Dear Parent/Guardian,

Your child is currently working on the literacy strategy, Check for understanding; monitor and self-correct, which helps with the overall goal, Comprehension.

Even as an adult reader, I sometimes get lost when I read and am not sure what's happening in the text. Fortunately, I have strategies to help me understand the text. The same thing happens when children read. However, children often keep reading and do not realize they've lost meaning until the end of the story. They are too concerned with reading accurately, and forget to think about what they are reading. How can we help them gain comprehension? We can teach them the comprehension strategy Check for understanding; monitor and self-correct because good readers stop frequently to check for understanding or to ask “who” and “what.”

How can you help your child with this strategy at home?
  1. When reading to your child, stop periodically and say, “Let's see if we remember what I just read. Think about who it was about and what happened.” Do this three or four times throughout the text.
  2. When reading to your child, stop and have them practice checking for understanding by saying, “I heard you say . . .”
  3. Ask your child the following questions:
    • Whom did you just read about?
    • What just happened?
    • Was your brain talking to you while you read?
    • Do you understand what was read?
    • What do you do if you don't remember? (Back up and reread.)
Thank you for your continued support at home!

—Mrs. Boushey

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