what is reading comprehension essay

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Teaching Comprehension Background Questions

What is reading comprehension and why is it important.

“Real reading has to do with thinking, learning, and expanding a reader’s knowledge and horizons. It has to do with building on past knowledge, mastering new information, and connecting with the minds of those you’ve never met.”

Zimmerman, S. and Hutchins, C. (2003) Seven keys to comprehension: How to help your kids read it and get it! New York: Three Rivers Press.

Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and understand its meaning. It relies on two, interconnected abilities: word reading (being able to decode the symbols on the page) and language comprehension (being able to understand the meaning of the words and sentences).

When we make sense of a text, however, we don’t just remember the exact words and phrases we read. Rather, we form a mental model of what the text describes by integrating the sense of the words and sentences into a meaningful whole, like a film that plays in our head.

Good comprehension is vital if reading is to have a purpose, if a reader is to engage with and learn from a text and, ultimately, if a reader is to enjoy what they’re reading.

For more information about the nature of comprehension, an excellent introduction is provided by Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension: A handbook by Jane Oakhill, Kate Cain and Carsten Elbro (Routledge, 2014).

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Da Vinci Collaborative

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An Introduction to Reading Comprehension: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

September 15, 2023

One of the main pillars of reading, comprehension represents the ability to understand, process, and interpret written text with ease. Although it sounds easy enough, the act of comprehension actually involves complex cognitive processes, going well beyond decoding words from a page. It involves analyzing, synthetizing, understanding, and interpreting written pieces of text, either from a book, an article, an essay, and so on. Reading comprehension is an active process, not a passive one, and it requires a deep level of engagement with the text, as well as a deeper level of understanding.

What does reading comprehension involve?

To put plainly, reading comprehension is a person’s ability to read, process, and understand the meaning behind written text. It involves two components, namely word coding, or the ability to decode the symbols on a page, and language comprehension, which is the ability to understand the meaning behind the words and sentences.

To be able to understand the meaning behind a text, the reader must also be able to comprehend and decode the vocabulary used in that text. This means the reader must be able to easily decode the letters and words on the page, and immediately recognize the words and their meaning. Young children are constantly learning new words and expanding their vocabulary, and this helps develop comprehension skills. If a child already knows all the words in a text, they will be able to process their meaning much quicker and with ease. However, if they encounter unfamiliar letters, symbols, or words, this can stop them in their tracks and prevent them from grasping the full meaning behind the text as a whole.

Good reading comprehension involves a few crucial components, or areas that teachers can focus on to help students struggling with comprehension and reading fluency . This includes vocabulary skills, background knowledge, understanding language structure, integration and inference skills, and knowledge and use of text structure.

Students in your classroom might be struggling with reading comprehension because their reading is too slow, or because they’re not able to easily decode written text. They might struggle with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or they might lack the proper language skills. It’s important as a teacher to work with and monitor each individual student’s progress to pinpoint what they’re struggling with and where they need help.

Why is reading comprehension important?

Reading comprehension is achieved when the reader is able to not only read the written text with prosody , but also understand and grasp its meaning, the context, and other details that require a deeper level of engagement with the text. Comprehension is a crucial pillar of the act of reading, because without it, a person will struggle to find the hidden meaning in a text, recognize the author’s intentions, analyze the message behind the text, and so on. Not being able to comprehend written text with ease can also lead to poor academic performance for young children and teens, and this can have a big impact on their professional and personal lives.

Without comprehension, reading is reduced to a simple process of tracking written symbols on a page without understanding their meaning, the context, the story behind them. It’s like looking at ancient Egypt hieroglyphs without knowledge on how to decode them; you can appreciate the beauty of the written text and perhaps get subtle hints at what they might represent, but you won’t be able to understand what they’re saying and why. Comprehension allows the reader to extract knowledge and information from the written text, to form a story, and it’s an essential part of literacy and being a fluent reader.

Reading comprehension also plays a critical role in our daily lives. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to read, understand, analyze, and interpret housing bills, contracts, transportation documents, school or work assignments, reports, instruction manuals, medicine dosage instructions, and so on. Not being able to comprehend written text can significantly hinder a person’s ability to evolve and develop socially, emotionally, and professionally.

If you want to learn more strategies to help children in your classroom struggling with fluency and comprehension, don’t hesitate to reach out to Da Vinci Collaborative . Our team of specialized experts and counselors are ready to help.

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Reading is a skill many people take for granted, but the act of reading and properly comprehending a text is a complex and interactive process. It requires several different brain functions to work together and most often requires one to puzzle through multiple layers of context and meaning.

Because reading comprehension is so complicated, we can often find ourselves understanding the most basic interpretation of a text, but missing the emotional core or the "big picture." Or we might just find our brains spinning with no clue at all as to what a text is attempting to convey.

But luckily for everyone who struggles in English classes, on standardized tests, or in daily life, reading comprehension can be improved upon (and it's never too late to start!). In this guide, I explain step-by-step how to improve reading comprehension over time and offer tips for boosting your understanding as you read.

What Is Reading Comprehension?

Reading comprehension is the understanding of what a particular text means and the ideas the author is attempting to convey, both textual and subtextual. In order to read any text, your brain must process not only the literal words of the piece, but also their relationship with one another, the context behind the words, how subtle language and vocabulary usage can impact emotion and meaning behind the text, and how the text comes together as a larger, coherent whole.

For instance, let's look at the first line from Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice :

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Now, a completely literal interpretation of the text, just based on word-meaning, would have us believe that 'all rich men want wives.' But the context, word choice, and phrasing of the text actually belie that interpretation. By using the phrases "universally acknowledged" and " must be in want of" (emphasis ours), the text is conveying a subtle sarcasm to the words. Instead of it being an actual truth that 'rich men want wives,' this one sentence instantly tells us that we're reading about a society preoccupied with marriage, while also implying that the opening statement is something people in that society may believe, but that isn't necessarily true.

In just a few short words, Austen conveys several ideas to the reader about one of the main themes of the story, the setting, and what the culture and people are like. And she does so all the while seeming to contradict the literal words of the piece.

Without practice in reading comprehension, nuances like these can become lost. And so it can happen that someone may find themselves reading, but not truly comprehending the full meaning of a text.

As you can see, reading comprehension involves many processes happening in your brain at once, and thus it can be easy for some aspects of a text to get lost in the muddle. But the good news for anyone who struggles is that reading comprehension is a skill just like any other. It must be learned through practice, focus, and diligence, but it absolutely CAN be learned.

Why Reading Comprehension Is Important

Proper reading comprehension can be difficult, so why bother? Even though learning how to properly read and comprehend texts is a complicated process, it is a necessary skill to master, both for work and for pleasure.

You will need to know how to read and interpret all kinds of different texts—both on the basic, literal level and on a more in-depth level—throughout your schooling, in college, and in the working world (as well as in your recreation time!). If we think about "reading" just as a literal or surface understanding of a piece and "reading comprehension" as the complete understanding, a person can only get by in the world on pure "reading" for so long.

