RAISING THE BAR: Why reading comprehension is important

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Standardized testing begins next month in Arizona schools.

Building students’ knowledge through reading is often a challenge for teachers, but there are things parents can do with their kids to help build the brain’s bank.

In 13News’ Valerie Cavazos’ new education segment, “Raising the Bar”, she spoke with Jill Cordova, a literacy specialist from the Marana Unified School District, who explains the need for kids to understand what they read.

More Raising the Bar coverage

• Sunnyside USD discusses encouraging the reluctant high school reader
• Sunnyside USD on engaging the reluctant middle school reader
• Marana USD discusses literacy changes

“So what the latest research shows is that background knowledge and vocabulary are more important than we ever knew for reading,” Cordova said. “So, if you’re reading to a parent, reading to your child, and you’re reading about something that your child has never experienced and maybe you’ve never experienced, you’re building their background knowledge and vocabulary. So, talk about it, pause, read a paragraph, and then talk about what did the characters do, why do you think they did that, what do you make predictions, what do you think will happen?

“Make inferences. So, what do you think will happen based on this? That conversation is key to your child comprehending and then also providing a variety of reading to your child. So, read aloud, fiction, read aloud, nonfiction, find what interests them. It’s OK to reread those same picture books to your child, but talk about it. Have them tell you after you finish, what was it about, who was in it, what happened? It’s all those conversations.”

Is this what is being modeled in the classrooms as well?

“Absolutely, yes,” Cordova said. “We’re teaching kids how we break down and comprehend a text no matter what it is, so that we know how to use that, because we’re teaching kids to read, read so they can learn. Right. It’s the read to learn.”

So what does that mean?

“So, K3 is what we call foundational reading skills,” Cordova said. “We’re teaching them the code of reading that the letter ‘M’ sounds like ‘Mmm’, and then you connect it with other letters and it forms a word. So that they then, beyond third grade, can take those skills and read to learn in every subject area.”

Reading to learn will help them in other subjects as well.

“Absolutely, yes,” Cordova said. “In K3, we’re also doing those other subjects. And we’re using those reading skills, but then now we’re using it, we’re reading and science and social studies and math.”

To watch last week’s interview with Cordova on literacy changes, click here.

Cavazos will be bringing these local Raising the Bar segments on various topics every Monday at 3 p.m. on 13News to help you kick-start each week with expert advice on education.

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