You can support your child as she moves on to higher-level reading. One way is by asking questions to check on whether she seems to understand what she reads. You may want to send a note to her English teacher to share your perceptions of how she's doing, too.

You can improve reading comprehension if you help your child:

• Make connections. Especially when reading fiction at the middle school level, your child should have some "me, too" moments. Parts of the story should remind her of herself, someone she knows or an experience she has had. Ask a question such as, "The girl on the cover of the book looks about your age. Does she do any of the same things you like to do?"
• "See" the book. Making pictures in your mind as you read is a wonderful way to improve understanding. Ask questions such as, "Where does the main character live? What do you think the place looks like?" Or, "What if you got to make the movie of this book? Who would you cast as the main character?"
• Make predictions. When your child understands a story, she will have some idea (or at least a good guess) of the direction the story is heading in. Ask, "You finished five chapters. What do you think is going to happen in the sixth?" Or, "So, did that book end the way you thought it would?"

Reprinted with permission from the September 2009 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Laura Robb, Teaching Reading in Middle School: A Strategic Approach to Teaching Reading That Improves Comprehension and Thinking, ISBN: 0-590-68560-0 (Scholastic Professional Books, http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/profbooks).