Reading comprehension is essential for many significant aspects of daily life, such as:

Reading, understanding, and analyzing literature in your English classes
Reading and understanding texts from your other class subjects, such as history, math, or science
Doing well on both the written and math sections of the SAT (or all five sections of the ACT)
Understanding and engaging with current events presented in written form, such as news reports
Properly understanding and responding to any and all other workplace correspondence, such as essays, reports, memos, and analyses
Simply taking pleasure in written work on your own leisure time

Just like with any goal or skill, we can master reading comprehension one step at a time.

How to Improve Reading Comprehension: 3 Steps

Because reading comprehension is a skill that improves like any other, you can improve your understanding with practice and a game plan.

Dedicate yourself to engaging in a combination of both "guided" and "relaxed" reading practice for at least two to three hours a week. Guided practice will involve structure and focused attention, like learning new vocabulary words and testing yourself on them, while relaxed practice will involve merely letting yourself read and enjoy reading without pressure for at least one to two hours a week. (Note: if you already read for pleasure, add at least one more hour of pleasure-reading per week.)

By combining reading-for-studying and reading-for-pleasure, you'll be able to improve your reading skill without relegating reading time to the realm of "work" alone. Reading is a huge part of our daily lives, and improving your comprehension should never come at the cost of depriving yourself of the pleasure of the activity.

So what are some of the first steps for improving your reading comprehension level?

Step 1: Understand and Reevaluate How You're Currently Reading

Before you can improve your reading comprehension, you must first understand how you're currently reading and what your limitations are.

Start by selecting excerpts from different texts with which you are unfamiliar—text books, essays, novels, news reports, or any kind of text you feel you particularly struggle to understand—and read them as you would normally. As you read, see if you can notice when your attention, energy, or comprehension of the material begins to flag.

If your comprehension or concentration tends to lag after a period of time, start to slowly build up your stamina. For instance, if you continually lose focus at the 20 minute mark every time you read, acknowledge this and push yourself to slowly increase that time, rather than trying to sit and concentrate on reading for an hour or two at a stretch. Begin by reading for your maximum amount of focused time (in this case, twenty minutes), then give yourself a break. Next time, try for 22 minutes. Once you've mastered that, try for 25 and see if you can still maintain focus. If you can, then try for thirty.

If you find that your concentration or comprehension starts to lag again , take a step back on your timing before pushing yourself for more. Improvement comes with time, and it'll only cause frustration if you try to rush it all at once.

Alternatively, you may find that your issues with reading comprehension have less to do with the time spent reading than with the source material itself. Perhaps you struggle to comprehend the essential elements of a text, the context of a piece, character arcs or motivation, books or textbooks with densely packed information, or material that is heavily symbolic. If this is the case, then be sure to follow the tips below to improve these areas of reading comprehension weakness.

Improving your reading comprehension level takes time and practice, but understanding where your strengths and weaknesses stand now is the first step towards progress.

Step 2: Improve Your Vocabulary

Reading and comprehension rely on a combination of vocabulary, context, and the interaction of words. So you must be able to understand each moving piece before you can understand the text as a whole.

If you struggle to understand specific vocabulary, it's sometimes possible to pick up meaning through context clues (how the words are used in the sentence or in the passage), but it's always a good idea to look up the definitions of words with which you aren't familiar. As you read, make sure to keep a running list of words you don't readily recognize and make yourself a set of flashcards with the words and their definitions. Dedicate fifteen minutes two or three times a week to and quizzing yourself on your vocab flashcards.

To get started, you'll need some blank index cards and a system to keep them organized. These basic cards are an affordable option that are also available in fun colors . You can keep them organized with plastic baggies or rubber bands, or you can get an organizer .

Alternatively, try these easy-flip flashcards that include binder clips. Though we strongly recommend making your own flashcards, you can also buy pre-made ones —the best option is Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know , a series of exercises to master key words and idioms.

In order to retain your vocabulary knowledge, you must employ a combination of practiced memorization (like studying your flashcards) and make a point of using these new words in your verbal and written communication. Guided vocabulary practice like this will give you access to new words and their meanings as well as allow you to properly retain them.

Step 3: Read for Pleasure

The best way to improve your reading comprehension level is through practice. And the best way to practice is to have fun with it!

Make reading a fun activity, at least on occasion, rather than a constant chore. This will motivate you to engage with the text and embrace the activity as part of your daily life (rather than just your study/work life). As you practice and truly engage with your reading material, improvement will come naturally.

Begin by reading texts that are slightly below your age and grade level (especially if reading is frustrating or difficult for you). This will take pressure off of you and allow you to relax and enjoy the story. Here are some fun, easy reads that we recommend to get you started:

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roksani Chokshi
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K .Rowling

Once you feel more comfortable reading and practicing your comprehension strategies (tips in the next section), go ahead and allow yourself to read at whatever reading or age level you feel like. Even if you feel that you don't understand some of the text right now—or even a large portion of it!—if you enjoy yourself and give it your best shot, you'll find that your reading comprehension levels will improve over time.

Reading these problematic passages aloud can often help circumvent that block and help you to form a visual of what the text is trying to convey.

Tip 3: Re-read (or Skim) Previous Sections of the Text

For the most part, reading is a personal activity that happens entirely in your head. So don't feel you have to read just like anyone else if "typical" methods don't work for you. Sometimes it can make the most sense to read (or re-read) a text out of order.

It is often helpful to glance backwards through a piece of text (or even re-read large sections) to remind yourself of any information you need and have forgotten—what happened previously, what a particular word means, who a person was...the list is endless.

Previous sentences, sections, or even whole chapters can provide helpful context clues. Re-reading these passages will help to refresh your memory so that you can better understand and interpret later sections of the text.

Tip 4: Skim or Read Upcoming Sections of the Text

Just like with the previous step, don't feel that the only way to read and understand a text is to work through it completely linearly. Allow yourself the freedom to take apart the text and put it back together again in whichever way makes the most sense to you.

Sometimes a current confusion in a work will be explained later on in the text, and it can help you to know that explanations are upcoming or even just to read them ahead of time.

So skip forward or backwards, re-read or read ahead as you need to, take the piece in whatever order you need to in order to make sense of the text. Not everyone thinks linearly, and not everyone best understands texts linearly either.

Tip 5: Discuss the Text With a Friend (Even an Imaginary Friend)

Sometimes discussing what you know so far about a text can help clear up any confusion. If you have a friend who hasn't read the text in question, then explain it to them in your own words, and discuss where you feel your comprehension is lacking. You'll find that you've probably understood more than you think once you've been forced to explain it to someone who's completely unfamiliar with the piece.

Even if no one else is in the room, trying to teach or discuss what a passage says or means with "someone else" can be extremely beneficial. In fact, software engineers call this technique "rubber duck debugging," wherein they explain a coding problem to a rubber duck. This forces them to work through a problem aloud, which has proven time and time again to help people solve problems. So if a piece of text has your head spinning from trying to work through it by yourself, start chatting with your nearest friend/pet/rubber duck. You'll be surprised with how much easier it is to understand a text once you've talked it through with someone.

