Reading Strategies I can use various reading strategies to understand what I read (i.e. Cause and Effect,Making Inferences, Drawing Conclusions, and Sequencing)

Essential Questions What are reading strategies? How do we use reading strategies? How do we decide which reading strategy to use?

What are reading Strategies? Reading strategies are the skills you learn to help make reading meaningful and enjoyable. These skills also give you a purpose for reading and help you make connections with the author’s ideas. A few examples of reading strategies are making and confirming predictions, determining the genre, identifying the author’s purpose and point of view, making connections, checking for understanding, identifying cause and effect relationships, sequencing, inferencing and drawing conclusions.

Let’s look at the following strategies more closely! Sequencing Cause and Effect Making Inferences Drawing Conclusions

Sequencing Sequencing is when you order the events in a story. Words such as first, next, last, then, and finally provide clues to the order of the events. When sequencing a story, ask yourself, “ Does this order of events make sense?

Sequencing The Redwood is not only the tallest tree on Earth, it's one of the oldest. Redwood trees grow on the West Coast. During the Gold Rush, many Redwoods were chopped down. They became houses, barns, and saloons. Because it would be a shame to lose this species of tree, Redwoods are now protected by law. Put these sentences in order. ___The Gold Rush occurred. ___Redwoods grew in abundance along the West Coast. ___Redwoods were chopped down. __Now, Redwoods are protected.

Sequencing Article V of the Constitution tells how the Constitution itself can be changed. The first step is for an amendment to be proposed. It may be proposed by Congress, or it may be proposed by the states. Next, the proposed amendment goes to Congress, which decides what will happen next. Congress may decide to send the amendment to the state legislatures for approval. It may decide to send it to state conventions. Either way, three-fourths of the states must ratify the amendment. If three-fourths of the states do approve it, the amendment becomes law. It becomes a part of the Constitution. Put the following statements in order: ___The amendment is proposed by Congress or the states. ___The amendment becomes part of the Constitution. ___Congress sends the amendment to the states for approval. Which happens last? a) The amendment is ratified. b) Congress decides what to do next.

Cause and Effect Understanding cause and effect relationships when we read will also help us make good decisions in life. “If we do this, then that could happen”. When we realize that consequences are directly related to our actions, we become more responsible with our behavior.

Cause and Effect Joe was packing. He needed to think carefully about what he would pack because he was planning a camping trip to the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the backcountry he would need to have all of the necessities with him, but he did not want to pack too much. Joe knew that his gear would get heavy on the long trek into the park. Joe needed to pack everything he would need because _____. He tried to keep his pack as light as possible because _____.

Cause and Effect Today was chilly. The temperature was 39 degrees. I had to go to school. I didn't want to get out of bed. But, I had to get ready. Why did the writer not want to get out of bed? Why did the writer have to get out of bed?

Making Inferences Not every detail about a character or a situation is directly stated in a story. A lot of times, a reader must use clues given in a story as well as personal experiences to figure out the missing details. When you make an inference, you are thinking about what you have read and what you already know.

Making Inferences It was dark. Jack and his mom had taken a long walk near their house. They had gone with some friends. They used a flashlight to see the path and had a lot of fun. They roasted marshmallows when they got home. When did this story take place? a) in the afternoon b) at lunch c) in the morning d) at night What might Jack be able to see if he looked at the sky? a) a tiny bird b) his mom c) stars d) sun

Drawing Conclusions Drawing a conclusion means to arrive at a decision or judgment based on information. When you read a passage, you often have to be a detective. You have to find ideas that the writer does not always state. Use clues from a passage-facts and details- to make a decision about what the author is saying.

Drawing Conclusions The family dog hid behind the sofa as a storm roared outside. There was lightning and thunder. The dog whimpered each time it heard the thunder. Dad tried to coax the dog out, but it wasn't going anywhere. You can guess that ___. a) storms made the dog afraid b) the dog was playing hide and seek c) Dad was afraid of storms

Closure Think about one of the reading strategies we practiced today and how using that rule helps you be a better reader. Whisper your thoughts to your neighbor.