Use background knowledge:     

Good readers use their relevant prior knowledge before, during and after reading to enhance their understanding of what they've read.

•  If you bring your background knowledge to everything you read, it will have a critical impact on how well you understand and respond to your reading.
• Applying background knowledge will help you go beyond the words on the page as you recall past experiences.  This will help you better understand and enjoy what you are reading.
• If you do not have the background knowledge to understand what you are reading, ask a parent, friend, teacher, expert, dictionary, encyclopedia, etc. to help you learn more about the topic.
• Background knowledge is the basis of thinking skills.  When you know how to activate pertinent background knowledge, you will have more detailed mental images and have a better understanding of what you've read.

   

  Excerpted from 7 Keys to Comprehension:  How to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It! by:  Susan Zimmerman and Chryse Hutchins