How Important is Reading Comprehension

According to the RAND Reading Study group, reading comprehension can be defined as “the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language.” As children and adults, we read more often than we realize. Whether it is a classroom assignment, those dreaded standardized assessments, the rules at our neighborhood community center, the directions for building our newest IKEA purchase, a recipe, a medication bottle, a work e-mail, a friendly text message, etc. Being able to understand what we are reading is an important component of our everyday lives. The skills we develop during our school-aged years grow with us and serve a purpose across our lifespans.

If a child struggles with understanding what they are reading in school, it can be beneficial for them to have increased exposure to and practice with various comprehension strategies. These strategies can target all areas of reading comprehension from basic skills to higher order thinking skills. Introducing children to various strategies that they can use inside and outside of the classroom may provide them with the knowledge and confidence they need to be a successful reader.

This Summer, Amazing Kidz Therapy is offering CAMPrehension reading comprehension groups for lower and upper elementary-aged students. These groups will be run by a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who can introduce various reading comprehension strategies and provide support to facilitate your child’s use of these strategies. For more information call 813-298-9298.

By 

Brittany Haller, MS, CCC-SLP