Strong comprehension involves much more than being able to read words fluently.
Children need to understand vocabulary, retrieve information, recognise relationships between ideas and make sensible inferences from what the writer has told them.
Read widely
A broad reading diet exposes children to unfamiliar vocabulary, sentence structures and writing styles.
Mix contemporary fiction with classics, non-fiction, poetry and articles appropriate for your child's age.
Discuss unfamiliar words
Don't immediately provide the definition.
Ask:
What do you think that word means from the sentence?
Then look at the surrounding words for clues before checking the actual definition.
Practise inference
Inference means working out something the writer hasn't stated directly.
For example:
Sam pulled his coat tightly around himself and hurried towards the house.
The text doesn't say it is cold, but the reader can reasonably infer it.
Ask your child:
What do you think is happening?
Then:
Which words made you think that?
That second question is crucial because it teaches children to support an interpretation with evidence.
Read the question carefully
Children sometimes know the answer but respond to a slightly different question.
Encourage them to notice command words and determine exactly what information is being requested.
Don't rush straight to practice papers
Comprehension improves through reading itself as well as answering questions.
Regular conversations about characters, vocabulary, motives and predictions can develop the same underlying skills in a much more enjoyable way.