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How Parents Can Help With Reading Comprehension at Home

If you see that your child is behind their reading grade, trying to improve reading comprehension at home is the move in the right direction. Wonder how to set the routine or which activities to use? Here’s our guide on reading comprehension at home with main routines and solid tips.

Key points

• Reading with your child at home should be a regular practice, meaning reading sessions in a proper setting and with enough interaction to keep kids engaged.
• To make reading a habit, you should try specific activities and tools, including a 3-question script, a 10-minute reading routine, sounding out, or a 2-minute comprehension technique.
• We recommend creating a cozy corner with the right lighting and no distractions; that way, your child will feel comfortable and focused during home reading practice.
• If you find these exercises still aren’t helping, you might want to explore personalized tutoring, like Brighterly.

How to help kids with reading comprehension at home?

Parents can significantly improve reading comprehension at home by reading and speaking with their child regularly. You can sit with your child as they read a passage of text and ask open-ended questions about what they are reading. Then, once they have finished the passage of text they’re on, you can ask them to give you a 30-second retelling of what they’ve just read. 

A good idea is to support your child each time they read a short section of text to keep them focused and help them work on reading comprehension at home. There, it’s critical to develop a simple routine, cozy environment, and apply different prompts or a parent handout for reading at home to make it easier for you.

Reading comprehension methods: 4 at-home routines and tools you can use today

• 3-question script (before/during/after)
• 10-minute routine setup (time/place/book choice)
• 2-minute comprehension activities
• Support toolkit

The 3-question script (before/during/after) + sample prompts by grade

First, let’s look at the 3-question script, a reading 101 method for assessing reading comprehension both at school and at home. 

With it, you ask your child questions before, during, and after they’ve read a passage of a text. But how does it work?

Before reading

The questions you ask before reading can either focus on predictions if it’s a new piece of reading material. Thus, a good tip is to look at the book together and get inspiration for the initial questions. 

The good questions are:

• What do you think this book might be about?
• What can you see in the picture? Does it give you hints?
• What does it mean that it can happen?

If it’s a continuation of reading, try asking about previous chapters and events. This step will help activate kids’ prior knowledge and prepare them to focus on text. 

During reading

Next, you should ask questions while the kids are reading. These questions can again focus on predictions, but they can also dig deeper into what’s happening. 

For instance, after reading a few pages, you can take a pause and ask a question about what is happening. Here are some questions to start:

• Why do you think the character did that?
• Does it remind you of something from your day? (you can give a hint to a situation or a feeling)

Such questions would encourage kids to think about cause, emotions, and events in the story.

After reading

Finally, after reading, let’s say a chapter, you should ask your child questions that focus on summarizing new knowledge, a story, the questions they have, where they might take it next, and more. 

Depending on the book, you can try different activities and types of questions:

After reading an informational piece about turtles or nature, ask questions that explain facts about the world. 

• For instance, “Why do turtles crawl?” or “What will happen to such an oak in a desert?”

After reading a narrative or a story, ask about the motives of a character or events, their descriptions. 

• For example, “Why do you think the character did that?” or “What else could they’ve done?” Or appeal to their emotions and use the “If you were them, what would you have done?” prompt.

Prompts for each stage per grade

Grade level	Before reading	During reading	After reading
1st grade	What do you think this story will be about based on the picture on the cover?	Sum up what has happened in the story so far based on your prior reading.	Can you summarize the story from start to finish with oral language, including key events?
2nd grade	What type of characters do you think will be in the story?	Is there anything in the book you don’t understand so far, like words or sentence structures?	Did you enjoy the ending or would you change anything?
3rd grade	Do you think this book is fiction or non-fiction?	What do you think will happen next in the story?	What were your favorite and least favorite parts of the book, and why?
4th grade	What do you already know about this topic?	Do any of the events in the story so far relate to your own life?	What lesson did you take away from this book?
5th grade	Based on the cover and blurb, what do you think the genre is?	Have your predictions for the book changed based on what you’ve read most recently?	If you were to write a sequel, what would you include in it?
6th grade	What do you think the setting of this book will be?	What do you think the main character is feeling right now and why?	What was the theme of the book, and do you think it changed throughout?
7th grade	Are there any connections you can make between this book title/cover art and your real life?	Do you have any new questions about the characters or plot?	Can you summarize the major events in the book in chronological order?
8th grade	What questions might this book answer?	What is the main conflict of the book and how do you think it can be resolved?	If you could ask the author a question about how the book ended, what would you ask?
9th grade	Does the cover say anything about the tone or topic of the book?	Are the characters of the book developing at all?	What do you think the author’s purpose was, and did they achieve it?

10-minute routine setup (preparation/reading/decoding/recap) + right environment

When it comes to how to help with comprehension at home, how, where, and what your child reads make a big difference in how well they read, so setting a consistent routine creates the perfect environment for focus and comprehension. 

One of the ways is to build a routine around short bursts, gradually increasing time as they improve. 

Here’s an example of a 10-minute routine you can begin with:

• During the 1st minute. You may ask your child to look at the book and discuss what they can wait for them.
• During minutes 2-6. You should start reading aloud and then take turns while reading passages with a kid. Such a practice makes you a reading role model. That’s why you’d better focus on accuracy, pacing, and expression, and reread together if needed.
• During minutes 7-8. During this time, deal with tricky words and confusing parts. You need to lead the way and show how to decode words or use context.
• During minutes 9-10. Finish the routine by asking what happened in a story, so that they learn to organize ideas and remember words.

