Sadly, when public school teachers assign comprehension questions to a particular reading passage or chapter, they think they are using a teaching strategy to help their students learn the content. WRONG! Asking students comprehension questions determines whether students know the answers to questions pertaining to the passage(s) they have just read. This is an assessment tool, not a teaching strategy.

Textbooks in content areas such as, science, history, etc. give information. Textbooks are called expository texts. An expository text presents information in the form of facts and concepts.

Typically, in lower elementary grades children are taught comprehension lessons in a narrative text. A narrative text tells a story. Children have trouble comprehending and completing assignments in expository texts because we teach them to read and develop comprehension skills in narrative texts. Therefore, when children start reading to learn, rather than learning to read, they struggle with content area (history, science, etc.) assignments.

When your child comes home with an expository reading assignment, sit down with him and follow these five strategies to help him improve reading comprehension and thus get better grades in school:

1. REVIEW THE TEXTBOOK AND DISCUSS HOW IT IS ORGANIZED

Each subject area textbook will be organized differently. Review with your child how the textbook is organized. Spend time looking to see what content is covered, how each chapter is organized, where learning aids -such as graphics, glossaries, summaries, definitions, tables of contents, and the index - are located.

Students unfamiliar with their textbooks look for answers only within the written text. They are unaware that information can be found in other places, too. Many students don't realize that the graphs, sidebars, headings, and pictures provide answers.

2. READ THE TEXTBOOK ALOUD TO YOUR CHILD

Teachers usually call students together, get their attention, and read narrative texts aloud. Because the teacher is modeling a reading strategy aloud for narrative texts, children develop an ear for how stories sound. They come to learn that stories have characters, settings, problems, and solutions. However, teachers seldom read textbooks aloud. Textbooks are usually assigned to be read independently. With such little modeling reading these kinds of texts, it's no wonder children are confused and cannot comprehend their textbooks and have difficulty completing assignments.

If we want children to develop an ear for expository passages we need to begin reading textbooks aloud to them. Point out that not all reading is the same. For example, say, "I'm going to read this CHAPTER aloud on the history of the Spanish Conquest. As I read, we are going to be looking for information." This will make your child aware that this is a different kind of text. Over time, he will begin to develop an ear for how expository texts sound, and start using a different reading strategy for them.

3. SET A PURPOSE FOR READING

Prior to reading your child's assigned reading passage, you and your child need to read the assigned questions at the end of the passage. By setting a purpose for reading, you and your child will be more likely to recognize the answers when you see them in the passage.

4.TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR CHILD ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT THE SUBJECT

In order to learn a concept, we must attach it to something we already know. Reading comprehension is closely related to prior knowledge. Help your child become aware of any prior knowledge he has about the topic in the textbook. This will improve his comprehension because he will have a frame of reference for the new information he reads in the text.

5. HAVE YOUR CHILD TAKE NOTES AS YOU READ

As you read the text together, have your child make notes about important facts and concepts in the passage. This will help him answer comprehension questions, as well as provide him with summary information he may need later for reports and essays.

Reading is a complicated process. It will take your child several sessions to learn these strategies well enough to be able to use them independently. Guide your child through these five strategies each time he has an expository reading assignment until he seems to have mastered them. When he starts using these strategies automatically, let him try working independently. You should begin to see noticeable improvement in his reading comprehension, his assignments, and his grades. In fact, you'll probably find that you now have an easier time understanding expository texts,too.