Reading Comprehension Workshop
Reading Comprehension Workshop
Comprehension
From phonics to fluency:
How to question your child
Aims
Evaluative meaning
Inferential meaning
Literal meaning
Literal meaning
Read the lines
Questions that have responses that are
directly stated in the text.
The main idea, characters in the text, stated facts, the
sequence of events
The answers will always be found in the text
Eg. What happened to the lady?
Inferential meaning
Read between the lines
Questions have responses that are indirectly stated,
induced, or require other information.
Starts with the stated information
This information is then used to determine deeper meaning that
is not explicitly stated
Requires you to think about the text and draw a conclusion.
A question about inferential meaning will typically require you to
provide examples from the text
Eg. Why was she feeling unhappy?
Providing examples from the
text
Why was the lady unhappy?
The car broke down on the way home
The dog ran away
Her husband lost his job
Evaluative/Critical meaning
Read beyond the lines
Question that require the reader to formulate a response based
on their previous reading experience, their life experience and
their opinions on issues relevant to the text.
Using critical thinking to make judgments about what was read in
the text.
Was it fact or opinion, how valid was the text, how appropriate was the text?
Making comparisons
Example:
Do you think it was right for Little Red Riding Hoods mother to send her off
into the woods alone? Why or why not?
Putting it all together
Puppies are very small when they are born. They
cannot see until they are about two weeks old. During
this time, they stay very close to their mothers.
Make connections
Share connections as you read aloud. Eg. places of vacation, memories
Ask questions
Pose questions that spark curiosity. What are you wondering?
Make inferences
Combine what you already know with clues from the story
And finally
Questions and handouts
Evaluative
Inferential
Literal