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Table of Contents
Reading comprehension refers to the capacity to read, process, and comprehend text. It is based on two skills that are intertwined: 1) word reading (the ability to interpret the symbols on the page) and 2) language comprehension (being able to understand the meaning of the words and sentences).
See the fact file below for more information on Reading Comprehension or alternatively, you can download our 35-page Reading Comprehension worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
READING COMPREHENSION 101
- Reading comprehension is the process of creating and extracting meaning from print while interacting and engaging with it.
- We don’t merely remember the exact words and phrases we read when we make sense of a text. Rather, we create a mental image of what the text portrays by combining the meaning of the words and phrases into a coherent whole, similar to a movie we’re watching in our heads.
READING COMPREHENSION AND ITS IMPORTANCE
- Comprehension is a crucial element in the process of reading. When you read, make an effort to comprehend and extract meaning in order to gain a better overall understanding of what you’re reading. You may increase your reading comprehension abilities and make reading easier and more pleasurable by learning and using reading methods and changing how you read.
- Reading comprehension is crucial for a variety of reasons and can bring numerous advantages. The ability to read efficiently can benefit both your personal and professional life, and increase your enjoyment of reading. Knowing how to comprehend a paragraph can help you expand your knowledge in specific areas and learn new skills and information more quickly.
STRATEGIES FOR READING COMPREHENSION
- The ultimate purpose of reading is comprehension or deriving meaning from what you read. Understanding is both a participatory and purposeful process. Instead of passively reading text, readers must examine, internalize, and personalize it.
- When someone reads a picture book to a child before they can read, the process of comprehension begins.
- Some strategies for reading comprehension focus mainly on text factors, such as context clues, main idea and supporting details, story elements, fact vs. fiction, fact vs. opinion, and figurative language. Other reading strategies are sequencing, making conclusions and inferences, use of cause and effect relationship, and making predictions.
TEXT FACTORS
- USING CONTEXT CLUES
- Context clues are texts around unfamiliar words which often provide clues to their meaning. Under context clues, a reader can use or look for word parts, definition or explanation, synonym, example, antonym or contrast, analogy, and appositive within the sentence or paragraph. However, context clues may not always be present throughout the text. When these signs are present, however, giving readers the tools to use them effectively puts them in a good position to improve their reading comprehension.
- IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
- The main idea of a paragraph is its entire subject. Reasons, samples, facts, procedures, or other types of evidence that explain the main idea are called supporting details. The main idea is explained and developed through major details. Minor details help to provide clarity for major details.
- IDENTIFYING THE STORY ELEMENTS
- There is a beginning, a middle, and an end to every story. The protagonist of a story is generally revealed at the start of the story. The story revolves primarily around the characters. The setting is usually where the story takes place. The events of the story are revealed in the middle of the story. The plot encompasses all of the story’s events. The plot contains a problem. The solution to that problem is revealed in the story’s conclusion. The problem solution is how the problem is solved.
- DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM FICTION
- Things that are real or true are facts. Things that are make-believe are fiction. The primary difference between fact and fiction is that facts are beliefs that can be tested in actual life, whereas fiction is made up by our minds to entertain ourselves. This method is beneficial to students’ learning since it helps them to be analytical in their reading and listening abilities while also facilitating evidence-based learning.
- DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM OPINION
- A fact is something that is true or that actually happened.>An opinion is anything that someone thinks or believes.
- Facts are statements that can be demonstrated to be true or false.
- IDENTIFYING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
- Figurative language does not always mean what it says.
- A simile uses the word “like” to creatively compare two things. Similes are considered artistic means of describing things.
- A metaphor is a creative technique of comparing two things without using words. Metaphors are artistic means of expressing ideas and describing situations.
- An idiom is a metaphor or simile that many people use to express themselves or explain a situation.
OTHER READING STRATEGIES
- SEQUENCING
- Putting everything in order, from first to last, is called sequencing.
- Readers can use sequencing as a reading comprehension approach to help them identify the beginning, middle, and conclusion of a text. It also entails the capacity to summarize and retell events in a story or text in chronological order.
- MAKING CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES
- Drawing conclusions means understanding something for yourself. To arrive at a conclusion, consider what makes the most sense. Making inferences requires combining what you already know with what the text implies.
- MAKING PREDICTIONS
- Making predictions is a technique where readers use information from a book (such as titles, headings, illustrations, and diagrams) as well as their own personal experiences to predict what they will read next or what comes next.
- USE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP
- Cause and effect is the study of how one thing can cause another to occur. The reason for anything happening is the cause. What happens is the effect.
TIPS WHEN READING DIFFICULT TEXTS
We are all required to read complex details. Sometimes, this may be hard for us. Fortunately, there are certain ways that can help you understand difficult reading materials.
- Scan – It is essential to have some general information about the subject before beginning to read the material. Look for headings and subtitles, as well as diagrams, graphs, and charts, within the passage. This information will not serve as a complete guide to the content, but it will provide background information and assist you in acclimating to the dense material.
- Summarize – It’s crucial to keep track of your comprehension when reading. Stop and ask yourself, “What have I learned?” on a regular basis. Before moving on to the next paragraph, pause after each sentence and identify the main idea. As you read, highlight, underline, and make notes in the margins. This will help you stay focused.
- Re-read – Try reading the content once and then sleeping on it for shorter reading assignments. New discoveries will be made in the second reading that was missed in the first.
- Use Your Other Senses – When reading, use senses other than sight to boost comprehension. To activate your hearing senses, read aloud or listen to recordings of the text.
- Get Involved – Take turns summarizing chapters of material with a classmate. Make it more enjoyable by teaching each other the more difficult concepts and connecting them to personal experiences.
- Review – Answer the review questions at the end of each chapter if you’re using a textbook. Create your own questions if none are available by transforming chapter or section headings into questions.
- Look for the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words – Make a list of all unknown words and their definitions. If you’re reading from a textbook, look up technical terms in the glossary. Look up non-technical words in a dictionary.
- Seek Assistance – Look for extra resources to assist you in understanding the reading material. Introductory textbooks, study manuals, and online blogs are examples of these resources. If you’re having trouble understanding the content, ask for help from tutors, classmates, or instructors.
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Reading Comprehension across 35 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Reading Comprehension which refers to our capacity to not only read, but also process and comprehend text.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Reading Comprehension Facts
- Catch the Clue
- Getting the Main Idea
- Essence of Sequence
- Seeking Story Elements
- Conclusions and Inferences
- Cause and Effect
- Fact vs Fiction
- Fact vs Opinion
- Power of Prediction
- Figurative Language
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of Reading Comprehension?
Reading comprehension is the process of not only remembering the exact words we read. Rather, we create a mental image of what the text implies and extract meaning from it.
What are the different Reading Comprehension strategies?
The most common reading strategies involve text factors such as context clues, main idea, and its details, story elements, and figurative language. Other strategies are more involved and sometimes required when dealing with difficult text. These strategies are sequencing, making inferences, cause and effect, and making predictions.
What aids Reading Comprehension when dealing with difficult text?
Understanding text in little chunks at a time would help in understanding the whole. We could also try and interpret them while writing sentences as this helps our brain process it in a way we are familiar and comfortable with – our own words. Having a dictionary may also prove handy to double-check that we understood certain words correctly.
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Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.