what is Comprehension

Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not understand or connect to what they are reading, they are not really reading. Good readers are both purposeful and active, and have the skills to absorb what they read, analyze it, make sense of it, and make it their own.

Comprehension is...

• the essence of reading
• active and intentional thinking in which the meaning is constructed through interactions between the test and the reader

Factors that Impact Reading Comprehension

Reader Based Factors	Text Based Factors
Phonemic Awareness Alphabetic Understanding Fluency with the Code Vocabulary knowledge Prior knowledge Engagement and interes	Narrative v. Expository Genre considerations Quality of text Density and difficulty of concepts

COMPREHENSION IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TODAY

Comprehension is an essential part of successfully developing 21st century literacies.  It is a vital tool for reading in our modern age, a vehicle through which we:

•  gain meaning from the words someone else has constructed,
•  learn something new, to confirm something we think,
•  understand another’s viewpoint,
•  to relax and, yes,
•  even to escape from the everyday pressures of life.

There are many purposes to reading but each ties back to cognition, to thinking.  Without “thinking, wondering, and pondering,” as I call it, reading becomes simply word calling.  That type of “reading” has little or no benefit to the reader or those that might listen to him.  

Reading words aloud, pronouncing them properly does not constitute this essence of reading.  Neither does reading at a certain pace or speed although all of these skills contribute.   A student can do all those things well and still not understand what the words mean.  What value is there in that?  Whether you teach reading in the classroom or work with your own children at home, be careful that you always define reading, not by the sub-skills involved, but by the understanding gained.