#92: What to Do When Kids Can Read but Don’t Understand with Dr. Tim Shanahan
The Confusing Moment Every Teacher Knows…
You finish a guided reading session, and little Emma reads every word on the page flawlessly. But when you ask, “What was that about?”—she stares blankly, shrugs, or makes something up entirely.
Sound familiar?
If you’ve ever felt that frustration—that moment when your students decode beautifully but still don’t get it—you’re not alone. And you’re not failing. In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Tim Shanahan, a leading expert in literacy, to unpack what’s really going on when comprehension breaks down—even for kids who can “read.”
Let’s break down what you can do when your students read fluently… but comprehension is missing.
Why Some Kids Can Read the Words But Not the Text
Dr. Shanahan shares that decoding and comprehension are two entirely different skill sets. Just because students can “say” the words doesn’t mean they understand what they mean—especially if:
- Their vocabulary is limited.
- They lack background knowledge on the topic.
- They haven’t developed the ability to link ideas across sentences and paragraphs.
- They’re focused on performance (“sounding good”) instead of processing meaning.
And here’s a big myth he busts: Students don’t need to already know the topic to comprehend it. With guidance, they can still access and build meaning—even with minimal background knowledge.
What Teachers Can Do Differently—Starting Tomorrow
If you’re wondering what to do when kids can read but don’t understand, here are science-backed, practical strategies you can start using right away:
1. Intensive Sentence-by-Sentence Questioning
Instead of reading large chunks, zoom in. Ask specific questions after just one sentence:
- “Who was this about?”
- “What happened?”
- “Where were they?”
This forces kids to shift from performance mode to processing mode.
2. Collaborative Retelling in Pairs
Have students work in partners to retell a story one sentence at a time:
- One child says, “This story is about a boy who got lost.”
- Their partner adds, “He was at the grocery store with his mom.”
This spoken retelling builds comprehension without requiring strong writing skills.
3. Teach Morphology (Even in PreK-2!)
Instead of teaching isolated vocabulary words, show kids how to break words apart:
- Root word: “act”
- Add suffix: “action”
- Add prefix: “reaction”
This helps them understand more words—even ones they’ve never seen before.
4. Use Read-Alouds for Higher-Level Thinking
Just because a child can’t decode the words doesn’t mean they can’t understand the meaning. Read challenging texts aloud and model comprehension strategies along the way.
5. Write About What They Read
Yes, even young students can write simple summaries or draw and label story elements. Writing helps solidify comprehension.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
- Why some students decode fluently but still can’t comprehend.
- The #1 myth about “just right” leveled readers—and why it may be holding students back.
- What role vocabulary, morphology, and background knowledge actually play in comprehension.
- A simple strategy to dramatically improve comprehension—starting with a single sentence.
- How to use read-alouds and writing to build deeper understanding in PreK–2 classrooms.
Bringing It All Together
When a child can “read” but doesn’t understand, it’s easy to feel stuck or even defeated. But as Dr. Shanahan reminds us, comprehension isn’t a mystery—it’s a skill we can build. From sentence-level questioning to collaborative retells and strategic vocabulary instruction, we have powerful tools at our fingertips.
Start small. Try just one strategy this week. You’ll be amazed at the shift in how your students engage with text—and with meaning.
Want More Support? Join The Science of Reading Formula
If you’re ready to confidently teach reading comprehension (without relying on guesswork or outdated strategies), The Science of Reading Formula is here to guide you every step of the way.
👉 Click here to join The Science of Reading Formula
You can help your students move from word callers to deep thinkers—and we’re here to help.
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