Your "gerundio" is alright. "Estar + gerundio" is the present progressive, and you're using it correctly, but things are trickier when you have a third verb, so now need a linking preposition between "tratando" and "comprender"/"entender".
The general formula for the verb "tratar" is "tratar de hacer algo".
As for "c
ómo" and "qu
é tal", my recommendation is never trying to translate word for word; this hardly ever works.
In English you are asking "
how about" (to ask for
an opinion on a suggestion), which is not the same as "
how" (to ask
the way something would be done). In this context, that's the same difference in Spanish between "qué tal" and "cómo".
"Sobre", in this context, is not "about" but "over" or "above", so you may see why "sobre" doesn't match your sentence.
The most efficient way I know to understand when an expression or a word is appropriate for some context, is learning expressions and words in specific contexts and practicing their use in many different sentences. Relying on dictionaries is too confusing, because they only give a number of meanings without explanations. Yet, if you want to stick to bilingual dictionaries, check each word in the Spanish dictionary so you'll find out if the definition works for your purposes or if you have to pick another word from the bilingual one.
I am a "classroom advocate", so I'd suggest taking some formal course to study more systematically and to learn how to start thinking in Spanish rather than trying to translate from English. But if you prefer not to take any courses, try following some grammar lessons (online or in books); that will help you follow how Spanish sentences are constructed.
Final note: "Para" needs some idea of a
purpose, but you're saying thanks for something that is rather a
cause. Check again the differences between "por" and "para".
I'm glad to help. Let me know if you need clarification or more explanations.
