Dear Ruth,

I am a reading tutor. I use phonics, whole language, or whatever works, to teach the mechanics of reading. Today a mother brought a child who can read beautifully but cannot comprehend what she has read. I told the mother what kind of tutoring I usually do but she is begging me to help. I do not really know what to do. Can you help?

R.B.

Dear R.B.,

My computer can read aloud too, but has no understanding of language. It sounds as if this child is able to decode the written word at a superficial level, but without fully activating the whole of her language knowledge. Try 'Get the Meaning' at this web site to experience what it may be like to decode accurately, yet still have difficulty understanding.

Consider the girl’s spoken-language comprehension. You would not expect her to read and understand anything which she could not easily comprehend aloud. The speech/language pathologist is the right person to assess receptive language skill and to determine whether it is adequate for the greater demands of reading.

The next step is to back up to the level at which the child comprehends successfully now. Playfully and conversationally, help her link the spoken and written word. Show her how the written words represent the language she already knows, and teach her to tap into her language as she reads. Can she follow one-sentence instructions, put two sentences of a familiar story in proper sequence, or fill in the blanks? Does she understand better when she reads aloud or silently? Discover what she comprehends, and begin there.

Use storytelling. Select some good literature at a reading level that is easy for her, but first tell her the story in your own words. Perhaps you can draw a storyboard together, with some key-word captions, to illustrate its main events. Then help her to tell the story to you, and write down her version for her as she speaks. When she reads back her own words as you have written them, she will have a head start on comprehending as she reads. Finally, have her read the original author’s version.

Best Wishes,
Ruth Alice Jurey, M.S.
Speech/Language Pathologist