Know Your Reading Strategies

Finding the Main Idea A sentence that tells what the passage is mostly about. Can be found in the 1st sentence, last sentence or sprinkled throughout a paragraph. Ask Yourself “ What is the paragraph mostly about?”

Recalling Facts and Details Helps to explain and support the main idea Facts and details help you understand the main idea more completely. Facts and details often tell about the who, what, where , when, why and how of the main idea

Understanding Sequence The order in which things are done or events happen is called sequence. Directions often follow a sequence using steps that are followed to completion. Clue words: first, next, then, last, finally, before and after Think about the beginning, the middle, and the ending to help you figure out the sequence. In an article without clue words, think about the order in which things happen or how things are done.

Recognizing Cause and Effect What happens and why is called cause and effect. A cause is the reason that something happens. An effect is the result, or what happens because of the cause. Clue words: so, so that, since, because, therefore, and reason, as a result, if …. then, and in order to.

Comparing and Contrasting Finding how two or more things are alike and how they are different. Comparing is finding how two or more things are alike. Contrasting is finding how they are different. Clue words that signal a comparison are both, same, like, alike, and similar. Clue words that signal a contrast are but, unlike, different, however, whereas, and instead. Ask yourself, “How are these things alike? How are they different?”

Making Predictions When you think about what might happen next in a reading passage, you are making a prediction. Formula for making a good prediction: Prior knowledge + Textual Clues=Prediction Clues are often in the title of a reading passage, facts and details, and pictures in a reading passage.

Finding Word Meaning In Context When you figure out the meaning of an unknown word from other words, you are finding word meaning in context. Context clues are often in the sentence where the unknown word appears. They can also be in the sentences before and after the word. Synonyms of the unknown word are often context clues. Antonyms of the unknown word are often context clues. A comparison or a definition often provides clues to the meaning of an unknown word.

Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences Details are sometimes not clearly stated or explained in a reading passage. You must draw your own conclusions and make your own inferences. Figuring out something that is not directly stated in a reading passage, you are drawing a conclusion or making an inference. To draw a conclusion or to make an inference, pay attention to people, places, and objects that are not fully presented in a reading passage. Use the details from the reading passage, as well as what you know from your own like, to draw a conclusion or to make an inference.

Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion Fact-proven statement Opinion what someone thinks or feels; cannot be proven - Opinions often contain such clue words as think, feel, believe, and seem. Other common clue words are always, never, all none, most, least, greatest, best, and worst.

Identifying Author’s Purpose The reason and author writes Persuade Inform Entertain Reflect If a reading passage contains many details about a person, place or thing, the purpose is to describe or reflect. If a reading passage is enjoyable to read, tells a personal story or uses a story to teach a lesson, the purpose is to entertain If a reading passage provides facts about a particular subject or tells readers how to do something, the purpose is to explain or inform. If the passage contains many opinions or tries to get readers to do something, buy something, or believe something, the purpose is to persuade.

Interpreting Figurative Language Similes, metaphors, and idioms are types of figurative language. helps readers create pictures in their mind. Look for things that are compared in a reading passage. Try to find examples of similes or metaphors Look for phrases whose words have a meaning different from their usual meaning. Try to find examples of idioms. Figurative language usually brings a picture to a reader’s mind. Use that picture to help you understand the meaning of the figurative language.

Summarizing A summary is a short statement that tells the main points or important ideas of a reading passage. Combine and reduce A summary is not stated in a reading passage. You must think about and restate the most important ideas to create a summary. A good summary of fiction tells about the main character’s problem and its solution. A good summary of nonfiction tells about the main idea of the reading selection as well as the main idea of each paragraph.