Improve Your Son's Reading Skills With Jules Verne's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'

Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is aVerne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a great
great work of fiction that can help your sonwork of fiction that can help your son improve his
improve his reading comprehension skills.reading comprehension skills.
You can have your son use the reading strategiesYou can have your son use the reading strategies
he learns in class while reading 20,000 Leagueshe learns in class while reading 20,000 Leagues
Under the Sea or while you read it out loud toUnder the Sea or while you read it out loud to
him.him.
Here is an excerpt from the book that providesHere is an excerpt from the book that provides
an example of how your son can improve hisan example of how your son can improve his
reading comprehension skills:reading comprehension skills:
"My blood froze in my veins as I recognised two"My blood froze in my veins as I recognised two
formidable sharks which threatened us. It was aformidable sharks which threatened us. It was a
couple of Tintoreas, terrible creatures, withcouple of Tintoreas, terrible creatures, with
enormous tails and a dull glassy stare, theenormous tails and a dull glassy stare, the
phosphorescent matter ejected from holesphosphorescent matter ejected from holes
pierced around the muzzle. Monstrous brutes!pierced around the muzzle. Monstrous brutes!
which would crush a whole man in their iron jaws.which would crush a whole man in their iron jaws.
I did not know whether Conseil stopped toI did not know whether Conseil stopped to
classify them; for my part, I noticed their silverclassify them; for my part, I noticed their silver
bellies, and their huge mouths bristling with teeth,bellies, and their huge mouths bristling with teeth,
from a very unscientific point of view..."from a very unscientific point of view..."
While reading the text, your son can incorporateWhile reading the text, your son can incorporate
the following reading strategies:the following reading strategies:
VisualizationVisualization
Visualizing when reading helps readers make theVisualizing when reading helps readers make the
words on the page real and meaningful. Whenwords on the page real and meaningful. When
students create pictures in their minds, theystudents create pictures in their minds, they
become more involved with the text.become more involved with the text.
Have your son picture the animal described in theHave your son picture the animal described in the
text. Make sure your son focuses on descriptivetext. Make sure your son focuses on descriptive
words and phrases such as, "enormous tails, dullwords and phrases such as, "enormous tails, dull
glassy stare, iron jaws, silver bellies".glassy stare, iron jaws, silver bellies".
Making ConnectionsMaking Connections
Your child will have a better understanding of theYour child will have a better understanding of the
text when he can make personal connections totext when he can make personal connections to
that which he is reading.that which he is reading.
Ask your son (or have him volunteer to tell you)Ask your son (or have him volunteer to tell you)
if he can make any personal connections to theif he can make any personal connections to the
text. For example, your son may havetext. For example, your son may have
experienced a time when "the blood froze in hisexperienced a time when "the blood froze in his
veins'. Perhaps your child was scared when heveins'. Perhaps your child was scared when he
went to a haunted house or when he sawwent to a haunted house or when he saw
something frightening elsewhere.something frightening elsewhere.
InferringInferring
Writers do not always write exactly what theyWriters do not always write exactly what they
mean nor do they 'bridge concepts together". Themean nor do they 'bridge concepts together". The
reader must make 'guesses' and create their ownreader must make 'guesses' and create their own
meaning from the text. Inferring is taking what ismeaning from the text. Inferring is taking what is
written and making discoveries.written and making discoveries.
Have your son infer why the speaker said, "IHave your son infer why the speaker said, "I
noticed their silver bellies, and their huge mouthsnoticed their silver bellies, and their huge mouths
bristling with teeth, from a very unscientific pointbristling with teeth, from a very unscientific point
of view..."of view..."
Ultimately, you want to get your son to infer thatUltimately, you want to get your son to infer that
the speaker might usually identify animals from athe speaker might usually identify animals from a
scientific point of view but this time he is amazedscientific point of view but this time he is amazed
and perhaps frightened by the animal. So in thisand perhaps frightened by the animal. So in this
situation, instead of classifying the animalsituation, instead of classifying the animal
scientifically, the speaker describes what he seesscientifically, the speaker describes what he sees
using common, unscientific words (this may beusing common, unscientific words (this may be
more apparent as your son reads the story).more apparent as your son reads the story).
Classic books such as 20,000 Leagues Under the
Classic books such as 20,000 Leagues Under theSea contain a rich vocabulary with descriptive
Sea contain a rich vocabulary with descriptivecharacters, plot, and settings. Have your child use
characters, plot, and settings. Have your child usethe reading strategies he learns in class while
the reading strategies he learns in class whilereading high quality books and he should improve
reading high quality books and he should improvehis overall reading comprehension skills.
his overall reading comprehension skills.Jules