Active Reading Strategies!!!

Valerie Called Queen Priscilla Cute and Energetic. Six Strategies Visualize Clarify Question Predict Connect Evaluate Valerie Called Queen Priscilla Cute and Energetic.

Visualize Describe the images you see as the author describes them. Use the details from the text to create the “movie in your mind.” *Important things to note when visualizing are details.   These are the picky little things that may seem unimportant at first but may prove to be more important later. They also separate the average reader from the excellent reader. The more you picture things in your mind as you read, the better your recall of these details later.

Books Turned into Movies The Hunger Games Description of Katniss’s fire dress: “I am dressed in what will either be the most sensational or the deadliest costume in the opening ceremonies. I’m in a simple black leotard that covers me from ankle to neck. Shiny leather boots lace up to my knees. But it’s the fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow, and red and the matching headpiece that define this costume. Cinna plans to light them on fire just before our chariot rolls into the streets.”

Dress #1

Dress #2

Dress #3

The Real Dress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8LDUlS98UE

Try it Out! In your notebook, write a detailed description of your ideal house. Describe the outside, inside and everything in between. Be as detailed as possible!! Think about the color, landscaping, number of rooms, etc.

Try it Out! Choose a partner. One person will read their description aloud and the other will draw what they see. Compare to see how accurate the picture is! After the first person reads their passage, switch roles!

Visualizing in Music! Just like authors of books, song writers and artists choose their words carefully to allow the listener to visualize their songs. What do you picture when you read the following lyrics to Katy Perry’s “Firework”? “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind wanting to start again? Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin like a house of cards, one blown from caving in?”

Visualizing Continued While listening to the following songs, write a description or draw a picture of the images that come into your mind. If I Die Young Grillz

Exit Ticket Why should you visualize when you’re reading? What do you look for in the text to help you visualize? Does everyone have the same mental images? Why?

Question Ask questions about the text. What are you confused by? What is motivating the character(s)? Why are certain things happening? Don’t just try to remember the questions you have; write them down! When a question is answered later in the text record your answer.

What Questions Do You Have About This Passage? It is obvious to anyone thinking logically that minimum wage should be increased. The current minimum wage is an insult and is unfair to the people who receive it. The fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase was denied is proof that the government of this state is crooked and corrupt. The only way for them to prove otherwise is to raise minimum wage immediately.

Look carefully at the red phrases for help… It is obvious to anyone thinking logically that minimum wage should be increased. The current minimum wage is an insult and is unfair to the people who receive it. The fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase was denied is proof that the government of this state is crooked and corrupt. The only way for them to prove otherwise is to raise minimum wage immediately.

Example Questions It is obvious to anyone thinking logically that minimum wage should be increased. The current minimum wage is an insult and is unfair to the people who receive it. The fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase was denied is proof that the government of this state is crooked and corrupt. The only way for them to prove otherwise is to raise minimum wage immediately. Who is anyone and how is it obvious? What is the current minimum wage? Is the fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase was denied the only proof that the government is corrupt? Is raising minimum wage the only way for the government to prove they aren’t corrupt? What should minimum wage be raised to?

Clarify STOP AND PAY ATTENTION. Summarize/explain what you have read. This is a great way to stop and check whether you understand the text. Read on (and sometimes even reread) and your understanding may change and develop. When you find the answers to any questions you have had, note them in the text. *Important things to note when clarifying are sequencing, inferring, and determining vocabulary in context. 

Clarifying by Sequencing The order in which events occur; NOT necessarily the order in which they are mentioned (i.e. flashbacks)  Flashbacks: a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story Ex: “You’re getting it. Good girl!” Anya cheered as she ran beside her little sister. Anya smiled remembering when her dad had taught her to ride a bike. She could still see him running beside her, even when he didn’t need to anymore! He’d always been so productive. But now, he was gone and she alone had to take care of her family. “I still need you, Dad,” she whispered. What would the order of events be in this passage?

Clarifying by Inferring Making an educated guess about something based on clues you are given. This is sometimes called "reading between the lines.” What can you infer from this picture?

Clarifying by Vocabulary in Context Determine an unfamiliar word's meaning based on the words around it and the way it is used OR Looking up the definition in the dictionary

Exit Ticket How do the two reading strategies “questioning” and “clarifying” relate?

Predict How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Try to figure out what will happen next and how the selection might end. Then read on to see how accurate your guesses are.  *Try to determine the plot events before they happen. Some authors like to keep you guessing or throw surprises in, but you'd be surprised how many stories have similar plots. For example, good guys usually win and bad guys usually lose. All of Shakespeare's plays had the exact same plot lines. How do almost all romantic comedies play out? How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Try it Out!! Directions: When the film is stopped write down your predication as to what will happen next. The Black Hole Dangle

Connect Text to Self: Refers to connections made between the text and the reader’s personal experiences Text to World: Refers to connections made between a text being read and something that occurs in the world.  Text to Text: Refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was previously read.

How Do You Connect? Line Game! While listening to this song, write down text to self, text to text, and text to world connections to the lyrics. Runaway Love- Ludacris ft. Mary J. Blige

Evaluate Form opinions about what you’ve read, both while you’re reading and after you’ve finished. Develop your own ideas about characters and events. Make a logical guess (infer) or come to a conclusion based on the story or text.   *Important things to remember about evaluating are theme and tone.

Evaluating Through Theme Theme—the moral of the story; often the “life lesson” to be learned from a piece of writing Common themes: Perseverance Courage Acceptance Honesty Kindness Loyalty What are the themes of most holocaust books?

Evaluating Through Tone Tone--the writer's attitude about his/her subject (serious, angry, sarcastic, humorous, etc.); this is not always easy to determine but could mean the difference between understanding what you're reading and not Sample words to describe tone: Terrified Frustrated Argumentative Unenthusiastic Cheerful Upset Alarmed Adoring Thrilled Pressured Supportive Devoted Fearful Loving Fondness Bossy Distraught Dedication Evil Unified Companionship

Tone and Theme Through Music While listening to the following song, describe the tone and theme. Eminem- Mockingbird

Red Flags That You Need to Use These Strategies!! The voice inside the reader’s head isn’t interacting with the text. The camera inside the reader’s head shuts off. The reader’s mind begins to wander. The reader can’t remember what has been read. Clarifying questions asked by the reader are not answered. The reader re-encounters a character and has no recollection when that character was introduced.  

Exit Ticket Of the six active reading strategies that we learned, which do you think will benefit you the most to help you understand what you read? Why? Visualize Clarify Question Predict Connect Evaluate