Measure 39 — LIT 6

Comprehension of Text

Child identifies details or story sequences in age-appropriate texts

Comprehension of text refers to children’s ability to read, listen, and understand the meaning of ideas represented in text and spoken words. Young children who listen to and tell stories are more likely to learn how to read well. Most stories have structural and narrative patterns: they usually have characters, a theme, and a sequence of events with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Knowledge of this structure helps children comprehend stories. Children demonstrate comprehension when they can retell important information about a story. In order to do this, children need to develop good narrative skills, which involve being able to identify events that happened in the past and to organize them in a chronological sequence. During the preschool years, children are able to talk about simple events and answer questions about a story. Gradually they learn to tell a complete, coherent narrative, with information about the setting, theme, plot, and conclusion.

From birth, infants are particularly attuned to the characteristics of the human voice. Gradually they begin to develop “joint attention,” which is the ability to share a focus with a caregiver. Toddlers are able to listen to a brief story and are particularly interested in the illustrations. They may make simple comments and respond to simple questions related to a story being read. Eventually they repeat words read by the adult, memorize simple, repetitive texts, and fill in words in familiar stories.

Young preschoolers are able to listen to an entire story, but they still rely heavily on the accompanying pictures to sustain their interest. They may ask questions or make comments about the story. They may describe sequences of two or more events related to familiar stories using “and then” to tie events together. Preschoolers eventually make comments that relate events from the story to their own experience. They can even retell their own version of the story.

Older Preschoolers can retell a story in more detail, using temporal and causal terms such as “but,” “when,” “so,” and “because.” They are able to relate the sequence of events in a story, even though they may not always fully understand it. They are interested in the story’s plot and the motives of characters and need fewer pictures to hold their attention. In addition, their comments demonstrate their growing ability to interpret and elaborate information. They also make predictions about what will happen next and may talk about the plans and motives of characters.