Even if that someone is a duck.

The Take-Aways

Improving reading comprehension takes time and effort, but it can be done. Be patient with yourself, work through your reading comprehension steps, and try not to get frustrated with yourself if you feel your progress is slow or if you feel you're "falling behind." You will utilize your reading skills throughout your life, so go at a pace that works for you, and take care to maintain that balance between reading for pure pleasure and reading for dedicated improvement.

As you begin to incorporate more and more reading into your daily life, you'll find that comprehension will become easier, and reading will become more fun. In every piece of text, there are worlds of meaning to explore, and learning how to uncover them can be the ultimate rewarding journey.

What's Next?

Can't get enough reading? Whether as part of your reading practice or just for fun, check out our picks for the 31 best books to read in high school.

Problems with procrastination? Whether you're studying for the SAT's or studying your reading comprehension vocabulary check out how to beat procrastination and get your studies back on track.

Want to earn better grades? Our guide will help you get that 4.0 you're striving for .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Courtney scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT in high school and went on to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology. She is passionate about bringing education and the tools to succeed to students from all backgrounds and walks of life, as she believes open education is one of the great societal equalizers. She has years of tutoring experience and writes creative works in her free time.

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Reading comprehension.

The best way to improve your reading efficiency is to read a lot.

Reading Is Important:

A 1993 investigation revealed that 40 to 44 million Americans had only the most basic reading and writing skills (Kirsch, Jungeblut, Jenkins, & Kolstad, 1993). Another 50 million Americans not only lacked the skills to function successfully in a literate society, but also were not aware of their inadequacies. These statistics make it obvious that we have to look for new approaches to prepare students for the millennium, especially in light of current job market trends.

The job market now demands a workforce that is more highly educated than ever. For example, assembly line workers must interpret manuals in addition to operating machinery. These workers must be able to read, write, analyze, interpret, and synthesize information (Hay & Roberts, 1989).

In summary, people just aren't reading as much anymore and yet the need for reading, comprehension, and communication skills (verbal and written) has increased. The need is great for strengthening the following skills:

Your ability to read a variety of materials (e.g. textbooks, novels, newspapers, magazines, instructional manuals).

Your ability to understand and remember what you read.

Your ability to effectively communicate what you've learned from your reading.

Motivation Is Necessary:

Engaged, active readers have deep-seated motivational goals, which include being committed to the subject matter, wanting to learn the content, believing in one's own ability, and wanting to share understandings from learning. However, most people, children and adults, do not spend any significant portion of their free time reading. Without committing time to reading, no one can gain the reading skills or knowledge they need to succeed in school, at work, or in life in general.

Reading is the active search for answers!

What is Reading Comprehension?

According to Webster's Dictionary, comprehension is "the capacity for understanding fully; the act or action of grasping with the intellect." Webster also tells us that reading is "to receive or take in the sense of (as letters or symbols) by scanning; to understand the meaning of written or printed matter; to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printing.

Comprehension = understanding!

Identifying words on a page does not make someone a successful reader. When the words are understood and transcend the pages to become thoughts and ideas then you are truly reading. Comprehension therefore is the capacity for understanding those thoughts and ideas. Applying what you have read and understood becomes the successful conclusion.

When you comprehend what you read it is like taking a trip around the world, staying as long as you like, visiting all the places you wish, and you never even having to pack a suitcase! Reading can be an escape that takes you outside the bounds of your existence. Reading is your ticket to whatever you choose to do and become. Reading is your future as well as your past. Don't be a reader who reads without thinking or who reads without a purpose.

Comprehension Regulation

You can become an active, effective reader through comprehension regulation. This is a method for consciously controlling the reading process. Comprehension regulation involves the use of preplanned strategies to understand text. It is a plan for getting the most out of reading. It allows you to have an idea of what to expect from the text. Most importantly, it gives you techniques to use when you are experiencing difficulties.

As an active reader, you can get an idea of what the writer is trying to communicate by:

Setting goals based on your purpose for reading

Previewing the text to make predictions

Self-questioning

Relating new information to old

Determining your Purpose:

There are many different purposes for reading. Sometimes you read a text to learn material, sometimes you read for pure pleasure, and sometimes you need to follow a set of directions. As a student, much of your reading will be to learn assigned material. You get information from everything you read and yet you don't read everything for the same reason or in the same way or at the same rate. Each purpose or reason for reading requires a different reading approach. Two things that influence how fast and how well you read are the characteristics of the text and the characteristics of you, the reader.

Characteristics of the text:

Size and style of the type (font)

Pictures and illustrations

Author's writing style and personal perspectives

Difficulty of the ideas presented

Characteristics of the reader:

Background knowledge (how much you already know about the material or related concepts)

Reading ability - vocabulary and comprehension

Skills for being an effective reader and for increasing comprehension are:

Finding main ideas and supporting details/evidence

Making inferences and drawing conclusions

Recognizing a text's patterns of organization

Perceiving conceptual relationships

Testing your knowledge and understanding of the material through application

When comprehension fails, or your understanding seems limited, you can use a plan that includes:

Using structural analysis and contextual clues to identify unknown vocabulary words (e.g., look at roots, prefixes, suffixes). If this fails, keep a dictionary close by and look up words you don't understand

Reading more critically - ask questions while you read
Summarizing or outlining main points and supporting details
Rereading the material
Do a "think aloud" and/or try to explain what you've read to someone else

Although, reading means different things to different people and skills vary with every individual, reading is a skill that can be improved. Students from various backgrounds are in reading courses for a variety of reasons. Weaknesses in vocabulary, comprehension, speed, or a combination of all three may be the result of ineffective reading habits. Active reading is engaged reading and can be achieved through comprehension regulation strategies.

Uses of Critical Thinking
Critically Evaluating the Logic and Validity of Information
Recognizing Propaganda Techniques and Errors of Faulty Logic
Developing the Ability to Analyze Historical and Contemporary Information
Recognize and Value Various Viewpoints
Appreciating the Complexities Involved in Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
Being a Responsible Critical Thinker & Collaborating with Others
Suggestions
Read the Textbook
When to Take Notes
10 Steps to Tests
Studying for Exams
Test-Taking Errors
Test Anxiety
Objective Tests
Essay Tests
The Reading Process
Levels of Comprehension
Strengthen Your Reading Comprehension
Reading Rate
How to Read a Textbook
Organizational Patterns of a Paragraph
Topics, Main Ideas, and Support
Inferences and Conclusions
Interpreting What You Read
Concentrating and Remembering
Converting Words into Pictures
Spelling and the Dictionary
Eight Essential Spelling Rules
Exceptions to the Rules
Motivation and Goal Setting
Effective Studying
Time Management
Listening and Note-Taking
Memory and Learning Styles
Textbook Reading Strategies
Memory Tips
Test-Taking Strategies
The First Step
Study System
Maximize Comprehension
Different Reading Modes
Paragraph Patterns
An Effective Strategy
Finding the Main Idea
Read a Medical Text
Read in the Sciences
Read University Level
Textbook Study Strategies
The Origin of Words
Using a Dictionary
Interpreting a Dictionary Entry
Structure Analysis
Common Roots
Word Relationships
Using Word Relationships
Context Clues
The Importance of Reading
Vocabulary Analogies
Guide to Talking with Instructors
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text Comprehension

What is it.

