Yet some students still have trouble with reading comprehension. Comprehension is the ability to fully understand what you have read. It can also include more advanced skills such as being able to draw conclusions based on the reading material.

Try these ideas to help your child with comprehension:

• Encourage your child to form pictures in his head of what he is reading. If he has trouble with this, have him actually draw the pictures at first.

• Have your child name at least one thing in the material that reminds him of something he already knows.

• Have him tell you what he thinks are the most important parts of the story or text. What is the main idea? If he’s reading a short story or a novel, who are the main characters? What conflicts do the characters face?

• Practice critical thinking, a key skill for middle school students. Ask your child to give you his thoughts about the material. Does it make sense? Should the author have presented it in a different way? Did characters in the novel make good choices?

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