Reading Strategies Thinking about “how” you read

1. M AKING PREDICTIONS It was a strange night; there was a chill in the air. After a long day at work, I was looking forward to relaxing in my apartment with my favorite television show. As I approached my door, however, I saw that it was slightly open and a light glowed from within… What thoughts come to mind when you read this story excerpt?

1. M AKING P REDICTIONS Using details from your reading to guess what will happen next.

2. E LABORATING Student reads a story and is asked to write a personal response. He writes, “It was alright. It was kind of interesting. I liked some of the characters.” What is missing from this student’s response? What else might you ask him?

2. E LABORATING Explaining an idea or thought further; giving more information. You can elaborate on sections of a text just like you can elaborate on your own ideas. For instance, if a character acts angrily, you can explain what his motivation might be based on your previous reading!

3. V ISUALIZING Drops of the cold, luscious, double- chocolate chip ice cream splattered on the pavement as its once towering but now toppling ice cream scoops submitted to the sun’s hot rays. Can you “see” anything when you read this? What words best help you create a vivid mental picture?

3. V ISUALIZING Creating mental pictures as you read.

4. C ONTEXT C LUES That girl was so loquacious that I was not able to get a word in at the lunch table. Despite the nice things she said about me, she cannot cajole me into believing that her motives are benign or good. If you were reading this, how could you discover the meaning of the underlined words?

4. C ONTEXT C LUES Using information or clues in sentences around a confusing word to determine its meaning.

5. Q UESTIONING You have just begun a new SSR book. The first 8 pages of the book are all about setting. The author writes about the weather patterns extensively and portrays the town in extreme detail. WHY?

5. Q UESTIONING Wondering why an author made certain choices about the things you are reading.

6. C LARIFYING He was anxiously awaiting his chance to get revenge on him when he walked in the room. He was a criminal and deserved to be punished for his crimes as well. True, this is badly written, but what is the problem? What do you need to help you understand better?

6. C LARIFYING Taking part of a story that is confusing and making it more clear by looking at it again.

7. D RAWING C ONCLUSIONS A man was stranded on a deserted island with only a soccer ball for company. In the last chapter, the near-starved, sickly man lays down on the beach and the soccer ball floats away on the ocean towards the horizon. What happened to the man?

7. D RAWING C ONCLUSIONS Putting all the pieces of information together and then deciding what it all means.

8. C OMPARE AND C ONTRAST The main character is REALLY good and the antagonist is REALLY bad. Yet, upon closer reading, they share some similarities. What should we do to help us organize their traits?

8. C OMPARE AND C ONTRAST Keeping track of how things are alike and how they are different.

9. S UMMARIZING Herbert began to sweat as he entered the doors of his new high school. His locker jammed, he dropped his binder and his papers flew everywhere, and a senior “guide” sent him to his class in the nonexistent trailer located behind the metal works room… What can we say, in general, about Herb’s first day of school?

9. S UMMARIZING Recapping the main idea in your own words. No need to be overly wordy!

10. R ECOGNIZING P URPOSE Your history teacher tells you to read an article about ancient Greek philosophers. Your English teacher tells you to read a self-selected SSR fiction novel. Are these assignments different? How so? What should you do prior to beginning your reading?

10. R ECOGNIZING P URPOSE Before reading, you determine WHY you are reading.

11. M AKING I NFERENCES ONE DOLLAR AND EIGHTY-SEVEN CENTS. THAT WAS ALL. AND SIXTY CENTS of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. What can you tell about Della from this passage? Her character? Her life? Her worries?

11. M AKING I NFERENCES Reading between the lines to make a reasonable guess about what is not obviously stated.

12. M AKING A C ONNECTION The protagonist in the story has just lost her grandmother after a long struggle with cancer. You have also known someone who has lost a battle with cancer or suffered a long drawn-out illness. How can your personal life experiences help you better understand literature?

12. M AKING A C ONNECTION Trying to tie what you read to your own life or what you already know.

13. U NDERSTANDING T EXT F ORMAT Applying a process to reading and understanding why and how literature is organized. The more you learn about the different genres of literature, the more useful this strategy will be!