Comprehension—the ability to make meaning—is the ultimate goal of reading. It is much more than a collection of skills and strategies that students apply to text. It requires metacognitive skills, vocabulary, background knowledge, and verbal reasoning ability.

Frequently asked questions

What is the relationship between language and reading comprehension.

Teachers must first build students’ language comprehension skills, best developed early through interactive read-alouds and dialogic reading. This instruction has the added benefit of increasing students’ background knowledge, vocabulary, and text structure knowledge as well as their verbal reasoning skills.

What is Academic Language and how do I teach my students to use it in my classroom?

When and how should i begin comprehension instruction.

Comprehension can’t wait for beginning readers to master decoding. Instruction that focuses on a variety of language processing abilities needs to occur concurrently with code-breaking instruction. Five big ideas shape Literacy How’s focus on reading comprehension instruction: text structure, background knowledge, text cohesion, inference, and the reading/writing connection. Each big idea emphasizes the development of students’ ability to understand text. Arranged by Chall’s Stages of Reading Development, see Comprehension: Knowledge to Practice to learn more.

Teacher tip: Analyze and Prep Texts

Prepare the text befor teaching it. Be sure to analyze the text so that it can be used effectively to meet your students’ needs. This analytic process involves identifying possible skills within the domain suited to a particular text, and then tailoring language processing activities based on the text.

Teacher tip: text selection matters

When selecting a text to use for comprehension instruction, be sure to consider your instructional objectives for the lesson. All texts are not created equal!

Teacher tip: Keep Questioning

Be sure to build in adequate time to ask open-ended questions before, during, and after reading the text to/with your students. These types of questions promote your students’ metacognition–thinking about their thinking!

tips for principals: Support Language Comprehension

Teachers need to understand the language underpinnings of reading comprehension in order to teach children how to “read text closely” (a Common Core State Standard buzz phrase). Students who struggle with language for any reason (i.e., English Language Learners, unfamiliarity with academic language, reading or language learning disabilities) must have highly skilled, well trained teachers!

Literacy How Professional Learning Series

The Literacy How Professional Learning Series translates the latest reading research into how-to instruction. The Knowledge to Practice book Series—Phonemic Awareness and Phonics, Syntax, Vocabulary, and Comprehension—is based on the current and comprehensive Literacy How reading model. It draws upon the authors’ decades of expertise and experience working with thousands of general and special education teachers. The Series emphasizes Pre-K-3rd grade conceptual and skill development. Teachers of older emerging or struggling readers will also find these tools useful.

Phonemic Awareness and Phonics—the keys to breaking the code!

Learn More | Buy Now

Syntax is essential—even for beginning readers!

Vocabulary knowledge is essential for effective comprehension!

Learn More | Buy Now

Comprehension is the goal of reading—even for beginning readers!

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

What is Reading Comprehension?

A pple banana blue walk tree happy sing. Surely you were able to read each of the words in that sentence and understand what they meant independently. An apple is a fruit that is usually round and red, green or yellow. A banana is another fruit that is yellow. Blue is a color…and so on and so forth. However, when you look at the sentence as a whole, does it make sense? Probably not. This nonsense sentence demonstrates the difference between being able to read words and comprehend text. As practiced readers we may take this distinction for granted since the acts of reading and comprehension occur almost simultaneously for us. For developing readers this relationship is not as apparent, but is essential for them to become strong, capable readers.

What exactly IS reading comprehension?

Simply put, reading comprehension is the act of understanding what you are reading. While the definition can be simply stated the act is not simple to teach, learn or practice. Reading comprehension is an intentional, active, interactive process that occurs before, during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing.

Reading comprehension is one of the pillars of the act of reading. When a person reads a text he engages in a complex array of cognitive processes. He is simultaneously using his awareness and understanding of phonemes (individual sound “pieces” in language), phonics (connection between letters and sounds and the relationship between sounds, letters and words) and ability to comprehend or construct meaning from the text. This last component of the act of reading is reading comprehension. It cannot occur independent of the other two elements of the process. At the same time, it is the most difficult and most important of the three.

There are two elements that make up the process of reading comprehension: vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension . In order to understand a text the reader must be able to comprehend the vocabulary used in the piece of writing. If the individual words don’t make the sense then the overall story will not either. Children can draw on their prior knowledge of vocabulary, but they also need to continually be taught new words. The best vocabulary instruction occurs at the point of need. Parents and teachers should pre-teach new words that a child will encounter in a text or aid her in understanding unfamiliar words as she comes upon them in the writing. In addition to being able to understand each distinct word in a text, the child also has to be able to put them together to develop an overall conception of what it is trying to say. This is text comprehension. Text comprehension is much more complex and varied that vocabulary knowledge. Readers use many different text comprehension strategies to develop reading comprehension. These include monitoring for understanding, answering and generating questions, summarizing and being aware of and using a text’s structure to aid comprehension.

How does reading comprehension develop?

As you can see, reading comprehension is incredibly complex and multifaceted. Because of this, readers do not develop the ability to comprehend texts quickly, easily or independently. Reading comprehension strategies must be taught over an extended period of time by parents and teachers who have knowledge and experience using them. It might seem that once a child learns to read in the elementary grades he is able to tackle any future text that comes his way. This is not true. Reading comprehension strategies must be refined, practiced and reinforced continually throughout life. Even in the middle grades and high school, parents and teachers need to continue to help their children develop reading comprehension strategies. As their reading materials become more diverse and challenging, children need to learn new tools for comprehending these texts. Content area materials such as textbooks and newspaper, magazine and journal articles pose different reading comprehension challenges for young people and thus require different comprehension strategies. The development of reading comprehension is a lifelong process that changes based on the depth and breadth of texts the person is reading.

Why is reading comprehension so important?

Without comprehension, reading is nothing more than tracking symbols on a page with your eyes and sounding them out. Imagine being handed a story written in Egyptian hieroglyphics with no understanding of their meaning. You may appreciate the words aesthetically and even be able to draw some small bits of meaning from the page, but you are not truly reading the story. The words on the page have no meaning. They are simply symbols. People read for many reasons but understanding is always a part of their purpose. Reading comprehension is important because without it reading doesn’t provide the reader with any information.

Beyond this, reading comprehension is essential to life. Much has been written about the importance of functional literacy. In order to survive and thrive in today’s world individuals must be able to comprehend basic texts such as bills, housing agreements (leases, purchase contracts), directions on packaging and transportation documents (bus and train schedules, maps, travel directions). Reading comprehension is a critical component of functional literacy. Think of the potentially dire effects of not being able to comprehend dosage directions on a bottle of medicine or warnings on a container of dangerous chemicals. With the ability to comprehend what they read, people are able not only to live safely and productively, but also to continue to develop socially, emotionally and intellectually

What are the Benefits of Reading Comprehension?

