[heartbooks]

We have conferences coming up this week. I know I will have a couple questions on how parents can help at home with comprehension skills. The only thing we require at our school for "homework" is reading 20 minutes a night. Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I can tell them. Questions that maybe the student can answer when he/she is done reading. Let me know! Thanks!

[robinsondlh]

I tell my parents to have the kids listen to a song in the car and tell the parents what the song is about.
When they are at home, I just ask that they have their kids give them a brief summary about what they read. I try to keep it simple.

[WayK]

I like to share information with parents about the "7 Keys to Comprehension" (book by Zimmerman and Hutchins). I encourage them to discuss books with their children using these strategies. Sometimes parents can simply ask their kids questions like, "What are you wondering while you read this?" or "What do you think was the most important idea?" Also, it's great for parents to model "think-alouds" while reading with their children. I encourage them to pause periodically to think so that their children will realize that reading requires thinking, not just saying the words correctly.

[CountryJo]

I really like the key questions that you mentioned from the book. Are there any other general questions that you could suggest? This might be a definite wish on my Christmas list. It certainly takes you well beyond asking the 5 W's, which are definitely low level questions, but at least a start beyond doing nothing. I totally agree that parents need to be reading WITH their kids so that they get the model of reading has EXPRESSION and not just words on a page. That is one of the main reasons that I have a very difficult time when I don't have time in my school day to READ TO THE CLASS.