Reading Strategies: Before, During, and After Reading

Reading is a Process

Because reading is a process, there are strategies that can be implemented before, during, and after reading to

ensure that you comprehend the material.

By preparing yourself before you begin to read, the reading process becomes easier and more meaningful. During your reading, you can use effective strategies to help make sense of what you’re reading. After you are done reading, reflect on what the reading was about

through talking, writing, or drawing.

Predicting: a before reading strategy

Real World ExampleBefore reading the next section in

your science textbook, predict what it will be about.

Clues: * Read the chapter and section titles*Look at the pictures, headings, and

captions* Recall what you already know

* Remember what you learned in the last section

Before you begin to read, predict what the text will be about.

Predicting what will happen may help you to find meaning in the text.

When predicting a nonfiction text, use your prior knowledgeon the topic.

Ask yourself: What do I

think this is going to be about?

Why Am I Reading This? a before reading strategy

consider the purpose for reading the text

There IS a reason. Aside from the fact that you are striving for a good

grade, you are probably reading that text for at least one of these reasons:

(and yes, they are good ones)

*You are learning a valuable life skill. As in, you’ll use it forever.

* You are reading for fun. You go girl! Or, atta boy!

* You are following a list of instructions in order to accomplish a task, build or create something, or to

make a decision. * To gain important knowledge.

How is the text relevant to real life? Connect the purpose for reading the text to the

information found in it.

Real World Example

You’re reading an article on weather patterns.You want to find out more about hurricanes, specifically. Keeping in mind your purpose for reading the article, youcan skip past the section on droughts and focus your attention on hurricanes. What do you want to know about hurricanes? Should you pay close attention to the section on history of hurricanes or hurricane season? Always keep in mind the purpose.

Activating Prior Knowledge: a before reading strategy

Ask yourself: What do I already know about this topic?

to activate your prior knowledge:

brainstormgroup discussionconcept mapping

visual aidsadvance organizers

What YOU bring to the text will affect how you understand what you read.

Share your experiences with peers and gain new background

information from their experiences.

Participate in activities that awaken and connect the

knowledge that you already have to the text that you are reading. Activating your prior knowledge before you begin to read will prepare you to

read and learn new information.

By building your vocabulary skills,

you also increase your

reading fluency and

comprehension.

Vocabulary Review: a before reading strategy

A Tool For pre-reading vocabulary review: semantic maps

A semantic map is a visual representation of vocabulary that

helps to establish relationships among new and old words. Semantic maps

help to organize information.

Go over unfamiliar key words necessary to understand the text.

Learn new words found in the text before

reading the text- this will improve your

overall understanding of what you read.

KWL Chart: a before reading strategy

what you KNOW, WANT to know, and what you LEARNED

KWL Charts are especially helpful when dealing with nonfiction text. They help you to push past your comfort zone in order to

learn new material.

Real World Example

Before reading about the Revolutionary War, fill out the “Know” and “Want to know” sections of your

KWL chart. Then read the text on the Revolutionary

War. Did you learn everything that you

wanted to know? If not, plan for further investigation.

Research shows that a KWL Chart is an effective

combination of different tools that works well to engage students of all different ability levels.

Because students are able to control the text that is entered into the graphic, this strategy appeals to

visual learners.

Visualize: a during reading strategy

Use the descriptive details from the text to create mental pictures in your head.

Mental Movie

Add images from your own experiences to make

reading three dimensional. This helps

you to make your reading personal and

memorable. As you

continue to read, adapt your mental images as

needed.

Research shows that proficient readers create mental images purposefully and spontaneously during reading.

This helps readers to recall details and draw conclusions about the reading.

Real World Example

As you read about metamorphosis, use your experiences from the

encounters that you have in nature to form images in your head as you read. You can picture a caterpillar and a butterfly, and maybe even a

cocoon. Picture the process of metamorphosis as you read about the different phases- this will help you to recall the information later.