Reading comprehension benefits for students and adults include improved writing skills, better grades in school, and improved workplace performance.

Reading comprehension is the ability to read and understand written text. It is a complex cognitive process that requires the ability to read words, identify their meaning, and construct mental representations of the text.

Good reading comprehension skills are essential for success in school. Children who develop strong reading comprehension skills are more likely to succeed in school and life.

Reading comprehension is the foundation for all other academic skills. It helps children build vocabulary, learn about the world, and understand complex concepts.

Adults who improve their reading comprehension skills understand work instructions better. They are more productive at work, communicate effectively, and lead a quality life.

If you are struggling with reading comprehension, read on. This article offers reading comprehension strategies you can try. It lists the benefits of reading comprehension and expounds on reading comprehension.

What is reading comprehension?

Reading comprehension is the ability to read, internalize, understand, and interact with the text you are reading. It involves critical thinking and deductive reasoning to make meaning of an entire piece of writing.

Reading comprehension skills are essential for students, professionals, and anyone who wants to read for pleasure or information.

It’s not just about phonological awareness and reading words aloud; it encapsulates language skills such as grammar (syntax), vocabulary, and semantics, to understand the meaning of texts. You make inferences and form an opinion about the read text.

Good reading comprehension involves creating images of the words you just read. Readers make connections to previous knowledge as they enjoy the text. They can comfortably answer comprehension questions and summarize parts of the writing or the entire text.

Readers have an opinion about certain occurrences in the text and group events in themes. They can also give a descriptive analysis without re-reading the text.

Reading comprehension strategies

Reading comprehension strategies assist you in understanding passages better and taking note of minor details that readers can easily brush past.

People with medical conditions that limit their reading (e.g., Dyslexia or ADHD) find reading comprehension strategies help to improve their understanding of a text.

Let’s dive into these strategies!

Visualization or imagery

Readers ruminate about their sensory experiences of a situation or place while absorbed in a book. They have mental pictures of smell, touch, taste, and sounds, such as whispers and touch.

You can picture yourself in the character’s shoes, feeling and smelling what they smell like in the excerpt on the barn in the book Charlotte’s Web by E.B White.

Summarizing text and identifying key concepts and the primary theme

Summarizing is an effective reading comprehension strategy where the reader pauses between chapters or paragraphs to reflect on the writing and communicate their understanding of the text.

The ultimate summary is after reading the whole book, identifying the central theme, and listing key concepts or evidence supporting the main idea.

Readers convey their interpretation of the material. They list the keywords and phrases, including the primary goal of the writing. They can point out its genre and structure without merely repeating the text.

Connecting new knowledge with past knowledge

Inferential comprehension relates literature to past life experiences, other similar texts, and world occurrences.

Connecting new knowledge with old knowledge makes it easy to understand and remember the text later. That’s because you are activating prior knowledge and linking a piece of writing to similar writings, cultural experiences, and the world, deepening the meaning of the text and making it relatable.

You learn when you reflect on what information the new knowledge adds to prior knowledge.

Predicting occurrences/happenings

Skilled readers can foresee what will happen in a book even before completing the book.

You can predict words, character actions, and events using clues from the text and experiences. Sometimes it’s easy to tell the entire book plot by looking at the cover page and the book title. As you read, your predictions change as you gather more information from the book.

Afterward, compare speculations and the events in the book as a learning process. The reflection shows your opinion and compares actual events and anticipated occurrences.

Quizzing yourself or taking questions from others

Questions help to clarify the meaning of a piece of writing to deepen understanding of the overall text and identified sentences.

It helps gauge literal comprehension, the ability to point out simple facts in the written text.

The most significant thing about quizzes is they lay out gaps in comprehension of the text. More profound contextual questions can answer what, why, who, when, and which, and allow you to test the judgment of the text.

Questioning could be from the book – some books have end-of-chapter questions-self, peers, or a lecturer.

Re-reading text at a slower pace

Sometimes a section of text doesn’t make sense, and we need to go back and re-read it slowly to understand it better.

Benefits of reading comprehension

Much research out there concerning the benefits of reading comprehension list them as better writing skills, stimulation of the mind, better grades, and so on.

Let’s look at some of these benefits.

1. Development of higher academic self-confidence

Students who understand what they read feel more confident in their academic capabilities and are more likely to succeed in school when they can read. Believing in their ability to improve is crucial for struggling readers who lack confidence in their reading and schoolwork—improved understanding of texts and questions leads to better grades.

2. Improved writing skills

Reading comprehension can help improve your writing skills —exposure to different writing styles and ways of communicating ideas in various genres builds your vocabulary.

That exposure also leads you to develop your writing style and improve your communication skills.

Reading comprehension can help you better understand grammar and punctuation rules, which can also help improve your writing.

3. Improving the overall reading ability

Those who regularly practice reading comprehension skills become better readers overall. That’s because reading comprehension requires you to actively engage with the text, which in turn helps to improve your reading fluency and speed.

4. Developing critical thinking and analytical skills

Another benefit of reading comprehension is that it can help to improve your critical thinking skills. When trying to understand a text, you analyze and make sense of the information you are reading. You can then apply that critical-thinking process to other areas of your life.

5. Promoting mental stimulation and growth

Cognitive abilities improve when you engage with complex literature as you try and decipher the author’s intent, as per this study .

6. Improved problem-solving skills

Since reading comprehension involves Habits of the Mind (HoM) , finding solutions to problems comes naturally after these processes.

It encourages empathetic listening, logical thinking, thinking flexibility, and persistence to find solutions.

You ask the right questions and reflect on gathered information from texts to constructively develop solutions.

7. Increasing empathy and understanding

Many people believe that reading comprehension only benefits those who are looking to score well on standardized tests. However, research has shown that reading comprehension can positively impact people of all ages.

Improving reading comprehension can lead to increased empathy and understanding, especially for children and adolescents. As they learn to read and comprehend texts, they also develop their ability to see things from another person’s perspective. That helps them become more tolerant and understanding of others, even those who may be different.

So if you’re looking for a way to help your child or student become a more caring and compassionate individual, encourage them to improve their reading comprehension skills. It could make a world of difference in their ability to relate to others.

8. Improving memory and recall

Active involvement in reading comprehension helps you to remember better what you read. That’s because your brain is actively processing the information as you read, which allows you to embed it.

You can also take the Iris Reading Maximizing Memory Course to help you retain what you’ve read and understood.

9. Enhancing concentration and focus

Reading is vital for your mental development and growth. However, did you know reading comprehension can help improve focus and concentration?

Research shows that the simple act of understanding what you read can help to improve your attention span. When you comprehend the material, your brain can better filter distractions and focus on the task.

Studying a passage also compels us to go through it carefully to avoid missing out on anything! So if you’re looking for a way to boost your concentration and focus, add some reading comprehension activities to your daily routine!

