What good readers do…

Good Readers… Monitor Meaning as they read. They recognize when the text is making sense and when it isn’t. They listen to their inner conversation in order to pay attention to their understanding They use “fix up strategies” to make the meaning more clear (more on fix up strategies later)

Good Readers… Ask themselves Questions to help clarify confusion and to get a deeper understanding of what they are reading. They ask questions to learn new information, clarify confusion, make the text more meaningful, or connect to bigger ideas. They notice when questions are answered. They form strategies when questions aren’t answered.

Good Readers… Make Inferences by connecting their background knowledge to new information. They synthesize information to make new ideas and judgments. They make predictions and then evaluate if those predictions come true. They adjust their inferences when they encounter new information

Good Readers… Determine the Importance of the details they read. They sift through information and sort out what is interesting and what is important. They read with a purpose (they relate the value of their details to a question they may want answered) They think about the process they are using to determine the importance and relevance of the details

Good Readers… Read critically to understand their task They provide academically appropriate responses to prompts. They are able to read prompts closely to identify its purpose and requirements. They adjust their reading rate in order to meet the demands of the task (read more closely and specifically to get supporting information)

Good Readers… Monitor Meaning (ELG 1) Question the Text (ELG 2) Make Inferences (ELG 3) Determine Importance (ELG 4) Understand their task (ELG 5)

Reading STRATEGIES Define your purpose for reading Ask yourself why you are reading, what you are looking for, and adjust your approach accordingly. If you are reading challenging material in order to learn something new, you may need to adjust your pace and interaction with the text. If you are reading for a test, it is a good idea to look over questions first to give you some ideas about what you may need to remember.

Reading Strategies Stop and Think (Monitor Meaning) Every so often, check in with your brain about what you have read. Summarize the information in your head. If you realize you don’t remember what you’ve read… why continue? Notice where you lost your way, and apply strategies as you go back and re-read

Reading STRATEGIES Ask Questions Visualize If you ask questions as you read, you will be looking for the answers as you encounter details. Visualize Make mental images in your head to help you make meaning and connect to the text. “Turn the words into a mini-movie in your head.”

FIX-UP STRATEGIES Make Connections to the text As you read, think about things you already know- maybe its something you read in another text, or it happened in your life Make Predictions and inferences As you read, think about what will be happening next, or make inferences and draw conclusions

FIX- UP STRATEGIES Read Forward then Back Read ahead a few sentences… If the confusion does not clear up after a few sentences, try: Re-reading. Go back to the point of confusion and try re-reading it at a slower, more analytical pace. Pay attention to words that are confusing.

FIX-UP STRATEGIES Word Confusion: Use context clues in and around the sentence to see if it helps you make meaning Look at word clues like ROOTS, PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, COGNATES for help Ask a friend or the dictionary for help Continue reading and see if the term gets explained

FIX-UP STRATEGIES Rearrange sentence structure Look at text clues If the sentence is complex, try rearranging phrases and breaking the sentence apart so that it makes more sense. Try and locate the subject noun/verb combination that is the central piece of the sentence Look at text clues Look at pictures, graphics, captions, charts, etc. Authors include these to help you visualize and organize information more clearly.

FIX UP STRATEGIES Ask for help! Ask a friend or a teacher when you are confused about the text. Use resources like the dictionary, glossary or even the internet to make information more understandable Do not just “keep reading” if you are unable to summarize what you have read so far If you do, then you are just saying words and you aren’t learning or understanding anything.

BE FLEXIBLE!!! Apply strategies as needed- some may help and some may not, but knowing how and when to use strategies will make clearing confusion much easier. There is no “magic bullet” for every type of confusion- if one doesn’t work, try another. Be aware of when you are using strategies so that you can get better at them.

Remember… MAKE MEANING These are strategies that MAY help you when comprehension breaks down. It is not necessary to have 100% comprehension of a passage to understand the overall meaning of the text. The point is to use these strategies flexibly and frequently to help you: MAKE MEANING