in testing is sequence of events. Start by picking out two or three events from a story and ask your child which happened first, second and third. After this becomes easy for your child, have him practice telling the events in order. Talk about beginning, middle and end. Ask him to draw three pictures illustrating what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story.
Look for Cause and Effect
If a story has a situation with a cause and effect, be sure to point it out when reading. This is another concept that comes up a lot on reading tests. It is generally an easy concept for second graders to understand. She just may need help picking these elements out of a story she's read.
Talk About Setting
The setting of a story is where it takes place. It can also be when it takes place, if the story is set in the past or in some science fiction future or alternate reality. This is another easy idea for second graders to grasp. Encourage your child to make a picture in his mind of the locations for a story. Have him draw a picture, or even a map, if a story takes place in several different locations in a neighborhood.
Ask Questions
Before your child reads a book, ask her what she thinks it's about. Use the cover, the table of contents and illustrations, if there are any, to get a feel for who the characters are and what is going to happen. Ask her to predict what she thinks will happen. Then have her start reading. Periodically, while she is reading the book, have her stop and make a prediction about the ending or what will happen next. Encourage her to ask questions about the motives of the characters. She may not know the answers to all of the questions, but it will get her thinking as she reads, which is always a good thing.
Learn About Inferences
Inferences are hard for second graders. They involve making a jump from the facts you know to an idea or conclusion you only think may be true. A good way to practice inferences is to read mystery stories. Encyclopedia Brown books are good easy detective stories for young readers. Making inferences is a skill your child will be working on for years to come, so don't worry if he doesn't master it in second grade.
Never Stop Reading
Many parents make the mistake of thinking they should stop reading aloud to their child once she can read on her own. Instead, move up to a level of reading beyond her reading level. Make time as often as you can to read aloud to your child. Have her read aloud to you. Pick a book of poems and take turns reading. Beyond the obvious benefits of learning, reading aloud is a great way to spend quality time with your child, making memories that will last a lifetime.