You should consider adopting the reading comprehension approaches of creating mental pictures, taking comprehension questions, and summarizing to improve reading comprehension.

It’ll allow you to enjoy better problem-solving and critical thinking skills, memory, focus, empathy, reading fluency, and writing. Students will improve in their grades, and their reading comprehension will stimulate their minds.

To retain more of what you read and understand (note reading comprehension and memory are different), take the Iris Reading Maximizing Memory Course now! Professionals will walk you through mind mapping, the method of loci, and other approaches to help you improve your memory.

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Learning Center

Reading comprehension.

Understanding what you read is the key to thinking critically, communicating effectively, and doing well in your classes. Whether you're diving into textbooks, joining class discussions, researching, or prepping for your future career, solid reading skills set you up for success. It's not just a college thing; it's a skill you'll use for life, helping you stay sharp and aware of what's happening in the world.

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How to Read an Academic Article

Sections of an academic article.

Most academic journal articles include the following sections:

Abstract (An executive summary of the study)
Introduction (Definition of the research question to be studied)
Literature Review (A summary of past research noting where gaps exist)
Methods (The research design including variables, sample size, measurements)
Data (Information gathered through the study often displayed in tables and charts)
Results (Conclusions reached at the end of the study) Conclusion (Discussion of whether the study proved the thesis; may suggest opportunities for further research) Bibliography (A list of works cited in the journal article)

TIP: To begin selecting articles for your research, read the highlighted sections to determine whether the academic journal article includes information relevant to your research topic.

Step 1: Skim the Article

When sorting through multiple articles discovered in the research process, skimming through these sections of the article will help you determine whether the article will be useful in your research.

Article title and subject headings assigned to the article
Introduction

If the article fits your information needs, go back and read the article thoroughly. TIP: Create a folder on your computer to save copies of articles you plan to use, and save your references.

Step 2: Determine Your Purpose

Think about how you will evaluate the academic articles you find and how you will determine whether to include them in your research project. Ask yourself the following questions to focus your search in the academic literature:

Are you looking for an overview of a topic or an explanation of a specific concept, idea, or position?
Are you exploring gaps in the research to identify a new area for academic study?
Are you looking for research that supports or disagrees with your thesis or research question?
Are you looking for examples of a research design and/or research methods you are considering for your own research project?

Step 3: Read Critically

Before reading the article, ask yourself the following:

What is my research question? What position am I trying to support?
What do I already know about this topic? What do I need to learn?
How will I evaluate the article? Author's reputation? Research design? Treatment of topic?
What are my biases about the topic?

As you read the article make note of the following:

Who is the intended audience for this article?
What is the author's purpose in writing this article?
What is the main point?
How was the main point proven or supported?
Were scientific methods used in conducting the research? Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why?
How does this article compare or connect with other articles on the topic?
Does the author recommend areas for further study?
How does this article help to answer your research question?

Tools to Improve Your Skills

Learning Express contains learning resources you can use to build your skills. Check out the tutorial content under College Students-Reading Skills Review and Adult Core Skills-Become a Better Reader.

Reading Comprehension FAQs

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2024 10:34 AM
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What Is the Science of Reading?

Evidence-based research on what really works for kids.

When it comes down to it, reading might be the most important skill kids learn in school. Being a fluent reader opens up endless opportunities for lifelong learning. That’s why schools and teachers everywhere are constantly trying to improve the way they teach this fundamental skill. One phrase that’s emerged in recent years is the “science of reading.” But what is the science of reading? How does it help teachers and students? Here’s an overview.

What is the science of reading?

Throughout the last 40 years or so, there have been tens of thousands of studies into teaching and learning reading in multiple languages and countries. The science of reading compiles evidence from those studies to help us truly understand the best ways to teach and learn reading. The NWEA website describes it this way:

The science of reading is the converging evidence of what matters and what works in literacy instruction, organized around models that describe how and why.

Rather than guessing and experimenting with what might work, teachers use a structured learning approach that has been proven to be successful. Students get research-backed methods of helping them master this vital skill. Most importantly, the methods work well with all types of students, including (perhaps even especially) those who struggle.

The ultimate goal for students is reading comprehension—being able to identify the words individually AND understand what they mean altogether, fluently and efficiently.

Is there a video about the Science of Reading?

We created a video on this topic, featuring teacher and reading expert, Hilary Statum. She is an ESL teacher and regularly speaks on this topic— learn more about her here . Her video is perfect for sharing with families and community members because it sums it up in just two minutes.

What are the key elements of the science of reading?

Colorful image of the five pillars of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension

After analyzing all the research, the National Panel of Reading identified these five elements as critical to reading comprehension:

Phonics is about recognizing letters and letter blends and the sounds they make. Think of a student sounding out letters individually or practicing sounds like “ch” or “st.”

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is recognizing that letter sounds and blends put together make up words. When you speak the word “cat,” you don’t say “cuh-a-tuh.” But if you need to figure out how a word is spelled or pronounced, you slow down and sound out each letter or letter blend. That’s phonemic awareness.

While phonics and phonemic awareness are about being able to say or spell a word, vocabulary is about knowing what a word means. It’s one part of language comprehension. The bigger our vocabularies, the easier and more fluent our reading becomes.

Comprehension

Overall comprehension means understanding words individually, as well as sentences, paragraphs, and texts as a whole. Being able to sound out words is one thing, but without comprehension, reading is meaningless. The science of reading reminds us that comprehension is actually one of the earliest skills kids learn. They practice this skill even when someone else is reading aloud to them!

Fluency is putting it all together at the same time. Fluent readers sound out words effortlessly and focus on comprehension and meaning as second nature. They can read with expression and explain what they read without parroting the text.

Which models demonstrate the science of reading?

Diagram showing the simple view of reading: R = D x LC

Several popular models help break this all down. One popular option is the simple view of reading : Decoding (D) x Language Comprehension (LC) = Reading Comprehension (RC.)

Decoding is the process of translating written words into speech, and it incorporates phonics, phoneme awareness, spelling, and sight words.
Language comprehension incorporates vocabulary, language structure, background knowledge, and fluency.

A diagram of Scarborough's Rope, a model that explains skilled literacy

Another well-known model is Scarborough’s Rope, which shows how many strands weave together to form skilled reading. One weak strand can affect the overall rope, so all the skills are equally important. Learn more about Scarborough’s Rope here.

What does it look like in the classroom?

Student using a pointer to practice lists of words using phonics, while a teacher watches (What is the science of reading?)

A science of reading classroom usually follows a structured sequential curriculum , heavy on phonics. Kids spend a great deal of time learning sounds, blends, phonemes, and more. This enables them to quickly decode any word they come across.

Hands-on practice and repetition are key. Kids see fluent reading modeled for them, then try it on their own. They read one text multiple times, focusing on different elements. For instance, a first read-through might be about decoding: saying the words out loud. The next might focus on vocabulary. And a final read could tackle overall comprehension of the meaning of the text.

Some argue that a science of reading classroom drops the focus on leveled reading , instead striving to give kids the skills that enable them to tackle whatever interests them.

