Reading Strategies

Reading Strategies

Good readers think while they readStrategies help build understanding

of a textDifferent strategies for different

types of textUse strategies before, during, and

after readingGoal: Independently use reading

strategies every time you read whether reading for school or reading for enjoyment

Strategy: Question

Definition: Asking questions while reading to further your own understanding of the story

Language used when questioning: 5Ws + How

WHO?WHAT?

WHERE? WHEN?

WHY?

HOW?

Strategy: Question

Question WHAT is happening in the story “What did Fluffy do to become more fluffy?”

Question WHY things happen in the story “Why did his parents name him Fluffy?”

Question WHO are the characters in the story “Who is the rhino?”

Strategy: Question

Question WHERE events happen in the story “Where did Fluffy meet Hippo?

Question WHEN events take place “When do you think he realized he would never be

fluffy?

Question UNKNOWN words or phrases “What is a “needleroozer?”

Strategy: Question

Closed (or Skinny) Questions: Have one specific answer which can be found in the text.

Surface level: can make something more clear Ex: “What color was Fluffy’s bonnet?” Ex: “What are two things Fluffy did to try to be fluffy?

Open (or Fat) Questions: Have more than one answer. Need clues from text to form an answer. Deeper level: requires looking beyond what is directly

stated Ex: “How do you think Fluffy felt when he kept failing at

becoming fluffy?” Ex: “Why do you think they became best friends?”

Strategy: Predict

Definition: Anticipate or think about what will happen next or in the future

Strategy: Predict

A good reader will make observations and gather clues from the text before reading to make predictions

Preview book’s front and back cover

Consider the title

Skim through the table of contents

Study illustrations

Strategy: Predict

During reading, good readers use clues or facts from the text to make logical or good guesses about what will happen next.

Give evidence (examples) from the text to support your predictions “I predict that the rhinoceros is a bully because he

talks mean to Fluffy.” I think that the rhino’s name is “Bull” because he is so

large and probably a bully.”

Strategy: Predict

Some prediction words are: predict, suppose, imagine, think, wonder, believe, bet, etc.

Ex. I believe she is going to kill the boar because she wants his golden horn.

Ex: “I bet her family is poor. Just look at the picture on page 31.”

Ex: “I suppose she will kick him out of the play because she saw his tattoos and will think he is a trouble maker.”

Strategy: Connect

Definition: Connect personally to what you are reading

The story reminds you of something in your own life

Recognize similarities between the story and what you personally experienced, read about, or heard about.

Text to Self Text to Text Text to World

Strategy: Connect

Text to Self Link your own personal experiences and feelings to

something in the story – a character, an event, or even a setting Ex: “When she was frozen with fear, it reminded me of the

time I fell off the horse. I remember looking up from the ground and seeing the horse’s hooves flailing above me. I felt frozen there on the ground.

Ex: I felt sorry for the main character when her friends told her to go away. I remember when my feelings got hurt last year. Friends can be so cruel. Just like Mary Lou, I cried myself to sleep. A few days later, my friends and I made up. I hope she and her friends will make-up too.

Strategy: Connect

Text to Text Compare similarities between the story and

something else you’ve read about in a book, magazine, newspaper, etc.

It could be something current or something that happened in the past.

Ex: When the boy is stranded on the mountainside, I was reminded of the girl in Island of the Blue Dolphins. Both had to grow up quickly and learn to protect themselves for the dangers all around them.

Strategy: Connect

Text to World

Something in the story reminds you of something you’ve heard about on TV, radio, friends, Internet, etc.

It could be a current event or something that happened in history.

Ex: When the dad lost his job, it made me think of all the jobless people they keep talking about in the news. I wonder if they feel as depressed as the dad in this story. He felt he was worthless. Do you think people feel that way today who are out of work?

Strategy Review

Match the picture with the correct strategy definition:

1. Anticipate or think about what will happen next

2. Ask yourself how something in the story may be similar to your own life, to something you’ve read, or to the world in general.

3. Further your own understanding by asking questions

A B C

Strategy: Clarify (“Make clear”)

Definition: The process of stopping while reading to review what you understand or to express confusion about something.

Stop occasionally to review What do I understand so far? What don’t I understand?

Identify parts of the story that confuse you. Reread to make things clear. Find the passage that is unclear and reread it again more

slowlyIdentify words that are difficult to pronounce or

to understand Take time to look up words – how to say them and what

they mean

Strategy: Evaluate

Definition: To judge the worth of or form an opinion about something or someone.

Focus on evaluating story elements in fiction – characters, setting, plot, and theme “I really admire the characters because they are so honest.” “I found the setting unrealistic – the plane crashes right

next to a deserted island - yeah, right!”Combine information from the text with your

judgments to develop your own ideas about the story “I think this is the best mystery book I ever read. It kept me

guessing the entire time. I never figured out who the killer was!”

Strategy: Visualize

Definition: Process of forming mental pictures based on a written description

Identify descriptive passages that use sensory details

Create pictures of what comes to mind as you readLanguage that students use when visualizing:

I can picture a similar place in my mind. That action or event is easy to imagine. I can see what he is describing.  

Strategy Review

1. Form mental pictures based on sensory details

2. Judge or give your opinion

3. Review what you know, reread, and identify unknown words

A

B

C

Match the picture with the correct strategy definition:

Strategy: Infer

Definition: Recall prior knowledge (what you already know) to make assumptions or conclusions about what the author means based on details or clues provided “I think Fluffy and Hippo will stay best friends

because they have so much in common. I know that the best friendships are based on having things in common.”

The author gives hints about what he means or what is to come without making an obvious statement in the text (read between the lines)

Strategy: Infer

Language students use when inferring: I am beginning to think that ________________ must

mean ____________ because _________________. The author seems to mean _____________ because

_________. Based on what I know about _________, I think that

_________ because _________.

“I think that Hippo was embarrassed about his name because of the way he kept trying to say it but couldn’t.”