Your child sits down with a book and reads every word correctly. They sound like they're reading just fine, and you might even be impressed with how smoothly they read.
But then you ask, "What was that about?" and get a blank stare.
Maybe they remember a few details but can't explain the main idea. Or perhaps they can answer simple questions but struggle to tell you what happened in the story.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many parents are surprised to discover that being able to read the words doesn't always mean a child understands what they're reading.
Reading comprehension involves several skills working together. Understanding which skills your child is struggling with is the first step toward helping them become a more confident reader.
Reading the Words and Understanding the Words Are Different Skills
When we talk about reading, we're really talking about two important areas: word recognition and language comprehension.
Word recognition involves recognizing written words accurately and automatically. This includes skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, and decoding.
Language comprehension involves understanding vocabulary, sentence structure, background knowledge, and how ideas connect.
The Simple View of Reading explains that reading comprehension depends on both of these areas working together (Gough & Tunmer, 1986).
For example, a child might understand a story perfectly when someone reads it aloud but struggle when reading the same story independently. This could suggest that word recognition or fluency is getting in the way.
Another child might read the words accurately but struggle to understand the story even when someone reads it aloud. This may point toward difficulties with language comprehension.
These differences matter because effective reading intervention should target the skills that are causing the difficulty.
Why Does My Child Struggle With Reading Comprehension?
There isn't just one reason a child might struggle to understand what they read. Here are some common possibilities.
1. Reading Takes Too Much Mental Energy
Even when children read words correctly, reading may not be automatic.
They might be working so hard to recognize each word that they have little attention left to think about what the passage means.
Think about learning to drive. When you first started, you probably had to concentrate on every little thing. Eventually, many of those tasks became automatic, allowing you to focus on the road around you.
Reading works in a similar way.
As word recognition becomes more automatic, children can devote more attention to understanding the text.
This is something I discussed in my earlier post, Why Does My Child Know a Word One Day and Forget It the Next?
2. They Don't Have Enough Background Knowledge
Background knowledge plays a huge role in reading comprehension.
Imagine reading a passage about volcanoes without knowing what magma, lava, or a crater is.
You might be able to pronounce every word, but understanding the passage would be much harder.
Children encounter this challenge regularly, especially as they move into science, history, and other informational texts.
The more students know about a topic, the easier it becomes to connect new information to what they already understand.
This is one reason reading aloud, discussing new topics, and exposing children to a variety of books and experiences are so valuable.
3. Vocabulary Is Getting in the Way
Sometimes children can read a word without understanding what it means.
For example, a child might read the word reluctant correctly but have no idea what it means.
If a passage contains several unfamiliar words, comprehension becomes much more difficult.
Vocabulary development involves more than memorizing definitions. Children need opportunities to hear new words, discuss their meanings, and use them in different contexts.
Reading aloud and having conversations about books are excellent ways to build vocabulary.
4. They Have Trouble Remembering and Connecting Information
Understanding a story requires readers to keep track of information across sentences and paragraphs.
They need to remember what happened earlier, connect new information to previous events, and recognize how ideas relate to one another.
Some children understand individual sentences but have difficulty putting everything together.
They may finish a paragraph and realize they don't remember what they just read.
Breaking passages into smaller sections, discussing important details, and using graphic organizers can help students make those connections.
5. They Struggle With Making Inferences
Authors don't always tell readers everything directly.
Sometimes readers have to use clues from the text and their own background knowledge to figure out information that isn't explicitly stated.
For example:
Lily looked out the window at the dark clouds. She grabbed her umbrella before leaving the house.
The author never says Lily thinks it's going to rain, but most readers can figure that out.
A child who struggles with making inferences might understand each sentence but miss the connection between them.
Explicitly teaching students how to use clues and background knowledge can help develop this important comprehension skill.
How Can I Tell What's Causing My Child's Reading Comprehension Difficulties?
One helpful starting point is to compare how your child understands information when reading independently versus listening to someone else read.
Choose a short passage appropriate for your child's age and interests.
Have your child read it independently and tell you what it was about.
On another occasion, read a similar passage aloud and ask comparable questions.
Pay attention to whether your child understands more when listening than when reading.
If listening comprehension is much stronger than reading comprehension, word recognition or reading fluency may be interfering with understanding.
If comprehension is difficult in both situations, vocabulary, language comprehension, background knowledge, or other factors may need closer attention.
This isn't a formal assessment, but it can give parents useful information about what may be contributing to their child's struggles.
What Can Parents Do to Help With Reading Comprehension?
The good news is that there are many simple ways to support reading comprehension at home.
Talk about what you're reading. Instead of asking only factual questions, have conversations about characters, events, and interesting ideas.
Build background knowledge. Explore science, history, nature, and other topics through books, conversations, videos, and everyday experiences.
Explain unfamiliar vocabulary. When you encounter an interesting word, discuss what it means and try using it in another sentence.
Pause and summarize. After reading a short section, ask your child to explain what happened or what they learned in their own words.
Model your thinking. You might say, "The author didn't tell us how the character feels, but I think she's nervous because she's avoiding everyone."
Keep reading aloud. Even when children can read independently, listening to more complex books helps develop vocabulary, background knowledge, and language comprehension.
Most importantly, reading shouldn't feel like a test every time your child opens a book. Keep conversations natural and enjoyable.
When Should I Consider Reading Tutoring?
If your child regularly reads words accurately but struggles to explain, remember, or discuss what they've read, it may be time to look more closely at their reading comprehension skills.
Effective reading intervention isn't simply assigning more reading practice.
It's about identifying the specific skills that need additional instruction.
Some students need more support with decoding and fluency. Others benefit from explicit instruction in vocabulary, language comprehension, making inferences, or organizing information. Many students need a combination of these approaches.
Reading comprehension isn't just about answering questions after reading. It's about understanding and making meaning while reading.
At Tutoring with Cassi Riggs, I provide individualized reading support based on each student's strengths and needs. Whether a student struggles with foundational reading skills, fluency, or comprehension, my goal is to help them become a more confident and capable reader.
If you're concerned about your child's reading comprehension, contact Tutoring with Cassi Riggs to learn more about personalized reading tutoring and intervention.
Helping children become successful readers means helping them understand what they read, not just recognize the words on the page.
