Sadly, classrooms across the United States have students who struggle with reading comprehension. They may be able to phonetically decipher words and sound them out, but that's the exent of their ability to read. They don't know what the words actually mean. They don't have the reading comprehension skills to fully grasp concepts, ideas and word phrases expressed in written text. Whether to gain understanding, develop a new skill, or for pure pleasure of reading, full comprehension of what you read is necessary. Reading comprehension is also imperative for a successful career and to excel academically.