How does balanced literacy compare with the science of reading?

Colorful chart showing The Ladder of Reading (What is the science of reading?)

Balanced literacy isn’t easy to define, but it often includes a focus on “reading cues.” Sometimes you’ll hear the phrase MSV, which stands for meaning, sentence structure, and visual information.

In other words, when readers come across an unfamiliar word, they don’t study the word itself but instead look at words or cues around it (like pictures) to understand it. The idea is that kids should quickly be able to figure out a word and move on, keeping their interest in the text. Leveled reading is another key part of balanced literacy, often along with teaching reading and writing as separate subjects.

If you’ve been teaching reading for a while, you might be thinking, “But I like a balanced literacy approach. I teach some phonics, but I want kids to learn to love reading first! It’s no fun when they have to focus on sounds and letters over and over again.” Maybe. But here’s the thing about balanced literacy practices— the scientific evidence just isn’t there to back them up . Study after study has found that focusing on phonics and vocabulary builds reading comprehension much faster and more effectively than the MSV method.

Of course we want kids to love reading. But they’re more likely to enjoy it when they can learn it with less of a struggle. And advocates of the science of reading approach say their structured methods are more successful. It’s possible to ground kids in phonics and teach them to love books , at the same time.

Where can I learn more?

This is just an overview of a very comprehensive topic. Anyone who teaches reading should spend more time learning about the recommended science of reading methods. Here are some places to start:

10 Helpful Science of Reading PD Books for Teachers
Florida Center for Reading Research
At a Loss for Words (Podcast and Transcript)
Carnegie Reading Webinar: Connecting the Sciences of Reading & Learning
Science of Reading: The Podcast

Want to talk about the science of reading with other teachers? Join the discussion in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out what makes a good decodable text.

Two science of reading PD books Artfully Teaching the Science of Reading and 7 Mighty Moves.

19 Essential Science of Reading PD Books for Teachers

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Fundamental, Cognitive, and Environmental Factors That Affect Reading Comprehension

Listen to the full episode to hear the causes for a lack of reading comprehension in students:

One, if not the biggest, thing we focus on as literacy teachers is getting our students to be successful readers. But as upper elementary teachers, you know that you will have several students in your class who struggle with reading comprehension. This then becomes a major focus in our classrooms, but we know a student’s lack of reading comprehension can vary based on the student’s needs. So, how do we identify the root of the problem? In today’s episode, I’m sharing the different skills, processes, and factors that contribute to a student’s lack of reading comprehension.

As teachers, it’s in our nature to try and fix problems before they happen or quickly implement strategies that improve a skill any student is lacking. However, when it comes to a student’s lack of reading comprehension, it’s important to work backward and get to the root before planning proper intervention techniques. In my experience, if a student is struggling with reading comprehension, it’s because they struggle with either fundamental skills, cognitive processes, or environmental factors. I’m going to highlight each of these areas and identify 14 potential causes as to why reading comprehension is difficult for a student in your class.

Being a successful reader is more than just reading words on a page; it’s also the ability to analyze, comprehend, and explain what’s happening in the text. So, when students lack reading comprehension skills, they don’t have the necessary tools to be successful readers. In order to help them with this, we first need to identify what they’re struggling with in the area of reading comprehension before we plan intervention strategies for the student. Stay tuned to next week’s episode, where I unpack the reading comprehension causes shared today and dive further into strategies and interventions to help your students!

In this episode on causes of lack of reading comprehension, I share:

Three main focus areas for students who struggle with reading comprehension: fundamental skills, cognitive processes, and environmental factors
The causes of each of these areas in order to bring awareness in identifying a student’s struggle
Examples of each skill, process, or factor that students are lacking and how it’s connected to poor comprehension
A preview of what’s to come on next week’s episode with reading comprehension intervention strategies for fundamental factors

Resources Mentioned:

Join The Daily Writing Disguise
Vocabulary Writing Prompts Sample
FREE Context Clues Activity Set
Reading Comprehension Activity Bundle
Reading Graphic Organizers
Reading Comprehension Question Rings
Reading Skills and Strategies Anchor Charts
Sentence Stem Response Cards
Sentence Stem Anchor Charts

Connect with Megan:

Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership here
Shop my TpT store here
Receive emails from me here
Follow me on Instagram here
Read my blog posts here

About The Literacy Dive Podcast:

Do you find yourself seeking new implementations when it comes to literacy instruction? Do you crave fresh ideas and engaging lessons to transform your students into skilled readers and writers? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to provide educators, like you, with actionable steps and strategies to improve teaching reading and writing.

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner of The Literacy Dive, a company that creates educational, literacy curriculum that aims to close the gap and support children in reaching mastery. Being a literacy specialist and having over a decade of teaching grades K-5, Megan knows the power of collaboration and working alongside teachers and parents to provide them with the support, confidence, and resources they need to meet students where they are.

Dive in each Monday as Megan and her guests unpack an element of literacy or various topics relatable to educators. Here are some topics covered in this literacy podcast: writing strategies, reading comprehension, the writing process, the science of reading, and small group instruction.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Podcasts , Castbox , Amazon , and more!

If you enjoy this podcast and find the content helpful, please consider leaving a rating, feedback review, and/or sharing this podcast with a friend!

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Hey, I'm Megan!

I am a literacy specialist and curriculum designer who loves sharing tips and ideas to help students thrive in literacy! It brings me joy to await those a-ha moments and to see light bulbs turn on!

I have a huge passion for reading and writing and love to co-mingle the two any chance I get! You can expect to learn new strategies and ways to keep your students engaged during your literacy block! I am so glad you’re here!

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You’re in the right place if you are ready to enhance your literacy instruction by providing your students with high-quality experiences to help foster independence and growth!

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Importance Of Reading Essay

Importance of Reading Essay

500+ words essay on reading.

Reading is a key to learning. It’s a skill that everyone should develop in their life. The ability to read enables us to discover new facts and opens the door to a new world of ideas, stories and opportunities. We can gather ample information and use it in the right direction to perform various tasks in our life. The habit of reading also increases our knowledge and makes us more intellectual and sensible. With the help of this essay on the Importance of Reading, we will help you know the benefits of reading and its various advantages in our life. Students must go through this essay in detail, as it will help them to create their own essay based on this topic.

Importance of Reading

Reading is one of the best hobbies that one can have. It’s fun to read different types of books. By reading the books, we get to know the people of different areas around the world, different cultures, traditions and much more. There is so much to explore by reading different books. They are the abundance of knowledge and are best friends of human beings. We get to know about every field and area by reading books related to it. There are various types of books available in the market, such as science and technology books, fictitious books, cultural books, historical events and wars related books etc. Also, there are many magazines and novels which people can read anytime and anywhere while travelling to utilise their time effectively.

Benefits of Reading for Students

Reading plays an important role in academics and has an impactful influence on learning. Researchers have highlighted the value of developing reading skills and the benefits of reading to children at an early age. Children who cannot read well at the end of primary school are less likely to succeed in secondary school and, in adulthood, are likely to earn less than their peers. Therefore, the focus is given to encouraging students to develop reading habits.

