A Parent’s Guide to Boosting Your Child’s Reading Comprehension

Understanding written text goes beyond decoding words—it’s about grasping the main ideas, recognizing supporting details, and engaging in critical thinking. Whether your child is working through school assignments or preparing for tests, strong reading comprehension skills lay the foundation for success. 

Key Benefits: 

• Improved academic performance 

• Enhanced vocabulary and communication skills 

• Better critical thinking and problem-solving abilities 

Worksheets and carefully selected reading passages are powerful tools to practice and reinforce comprehension skills. These resources can help your child: 

• Identify the central themes and supporting details 

• Practice making inferences and understanding context 

• Develop vocabulary through exposure to varied texts 

When used as part of a balanced reading routine, these tools transform study time into engaging learning opportunities. Using a reading test prep pack can be a powerful way to build your vocabulary for standardized tests—and most tests your child will encounter are derived from Common Core standards.

To help your child build confidence, it’s useful to know the types of questions that encourage deep reading. Here’s how you can guide them:

• Encourage your child to focus on the central theme of a passage. Ask questions like: 

• What is the main idea of this story?  

• Can you summarize the principal topic in one sentence? “What is this passage mostly about?” (e.g., “Polar bears and their adaptations to survive in the Arctic.”) 

• Look for Repeated Words or Concepts: Words or ideas that appear often are clues to the main theme. Encourage your child to circle repeated terms as they read. In a passage on polar bear adaptations, words like “insulation,” “thick fur,” or “blubber” may be repeated. 

• Check the First and Last Sentences: Authors often state the main idea at the beginning or end of a paragraph or passage. 

• Identify the Topic First then ask: “What is this mostly about?” (e.g., “polar bears”). The main idea is the key point the author makes about that topic (e.g., “how polar bears adapt to cold”). 

• Summarize in One Sentence: After reading, challenge your child to explain the passage in 10 words or fewer. This forces them to focus on what’s most important. 

• Use Titles and Headings: Section titles (e.g., “Polar Bear Adaptations for Arctic Survival”) often hint at the main idea. 

• These questions help reinforce fact-finding skills. Try asking what details did you notice about the setting? “What specific facts does the passage include about polar bear adaptations?” 

• Which facts support the main idea? Find the main idea first. The details make sense only when tied to the central point. 

• Ask the 5 W’s: Who, What, When, Where, Why (and How): Details usually answer these questions. For example, “Why do polar bears have thick fur?” 

• Ignore Irrelevant Information: Teach your child to focus on details that directly support the main idea and skip “fun facts” that don’t. 

• Descriptions: Sensory details (e.g., “The Arctic is freezing, with endless ice”). 

• Vocabulary: Definitions of key terms (e.g., “Adaptation means how animals survive in their environment”). 

• Proof: Facts, statistics, or dates (e.g., “Polar bears have 4-inch-thick fur”). 

• Voices: Quotes from experts or different viewpoints. 

• Examples: Specific cases (e.g., “Like how seals hunt for fish under ice”). 

• Help your child read between the lines by asking: 

• "What can you guess about the character’s feelings?" 

• "What do you think the author is hinting at?" 

• “What can you infer about why polar bears have such thick fur?” 

• “How might the bear’s small ears be an advantage in the cold?” 

• Guide your child in understanding new words by asking: 

• "What do you think this word means based on the sentence?" 

• "How does this phrase contribute to the story’s mood?" 

• “Based on the sentence, what do you think ‘insulation’ means in the context of polar bears?” 

• “How does the phrase ‘arctic camouflage’ contribute to the story’s mood?” 

• Discuss how the passage is built and the author’s attitude by asking: 

• "How does the structure of the text help convey the main idea?" 

• "What tone do you sense in this paragraph?" 

• “How does the structure of the text help convey the idea that polar bears are built for survival in extreme cold?” 

• “What tone does the author use when describing the harsh arctic environment?” 

Preparing for Standardized Tests 

If your child is gearing up for standardized tests, these strategies can be particularly useful: 

Test Preparation Exercises 

• MAP Growth Reading: Focus on identifying main ideas and supporting details. 

• STAR Reading: Practice questions on tone, structure, and inference. 

• iReady Reading: Work on summarization and critical thinking exercises. 

• FastBridge Reading: Enhance reading fluency with exercises that emphasize reading aloud. 

• ERB-CTP Reading: Strengthen inference and vocabulary through targeted practice. 

By integrating these practices, your child can develop the confidence and skills needed to excel in any reading test. 

To further assist you in guiding your child, explore our specially curated resources and test prep packs designed for various assessments. Our Family Membership option offers unlimited access to all our test prep materials—making it easier for parents to support multiple students simultaneously.

Improving your child’s reading comprehension is a journey that begins at home. By understanding the essential elements of reading—main ideas, supporting details, vocabulary, and tone—you can help your child build strong, lifelong reading skills. With a blend of interactive reading, targeted worksheets, and a nurturing environment, you’re setting the stage for academic and personal success. Start today by exploring our resources and transforming reading time into an engaging, rewarding experience.