Newsletter – 17 June 2022

I read some very interesting research last week about the impact of literal comprehension on reading achievement and wellbeing.

Literal comprehension is the processing of factual explicitly stated information in a text. The research (compiled by Renaissance Learning) outlines how literal comprehension is an essential foundation for the development of higher order thinking, such as inferring and evaluative thinking. The study found that when literal comprehension is poor, overall reading growth slows down. This ‘deceleration’ happens regardless of how much time an individual spends on their reading. This makes perfect sense when you think about it. If a child can’t understand what they are reading, spending more time merely reading won’t boost their comprehension and growth. What they need is explicit teaching. Conversely, if a child’s literal comprehension is high, the study found that practising reading for even a few minutes is extremely valuable. Further, high literal comprehension is correlated with longer periods of engaged reading, whereas children with low literal comprehension are unlikely to be highly engaged during their reading.

Overall, the study found that the relationship between comprehension and reading engagement is complex and intertwined. Improved comprehension may encourage a child to spend more time reading, while this resultant increase in engaged reading may further help that individual refine and improve their comprehension skills. Students with weaker literal comprehension benefit more from explicit teaching and instruction around this to improve their understanding. Once these foundational comprehension skills are in place, reading practice then supports continued growth.

So, what are the implications for teachers and parents? Practical things you can do to support your child’s literal comprehension include:

1. Before reading, help your child access relevant prior knowledge. This activates their existing schema or network of knowledge and concepts on the topic and gives something for any new learning to ‘latch’ on to. Simply ask them what they know about the topic, setting or things that might happen in the text before they start reading.
2. Regularly engage your child in discussion about their reading. Ask them to retell what has happened, explain the main ideas and to find important facts and details. Go deeper and help your child to infer about character feelings, motivations, or major themes. Make sure you refer children back to the text to explain how they worked this out.
3. As a capable reader, model how you find information in a text. Demonstrate how you take note of important info by making a mental note, rereading a section, or summing up things up to yourself.
4. Help your child monitor their understanding by articulating what has happened at the end of a section or chapter in their own words. This reinforces that the purpose of reading is to make meaning and that if they don’t understand, they need to go back and reread.
5. Support your child to identify and define key new vocabulary.
6. Make sure children are reading a ‘just right’ book that is not too difficult or easy for them.

I also encourage parents/carers to see your child’s teacher if you would like more targeted suggestions on how to support your child’s reading.  

Source: Education Leader’s Guide to Reading Growth (Renaissance Learning, 2022)