(Adapted from https://www.oxfordlearning.

com/how-to-improve-reading-comprehension/)

 Find books they’ll like

The secret to becoming a better reader is practise—something that is much easier when
your child actually likes what he or she is reading.
 Read aloud
Hearing the words out loud helps many students gain a better understanding of what they
are reading than they are able to get while reading in their head. Encourage your child to
read aloud if he is struggling with a certain part of a book or a particular word.
 Skim the headings of the text
Quickly skimming the headings of a book gives students a high-level overview of what they
are reading. He can use the headings to quickly understand what the reading is about and
the main points before he actually starts reading.
 Re-read sections that are confusing
Revisiting the parts that were confusing for your child (or or that might simply need a
quick refresher) can help your child gain a more complete picture of what he or she is
learning. This also helps ensure your child is able to understand upcoming material in the
text.
 Talk about words you don’t know
Discuss the meaning of unknown words. General rule of thumb is 5 new/unknown words
per page is okay – anything more than this and the text may be too difficult.
 Discuss what he has just read
When he has finished reading, talk about what he or she just read together. Ask your child
what he or she learned and his or her thoughts. Look for ways to connect the themes to
other books or their own life. Encourage prediction – what do you think will happen next,
what would happen if __________ kind of questions.
 Recap and summarize the main points
When talking about the material with your child, ask him or her to recap and summarize
the main points. Explaining what your child learned in his or her own words helps ensure
your child understands what was read. It also helps relate the material to what he or she
already knows.
 Use different formats
Reading for pleasure is so important – audio books are also a valuable tool – children can
simply listen and still develop comprehension skills or follow along with a physical book.

Here are a list of some books aimed at: 9 – 11 year olds

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-books-9-11/

11/12 year olds:

https://www.readbrightly.com/50-best-books-11-12-year-olds/