Questioning: a during reading strategy

Form questions about the text as you are reading.

Ask Yourself: What is the author not telling me? What more do I want to know about

that?

By questioning the text that

you are reading, you deepen your

understanding of it. Pay close attention to the different types of questions

the teacher has modeled for

you.

Metacognitive Questions

What did you think about as you read this section?

Were there any parts that were hard to understand?

Were there any hard words in this section?

What do you predict will happen next and why?

What does the author want us to know about?

Inferring: a during reading strategy

Reading between the lines

Draw conclusions based on clues from the story and your own knowledge. Use context clues, picture clues, etc. As you get further into the

reading, revise your inferences.

Real World Example

You read a story about two children who are having a hard time transporting firewood back to their home from the forest during the early 1800s. One of the questions that follows the reading asks you whether the children were able to use a car to transport the wood. The story mentions nothing about a car, but you can infer that the children did not use a car because the story is based in the early 1800s- before the invention of the automobile.

* make predictions* draw conclusions* find meanings of unknown words

Determining Importance: a during reading strategy

You are bombarded with new information daily. Therefore, as you are reading a text, you will need to decide

which information is relevant and important, and which is unimportant.

Knowing your purpose for reading the text will help.

Ask yourself: What in this text matters most?

What matters to me? One thing that we should notice…

I want to remember…It’s interesting that...

Make Connections: a during reading strategy

As you read, make connections between ideas, concepts, and characters in the text.

Make personal connections using your prior knowledge

Make connections between different texts

Make connections between text and the world

As you are connecting, you are thinking, which makes you more engaged in the reading experience.

Ask Yourself: What does this story remind me of? Can I relate to the characters in the

story? Does this remind me of another book that I have read?

How is this text different from other things I have read?

How are the events in this story similar to what is happening in the

real world?

Summarizing: an after reading strategy

to summarize nonfiction:recall the

main idea, supporting details, concrete events in sequence,

explanation of events, inferences

summary: a brief account giving the main points of something

After reading, give a summary of the text. This helps you to retain the information in your long memory,

while letting the teacher know that you understood what you read.

“This essay is about…”“This author writes about…”“This book is the story of…”

Review: an after reading strategy

Think about what you’ve read and review questions and predictions.

Discuss what you have read. Ask questions.

Look back in the book.Reread if needed.

Graphic Organizer: an after reading strategy

Create a graphic arrangement of ideas to visualize information from the text.

Connect major ideas to supporting ideas and details with systematic arrangement of

lines, shapes, and arrows.

Graphic organizers allow you to visualize

how ideas fit together.

Retell: an after reading strategy

By retelling the story, you can monitor how much you remember.

Try to recall the story in your own words. Give details about the character, setting, plot, dialogue, or information.

INCLUDEwhen and where the story takes place

character names and problemshow do other characters relate

important eventssequence events

solutions to problemsyour own feelings and reactions

Present: an after reading strategy

Tell someone or write what happened in the story. Include characters, plot, and important events.

This can act as a form of

assessment, whether it is

informal or formal.

Write about what you

read, explaining

what it made you think of or what you learned.

Discuss as a class the main

events and characters in the book. Who were

your favorite characters? How

did you feel when…?

Fill out a sequence of events chart to

ensure your understanding of

the book. Draw an illustration of a

scene in the book.

SourcesInformation:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/predicthttp://udleditions.cast.org/strategy_predict.htmlhttp://www.studygs.net/shared/reading.htmhttp://specialed.about.com/od/readingliteracy/a/prior-knowledge-comprehension.htmhttps://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/reading-comprehension/48540.htmlhttp://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/post/2010/08/23/reading-strategies-that-work-for-struggling-readers-kwl-charts.aspxhttp://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/comprehension_strategies.html#visualizinghttp://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/making-connections-30659.htmlhttp://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/profbooks/strategies.htmTextbook

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