Reading Strategies ESL 1060 Summer 2010

Think about the last 5 – 10 things that you read. Purposes for Reading Think about the last 5 – 10 things that you read.

You may have thought about… Novels Newspapers Medicine bottles Directions Recipes Internet Pages

There are 3 main purposes for reading. Reading to be informed To get information Reading for enjoyment To have fun Reading to perform a task To accomplish a specific job

Why is this important? Understanding your purpose for reading helps you to: Reach your reading goals. Helps you to focus your attention. Helps you to understand more of what you read. STATE your purpose for reading before you read something…EVERYTIME!

Reading to Be Informed Before you read: Figure out what you want to learn. Look over what you will read. Skim to find out how the reading is organized. Ask yourself what you already know about the topic. Write down some predictions about what you expect to learn.

Reading to Be Informed As you read: Underline, highlight, or take notes to help you understand and to remember important information. Ask yourself continually, ‘Do I understand what I just read?’ ‘How does what I read relate to the main idea?’ Pay attention to titles and subheadings. Look at any tables, pictures, bold print, etc.

Reading to Be Informed After you read: Restate main ideas from the text. Look at you’re the information you underlined or highlighted. Look at your notes. Re-read parts that you did not understand. Write down questions that you have.