1. The following two websites offer reading comprehension questions after the student reads a story or book. Students needs to retain and process the information from the story, or book, in order to be able to correctly answer questions from theses websites. Answering reading comprehension questions from these websites assist students to look for the main characters, setting, main events, problem, solution, and any other details within the story. Raz Kids offers stories and books on its website that students may read. It also has quizzes with reading comprehension questions already made for students to take after reading. Reading Counts from scholastic has quizzes with reading comprehension questions for multiple books and stories. Students may take a Reading Counts quiz on their Chromebooks based on a book that the whole class read together, an article or story from our reading textbook, or even books that they read during independent reading time. During independent reading time, when students complete their book, they quietly get a Chromebook and take a Reading Counts quiz. To find a quiz on Reading Counts, you just type in the title or author and the quiz with appear. I have seen my students' Lexile reading levels increase every semester through the use of Raz Kids and especially Reading Counts. Our class tends to use Reading Counts more because you may just search for a quiz on a book of your choice, whereas Raz Kids you read one of their stories before taking the quiz.
Reading Counts Information Page
Reading Counts Website
Raz Kids Login
2. Being able to identify the following story elements during a re-telling of a book, or story, will assist students to improve their reading comprehension: setting, main characters, main events in proper sequence, problem, solution, etc. After reading a story, or book, I ask students to write a summary, or re-tell, the story in their journals. Students would include a description of the story elements in their journal entry. Students may also include an explanation of the author's purpose and state their opinion on the story. These journal entries assist students process and gain a deeper understanding of the story, which will improve their reading comprehension skills. I have also seen students improve their Lexile reading levels through our journal entries including a summary, state the author's purpose, and express their opinions on the story.
3. Annotated notes is another excellent strategy for improving students' reading comprehension. I like to read Scholastic News or Time Magazine for Kids and have students make annotated notes next to the paragraphs. The annotated notes assist them in looking for the main idea and details within the article. The notes also prepare the students to answers questions on their articles. I also have students make annotated notes while we read short stories, in their social studies packets, and during science. Having these notes also assist them with their responses to the text in persuasive papers, informational writing, and any other types of written responses to their text. Annotated notes assist students to look for and identify main ideas and details in an article, book, or short story, etc. It also helps them to process the information from their reading before putting the information into their writing. I have seen students improve their reading comprehension skills through the use of annotated notes.
4. In upper grades, I love having reading clubs. Each reading club group will consist of 4-6 students. Groups will be able to select a book to read from a list that I provide them. One to Two chapters are read every evening at home. Students then come back to class reading to discuss with their groups the chapters they read the night before. I provide each group with a list of questions they may discuss to get their conversation started. Students may also discuss anything of their choice that is going on in the book. Some of the sample questions I will provide the students may include:
- What did you notice in the book?
- Does the book remind you of anything?
- What were you wondering while you were reading?
- What was your favorite part? Why?
- Was there a part of the book that surprised you? Why?
- What reason is there for the character to…?
- What was the motive behind…?
- What do you suppose the character was thinking when…?
- Predict what the character will do next.
- Can you predict what the outcome will be if…?
- Analyze how the character's feelings changed in the book.
- Whats is the relationship between the two characters?
- How would you compare these two characters?
- What was the turning point in the story?
- What is a different way to solve the problem?
- How would you have solved the problem?
I have found students to improve their reading comprehension skills through these reading clubs. Students have these questions in mind when they are reading the story. They also have the opportunity to learn from their classmates while listening to them during the discussions.
5. Lastly, I have improved my students' reading comprehension skills through the use of story maps. After reading a story or book, I have students recognize story structure through the use of story maps. The story maps consist of students describing the main characters, setting, problem, solution, main events in sequences, or story elements on a graphic organizer, or story map. We might complete the story map as a whole class during guided practice, or, students may complete the story map independent, in partners, or in a small group. These story maps have improved students' reading comprehension because they have students analyzing and processing all parts of the story. The story maps are also a great strategy for students to use as a method of brainstorming prior to writing about a story or book.
I hope these strategies assist you in improving reading comprehension in your classroom. I have already had great success with all five of these strategies in my classroom and I look forward to using them again next year.
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