Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading. Especially older books which often use words that are not as widely used today. Tolkien, Jane Austin, etc. Depending on their interests you can find all sorts of older books. I read Ivanhoe recently for the first time and while there were very few words I didn't know or couldn't guess from context, I had to really concentrate on the archaic language and sentence form. Good practice to get a feel for language as well as expand one's vocabulary.

I will never forget being in a senior-level English class in college and realizing that most of my classmates couldn't understand the meaning of the historical documents we were reading (17th-century English letters regarding governance and trade). It was incredible. They understood the literal words but they could not put them in context. That only comes from reading widely.

I write for a living and precision in word choice is critical for my job, so this is an issue I think about a lot.

Op here. My youngest struggles with reading comprehension as well so she would likely need to work up to books like Ivanhoe. Any suggestions for books along those lines but easy to read/comprehend? I should note that she’s currently being tested for ADD.

Anonymous wrote:As others have said, reading, reading, and reading.

I don't think it has to be Tolstoy, I think you can pick up new words from Sports Illustrated! Whatever they want to read, assuming it's not too simple for them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading. Especially older books which often use words that are not as widely used today. Tolkien, Jane Austin, etc. Depending on their interests you can find all sorts of older books. I read Ivanhoe recently for the first time and while there were very few words I didn't know or couldn't guess from context, I had to really concentrate on the archaic language and sentence form. Good practice to get a feel for language as well as expand one's vocabulary.

I will never forget being in a senior-level English class in college and realizing that most of my classmates couldn't understand the meaning of the historical documents we were reading (17th-century English letters regarding governance and trade). It was incredible. They understood the literal words but they could not put them in context. That only comes from reading widely.

I write for a living and precision in word choice is critical for my job, so this is an issue I think about a lot.

Op here. My youngest struggles with reading comprehension as well so she would likely need to work up to books like Ivanhoe. Any suggestions for books along those lines but easy to read/comprehend? I should note that she’s currently being tested for ADD.

Anonymous wrote:Reading. Especially older books which often use words that are not as widely used today. Tolkien, Jane Austin, etc. Depending on their interests you can find all sorts of older books. I read Ivanhoe recently for the first time and while there were very few words I didn't know or couldn't guess from context, I had to really concentrate on the archaic language and sentence form. Good practice to get a feel for language as well as expand one's vocabulary.

I will never forget being in a senior-level English class in college and realizing that most of my classmates couldn't understand the meaning of the historical documents we were reading (17th-century English letters regarding governance and trade). It was incredible. They understood the literal words but they could not put them in context. That only comes from reading widely.

I write for a living and precision in word choice is critical for my job, so this is an issue I think about a lot.

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure it isn't laziness or perfectionism?

My son has a large vocabulary, but out of the blue, he also asks me these questions. When I insist on him hazarding a guess, he always guesses right. Somehow, he seeks reassurance or something. Weird.