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Q
Do you know of any good computer programs that would help my third grader with comprehension? She reads pretty well, but she has a problem understanding what she's read. I've discussed it with the school. She isn't classified and doesn't receive resource room because she tests well. She does like the computer though, and I know she will work on a program if I could find one. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
A
To truly be considered a reader, your daughter must comprehend what she reads. You are absolutely correct in wanting to improve her comprehension skills before she enters fourth grade, where she will be expected to understand far more sophisticated material. Unfortunately, no one computer program is going to be the magical solution that significantly improves her comprehension. Nevertheless, computer comprehension programs will motivate your daughter to read more and can help improve her ability to recall what she has read.

Just go online and type "computers reading comprehension reviews" into a search engine to find listings for many sites that give extensive reviews of computer programs. A helpful site is http://computers.sympatico.ca/viewz/reviews . Also, you can visit learning stores and investigate different reading comprehension programs. Try to find programs that offer word reading at the click of a mouse so your daughter can hear any words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that she cannot easily read. In addition, it will be helpful to use a program that will define any word that she doesn't know.

Because most computer comprehension programs simply have multiple-choice questions to test basic recall, your daughter is going to need more help this summer to improve her comprehension skills. For children to truly understand what they have read, they need to have more advanced comprehension skills that include making inferences, relating details to major ideas, and knowing the sequence of events.

One of the simplest ways to improve your daughter's reading comprehension is simply to have her retell what she has read to you. Begin with very short passages. If she hesitates, ask questions like: What happened next? Where did the story take place? Who else is in the story? Besides working with your daughter, you may also want to have a tutor help her.

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