Reading comprehension skills, like everything else, need to be develop. In my opinion the best way to do this is through fun and engaging activities. You and your child will love these creative ways to discover just how much they are taking in when you read to them or when they read on their own. Below are FREE PRINTABLES as well to help you as you embark on your adventures with reading comprehension activities.
We Love Story Mapping!
Story mapping is a way to organize ideas. When using it to develop reading comprehension it involves retelling the story through the highlights. Just as authors use story maps to help organize their thoughts, you can use them to see what your kiddo is really taking in when reading or being read to. Here’s a video to help explain what you’ll be doing when creating a story map for reading comprehension. Story mapping encourages creative expression through drawing, writing, and maybe even acting out the story. When creating your story maps, let the child take the lead a bit. Meet your child where they are. If they want to draw but not write, that’s ok! Maybe, they want to tell you what to draw and write, that’s ok too. The more you do these, the more comfortable they will get with them. Follow-up your story map with questions about what the child liked the best, the least, or maybe what they would change if they could!
How Authors use Story Maps
Here’s a video to help teach kids about the purpose of a story map if you are an author. This video goes nicely with teaching the concepts behind creating a story map. This is great for slightly bigger kids who are exploring creative writing for themselves. Story Maps for Narrative Writing. Give your kiddo a fun way to organize their thoughts and get their beautiful stories onto paper!
Reading Comprehension Game – What Just Happened?!
When my kids were little I made a up this game which I called, (said in a super excited and slightly confused sounding voice), Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! The kids ate it up. I would use a big dry erase board and write out each question one at a time. We would have lots of movement and excitement with each part of the game. If they didn’t remember something I’d come up with clues to help them along the way. Super simple, no prep, and fun. You get to help them start to notice different aspects of the story and build their reading comprehension skills with play-based learning. The most important thing that I do as a homeschool mom, is teaching them how to learn. This is a great way to do that! Teach your child to pay attention to the important parts of the story that guide the characters through their adventures and help them to solve their problems. Enjoy the free printable below to help you get started with this game!
