Helping Your Child Build Stronger Reading Comprehension Skills

Reading comprehension isn’t just for early readers—it’s a skill that continues to grow and develop well into middle and high school. As students begin to read more complex texts, it becomes even more critical that they understand not just what they’re reading, but why it matters.

One of the best ways to build reading comprehension is by encouraging your child to ask questions before, during, and after reading. A simple place to start is:

“What did I just read?”

If your child can explain the main idea in their own words, they’re already making progress.

Next, encourage them to identify the big idea or the author’s message. They can ask:

“Why is this important?” or

“What is the author trying to teach me?”

To go even deeper, have them look for a universal theme or lesson in the story, and point out any evidence in the text that supports the main idea. This kind of thinking helps students become more thoughtful, independent readers.

One strategy that works well—especially for visual learners—is drawing. If your child sketches a picture of what they’ve read or of the story’s message, it can help the information stick. Later, when they revisit the text, those drawings and questions will help them remember what they learned and why it mattered.

Want more tips and tools for supporting your child’s reading at home? Check out the Reading Rockets website, a trusted resource for families and educators:

🔗 https://www.readingrockets.org