Reading is an indispensable skill. It is fundamentally interrelated to the process of education and to students achieving educational success. Reading helps students to learn how to use language to make sense of words. It improves their vocabulary, information-processing skills and comprehension. Discussions generated by reading in the classroom can be used to encourage students to construct meanings and connect ideas and experiences across texts. They can use their knowledge to clear their doubts and understand the topic in a better way. The development of good reading habits and skills improves students’ ability to write.

In today’s world of the modern age and digital era, people can easily access resources online for reading. The online books and availability of ebooks in the form of pdf have made reading much easier. So, everyone should build this habit of reading and devote at least 30 minutes daily. If someone is a beginner, then they can start reading the books based on the area of their interest. By doing so, they will gradually build up a habit of reading and start enjoying it.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of Reading Essay

What is the importance of reading.

1. Improves general knowledge 2. Expands attention span/vocabulary 3. Helps in focusing better 4. Enhances language proficiency

What is the power of reading?

1. Develop inference 2. Improves comprehension skills 3. Cohesive learning 4. Broadens knowledge of various topics

How can reading change a student’s life?

1. Empathy towards others 2. Acquisition of qualities like kindness, courtesy

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The Critical Role Decoding Plays in Reading Comprehension

March 9, 2020

Learning to read is a complex process that involves the coordination of a wide range of skills. Some of these skills enable children to recognize words in printed text, while others allow them to extract meaning and build coherence from text. As students progress through elementary school, their proficiency is assessed to gauge foundational reading skills, such as decoding, fluency and vocabulary, which are integral for reading comprehension.

In an ideal world, those identified as having foundational skills deficits receive additional instruction to help them improve and, hopefully, become better readers. But for some, these skills gaps may go undetected. If students are not identified early on, the problems may persist, and proper instruction may not be provided to get them back on track.

According to NAEP (PDF) , known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” about two thirds of students from public schools across the nation read below the proficient level in 2019. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ ® ) (PDF) argues that those woes could be reduced if more teachers knew how to improve the reading abilities of students. One area that has received recent attention in this regard is foundational reading skills, such as phonics and decoding.

Decoding skills, which help students recognize printed text as words, are prerequisite to reading comprehension. However, many students are what could be classified as “poor decoders.”

In recent work on the core competency of decoding, we published a study in The Scientific Studies of Reading in which we discussed specific behaviors of “poor decoders” and subsequently proposed potential remedies to address this critical issue. Our work focused on students who were above grade 5 because it is commonly believed that in the United States, students should have adequate decoding skills by then, sufficient for them to read on their own.

To break the decoding cycle, we recommend identifying “poor decoders” through proper assessment. If students have comprehension issues, testing their foundational skills can help determine if they are limiting reading comprehension.

Tenaha O'Reilly, Principal Research Scientist at ETS

The decoding process

Decoding is a process which allows one to recognize a word. When reading, the proficient student recognizes grade-level appropriate words automatically without much effort. When an unfamiliar word is encountered, the reader may try to pronounce it by applying alphabetical principles (i.e., knowledge of letter-sound correspondence). If the pronunciation of the unfamiliar word matches with a word in the reader’s spoken vocabulary, the word will be recognized, and reading continues.

But what if this process of pronouncing a word doesn’t help with word recognition? What we observed is a differentiator between normal decoders and “poor decoders.” Some children — the normal decoders — will spend a longer period trying to decode an unfamiliar word. On the contrary, “poor decoders” will not be as persistent and will give up more quickly.

Looking at the big picture, we found that “poor decoders” typically:

Are slower in recognizing familiar words by sight;
Are slower in recognizing unfamiliar words through decoding;
Spend less time trying to decode words that are new to them; and
Therefore, the combination of slower decoding and less time spent on decoding means they are getting less practice in decoding over time, which leads to less decoding growth in the long run.

In other words, poor decoders may be trapped in a vicious cycle: poor decoding skills combined with less time spent attempting to decode novel words interferes with decoding development. This in turn leads to poor reading comprehension.

So, what can be done?

Results from our study show that students’ processing times on different types of decoding items can provide useful information for identifying students whose decoding might become stagnant.

The first step in breaking this cycle is to identify “poor decoders” through proper assessment. If students have comprehension issues, we recommend testing their foundational skills to determine if they are limiting reading comprehension. If there are problems with skills such as decoding, students need intervention. For some, who never received phonics instruction, time might need to be spent on learning the basics and students should be given ample practice to build their skills over time.

Overall, poor decoders must be persuaded to be persistent in their decoding practice and should spend a longer time trying to decode new words they encounter. The adage, “practice makes perfect,” comes to mind. When slower processing translates into more opportunities to practice, it will probably lead to faster development in decoding.

The research reported here was supported by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, Award Number R305F100005, to Educational Testing Service as part of the Reading for Understanding Research Initiative. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the U.S. Department of Education or Educational Testing Service.

Zuowei Wang is a Research Scientist in the Center for Research on Human Capital and Education at ETS. Tenaha O’Reilly is a Principal Research Scientist in the Center for Research on Human Capital and Education at ETS.

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ESL Reading Comprehension + Essay Worksheet on Women's Rights

Subject: English language learning

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

14 June 2024

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This Fantastic ESL Reading Comprehension + Writing Activity Worksheet (3 PDF Printable Pages) on Women’s Rights is great to train Language skills in English (reading comprehension + writing skills).

Ideal participants for this ESL Activity are English Foreign Students at High School and Middle School (7th -12th Grade; teens).

Newcomers or any English Language Learner can be more than suitable for this ESL Activity!

This Product can also be Great for English Second Language Centers or any ESL tutor around the world.

This ESL Reading Activity on Women’s Rights (ideal for Women’s History Month) can be great for intermediate English as a Second Language Learners.

This Stimulating ESL Reading Comprehension Activity (PDF Printable Worksheet; 3 Pages) includes:

a Text on Women’s Rights
13 Text-related Questions (with space for answers)
1 Essay Prompt (writing about a woman that has paved the way for young girls today)

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pdf, 231.28 KB. This Fantastic ESL Reading Comprehension + Writing Activity Worksheet (3 PDF Printable Pages) on Women's Rights is great to train Language skills in English (reading comprehension + writing skills). Ideal participants for this ESL Activity are English Foreign Students at High School and Middle School (7th -12th Grade; teens).

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What is reading comprehension?

Reading comprehension strategies

Visualization or imagery

Summarizing text and identifying key concepts and the primary theme

Connecting new knowledge with past knowledge

Predicting occurrences/happenings

Quizzing yourself or taking questions from others

Re-reading text at a slower pace

Benefits of reading comprehension

1. Development of higher academic self-confidence

2. Improved writing skills

3. Improving the overall reading ability

4. Developing critical thinking and analytical skills

5. Promoting mental stimulation and growth

6. Improved problem-solving skills

7. Increasing empathy and understanding

8. Improving memory and recall

9. Enhancing concentration and focus

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