The power of retelling...

If you have ever wondered if your child really understands what he or she has read, ask them to retell story elements to you.  Story elements include the characters, setting, problem, and solution.  Most of the time, we wrongly assume that children are ready to read high level texts because when we have them read outload, we don't hear them make many errors.  However, for a reader to truly comprehend a story, we need to hear them interact with the text in a meaningful way.  Reading comprehension is a strong factor in our educational lives. It also helps children to learn to read for a lifetime of reading enjoyment.

Some fun (and free!) iPad apps that can help your child to demonstrate their comprehension by retelling include:
-Sock Puppets
-Scribble Press
-Story Kit
-Book Magic