Why Reading Comprehension Matters in Early Literacy

As teachers, we know that reading comprehension is the key to a student’s long-term success in literacy. However, developing this skill can be challenging, especially for early readers. It’s not just about decoding words—it’s about understanding, thinking critically, and making connections while reading.

If you’ve ever had students who can read fluently but struggle to explain what they’ve read, you know the importance of teaching comprehension explicitly. Over the years, I have had many students who could read fluently but could not tell me anything about what they had just read! The good news? There are simple, engaging strategies that can make a world of difference in helping students develop strong comprehension skills.

Common Challenges in Teaching Comprehension

Many first-grade teachers face similar struggles when it comes to comprehension instruction, such as:

Students reading without truly understanding the text - They are great decoders but have not comprehension.
Difficulty in getting young learners to engage in discussions about books
A lack of ready-to-use, adaptable comprehension questions for any book

By addressing these challenges, we can build a classroom where comprehension skills are developed naturally through conversation, activities, and targeted questioning.

4 Effective Strategies for Enhancing Reading Comprehension

1. Use Think-Alouds to Model Comprehension

When reading a story aloud, stop periodically to tell the students about what you are thinking about as you read - make your thinking evident. Say things like:

“I wonder why the character made that choice?”
“This reminds me of a time when…”
“What do you think will happen next?”

By modelling how strong readers think, students begin to develop their own inner dialogue while reading.

2. Encourage Retelling and Summarizing

After reading a story, ask students to retell the key events in their own words. Start by having them share with a partner and then ask for volunteers who what to share with the whole class. Use guiding questions like these to start the conversation:

Who are the main characters?
What was the problem in the story?
How was it solved?

Summarizing helps students focus on the most important parts of the text rather than recalling minor details.

3. Make Reading Interactive with Partner Talk or Turn and Talk

Pair students up and encourage them to discuss the story together. Provide specific prompts such as:

“What was your favourite part and why?”
“If you could change one thing about the story, what would it be?”
“What lesson did the character learn?”

Interactive reading discussions help students share their thoughts and deepen their understanding.

4. Use Question Cards to Guide Comprehension Discussions

One of the easiest ways to ensure meaningful discussions is to have ready-to-use comprehension questions that work with any book. Instead of scrambling for questions on the spot, having a structured set of prompts ensures students engage in deeper thinking every time they read.

A Simple Solution: Reading Comprehension Question Cards

To make comprehension practice easy and effective, I’ve created a set of Reading Comprehension Question Cards that work with any fiction book you use in your classroom. These cards include:

✅ 36 comprehension questions covering predictions, character analysis, plot, and more

✅ Can be used during read-alouds, independent reading, or small groups

✅ Encourage higher-order thinking and thoughtful discussions

Instead of spending time coming up with questions, you can grab a card, ask a question, and have meaningful conversations with your students!

Ready to Transform Your Reading Lessons?

Try these strategies in your classroom this week and see the difference they make. And if you need a simple, ready-to-use tool to guide comprehension discussions, grab the Reading Comprehension Question Cards today!

Get the Question Cards Here!