You can increase the length of the routine gradually, or set longer or more frequent sessions, like in the morning and or before night.

Math program

Help children get confidence with the right routine

If your child struggles with reading, enlist expert Brighterly tutors to deliver personalized learning

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2-minute comprehension activities and moves

Another way how parents can help with reading comprehension at home without it feeling like too much work is through two-minute comprehension moves. Some sample activities can include:

• Story recap time. Devote 30-60 seconds for the kid to recap what happened in the piece or chapter.
• Show, play out, or write to recap. Ask a kid to show what they read with writing, drawing, or playing out. Apart from other reading games, it’s a fun way to improve comprehension and support engagement. 
• Practice via prompts and flashcards. Prepare cards with main ideas and hints beforehand, then hand them out to the kids so that they reflect on the text.

Support toolkit: Sounding out+Vocab in context+Breaking words

The final method for how to work on reading comprehension at home is developing a toolkit to support your child when they’re struggling with vocabulary or understanding a piece of text. 

How to help struggling readers at home? Here are some scenarios you can use:

• When a kid doesn’t recognize a word, sound it out or explore it (for higher grades), when reading it together. Ask a kid, “How does the word start?” or “What’s the next sound?” to sound each letter or letter combination until a kid says the whole word or gets the phonemic part.
• If a kid finds a word or sentence too long, help them break it into smaller parts with activities like clapping or finding associations. For instance, for the word “mas-cot”, you can clap after each syllable “mas” and “cot.” 
• If you predict that vocabulary is complex, use context. Children might encounter words they’re unfamiliar with. So hint to them to use the surrounding context, like words around it. You can circle or write them down beforehand on a flashcard and turn them into a quiz.
• If you know the text will be complicated, help them build background knowledge. Consider it a part of a larger knowledge-building approach. The 2023 EdWeek article contemplates that when kids have background knowledge on subjects, they can comprehend written material on them better. 

Why some children struggle with reading comprehension

Symptom	Possible cause	What to try now
Difficulty in understanding words and getting letters jumbled up	Dyslexia	Integrate audiobooks, blocks, and manipulatives to support reading (as per the BBC research)
Difficulties with taking in and memorizing written text	ADHD	Create a routine and encourage your child to read in short 10-minute bursts
Struggles with remembering what they’ve read	Memory problems	Break text up into small chunks and ask questions before, during and after reading
A lack of focus on reading materials	A distracting environment	Remove all distractions from your child’s environment, including phones and game consoles
Slow reading	Not enough practice	Set a schedule for your child to read consistently and monitor their words per minute

 

Do parents help with reading comprehension at home?

Yes, parents can help with reading comprehension at home. In fact, it’s important to support your child if you notice they are having difficulties with reading. Your support can boost their confidence, because a lack of reading comprehension can affect their self-esteem.

But if any listed techniques don’t feel like enough for your child, addressing an experienced tutor can be the way to go. The Brighterly structured homeschool reading program offers reading tutoring adapted to children’s individual needs, ensuring they only work on content that improves their reading comprehension.

Tutors can enhance children’s reading development through personalized, gamified learning and by using additional tools that may not be suitable for parents to use at home. Additionally, kids can access free reading comprehension worksheets to test or cement their knowledge outside of their sessions.

You can also find out more methods for helping struggling readers on its blog.

How to create a reading environment at home?

To create a reading environment at home, parents should focus on arranging three main elements: space, routine, and materials. 

• Setting and management of the space is about creating a cozy corner with appropriate light where a kid would feel comfortable and be focused on reading. 
• In terms of routine, inserting daily activities into the family routine will be crucial in supporting order, discipline, and developing habits. 
• Lastly, making a small library or bookshelf with various books is also a way to contribute to reading, especially if you plan to update reading pieces to keep them fresh. 

How can parents encourage reading comprehension at home?

To encourage reading comprehension at home, parents can build learning around discussions and conversations with prompts, and support interactivity in reading with a variety of books. 

What are the best ways to encourage reading at home?

• As a parent, build a kids’ reading routine based on their interests and the topics they love. 
• For interventions or complicated topics, you can use sticky notes with challenges on behalf of their favorite characters. 
• Besides, you can make visual aids a part of each lesson and use them to explain ideas or work with text after reading.

Conclusion

Reading comprehension is an essential skill children need to learn. And now you definitely know some tricks on how to help reading comprehension at home. Routines, prompts, environment. They all matter, especially if you devote enough time and create an excellent schedule.

Yet, as well as teaching your child a routine, you may also want to consider personalized tutoring, especially if they are still finding reading difficult. In that case, Brighterly may be a solution; try a diagnostic reading test to find out how your kids are doing, or book free reading lesson now.

Frequently asked questions

Why is reading at home with parents important?

The importance of reading at home with parents is that when they read to their kids or read together, it gradually improves language skills and supports kids’ confidence. On the other hand, shared reading allows developing empathy and creating the connection between kids and parents without demands or distractions.

What role can parents play in promoting reading habits?

The main role of parents in promoting reading habits lies in creating and supporting reading habits at an early age. Moreover, their parents serve as reading role models and create an environment that connects reading to their interests. So, in the long run, it helps children to develop a strong foundation for becoming avid readers in their older age.

What are the primary reading at home tips for parents to work with kids?

The primary tips for parents to help with reading at home refer to allocating enough time, creating an atmosphere, and encouraging reading via support, additional activities, and solid participation.