Strategies for Active Reading

Predict Try to figure out what will happen next and how the selection might end. Then read on to see how accurate your guesses were.

Visualize Visualize characters, events, and setting to help you understand what’s happening. When you read nonfiction, pay attention to the images that form in your mind as you read.

Connect Connect personally with what you’re reading. Think of similarities between: Text to self Text to society Text to text

Question Question what happens while you read. Searching for reason behind events and characters’ feelings can help you feel closer to what you are reading.

Clarify Stop occasionally to review what you understand, and expect to have your understanding change and develop as you read on. Reread and use resources to help you clarify your understanding. Also watch for answer to questions you had earlier.

Evaluate Form opinions about what you read, both while you’re reading and after you’ve finished. Develop your own ideas about characters and events.

Cinderella example After the death of her father, Cinderella is forced to become a servant in her own home while her stepmother and two stepsisters live glamorous lives. On the night of the ball, Cinderella’s fairy godmother sends her to the ball, where she dances with the prince. At midnight, she fled the palace before the spell was broken, but left behind one glass slipper.

Visualize Clarify Predict I think she’ll be stuck in her house, but happy with the memory of that night. Visualize To world – Has a non-royal ever married a prince? Is there anyone famous & wealthy today who once lived in poverty? To literature/media – The girl with a mean stepmother reminds me of Snow White. Question Evaluate I think Cinderella will be more petite in stature because she’s probably malnourished. How did her mom die? Dad? Will she marry the prince????? OMG!?!?! Clarify Connect To self – Do you have a stepparent and stepsiblings? Have you ever felt like you are a servant in your own home because of your chores? I don’t know how her parents died, but she does marry the prince! YAY! I like that Cinderella worked hard and never gave up! Predict

Connect: This image reminds me of when I was young Connect: This image reminds me of when I was young. My uncle used to carry me on his shoulders, which was always an adventure. Clarify: I think this is the Vietnam War Memorial. I bet the man was in the war and lost someone close to him. Question: Is the man the boy’s father, or could he be an uncle or family friend? Why is the boy kissing the memorial? Who is being remembered?

Now that you’ve practiced using the strategies, take a look at how you read with “The Boat in the Basement”

Step One: Read the story THE BOAT IN THE BASEMENT A woman was building a boat in her basement. When she had finished the the boot, she discovered that it was too big to go though the door. So he had to take the boat a part to get it out. She should of planned ahead.

Step Two: Rewrite what happened, using as many details as you can remember. Step Three: Discuss as a class.   Discuss the errors and why you may not have noticed them!

Fin