Comprehension learning is a cognitive process that requires many skills and techniques. Many programs are designed to improve reading comprehension: summer reading, reading for success, student book clubs and battle of books.
The 5 factors affect poor reading comprehension is expressed as under:
Reading comprehension involves various factors such as background knowledge, vocabulary and fluency, active reading skills and critical thinking that must work together.
1. Background Knowledge
Background information plays an important role in understanding reading. In an effort to understand the text, students rely on their background knowledge to link what they already know with the text they are reading. Background information includes actual student information and textual information. Drawing similarities between background information and texts helps students to become more active readers, improving their reading comprehension.
2. Vocabulary
Whether learners have vocabulary skills or not affects their reading comprehension. Learners should be able to understand a word they know and its relationship to other words within the text. Proper study of vocabulary involves seeing part of a sentence, an explanation, helpful contextual clues, and how it works in a sentence. These word techniques can help improve comprehension.
3. Fluency
Fluency allows learners to store information with precision, expressiveness and increased speed. The ability to read fluently is developed through practice. As learners become fluent learners, they will spend less time trying to understand the meaning of words and more time considering the meaning of sentences. Over time, fluent readers will develop the ability to respond with understanding of the text.
4. Active Reading
The Beginners often rely on skilled students to guide them through the text. However, as beginners develop and grow older they are able to monitor the reading comprehension. Students can guide their self-study by identifying cognitive problems as they occur. Students can solve comprehension problems by remembering what they have read, asking themselves questions or checking the text.
5. Critical Thinking
Students can respond enthusiastically to a well-written text when they have critical thinking skills. As students read, they can get the main idea and supporting details, the sequence of events and the general text structure. Students will also be able to identify textbooks and their impact on the text. Developing meditation skills helps to deepen a student’s understanding of the text, leading to a better reading experience.