Our focus has been on improving comprehension. We have discussed making connections by hearing and discussing stories. The children would make connections between the stories and their own lives. They also answered questions to help them understand the stories they heard.
You can help your child make personal connections to stories. Before reading, ask your child to listen and think about what in the story is like his or her own life. While reading, stop every so often to ask questions such as:
- How do you think this person or animal feels?
- Have you ever felt that way? Tell me about it.
Another way to help your child think about a story more deeply is to ask questions while reading aloud, such as:
- What has happened in the story so far?
- What do you think will happen next?
We have also visualized to make sense of the stories we read. Visualizing means making mental images while reading. Readers might imagine sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, and feelings. Visualizing helps readers understand, remember, and enjoy reading.
You can help your child visualize by stopping every so often while reading aloud and asking questions such as:
- What do you see in your mind as I read to you?
- What words did you hear in the story that helped you create that picture in your mind?
In addition to stopping and discussing the story with your child, you might:
- Ask your child to close his or her eyes as you read and get a mental picture of the story.
- Give your child the opportunity to draw what he or she visualized, and then talk about the drawing.
Have fun reading, talking, and listening to each other!
The children often use sticky notes to make connections and visualize.