1. Strategies to Navigate Non-Fiction Texts
Reading Non-Fiction
Strategies to Navigate Non-Fiction Texts

2. Questions to use BEFORE reading:
APK – Activate Prior Knowledge
Ask yourself what you already know about the author or topic.
What clues does the title/subtitle reveal?

3. Questions to use BEFORE reading:
Set a purpose:
Why are you reading this article? What is your goal?
Why do you think the author wrote this article?
Formulate questions about the title, topic, or author.

4. Questions to use DURING reading:
What do you understand from the paragraph you just read?
Read to get the gist of the text first.
Do you need to reread the paragraph to understand what the author is saying?
If you don’t understand it, reread. Good readers read twice (or more!).

5. Questions to use DURING reading:
Could you summarize its key ideas?
Write them down.
What three words represent key ideas?
Do you need to slow down your reading in order to understand the ideas? What strategies can you use to unlock the meanings in this text?

6. Monitoring Comprehension DURING reading:
Follow your inner conversation—questions, connections, confusions & new information
Leave tracks of your thinking on Post-Its or index cards or in your notes
Review your thoughts and label what you are thinking and doing as you read
Talk it over with someone—SHARE
What new questions do you have?

7. Questions to use DURING reading:
Does the author try to persuade you in any way? How?
Can you identify the facts? The opinions?
Write them down.
Do you find the author's evidence convincing? Explain.
What about the evidence do you find confusing?
What words, phrases, statements does the author use that caught your attention? Why? How did they make you feel? What did they make you think?

8. Spotlight Importance:
Spotlight new thinking
Record important ideas
Target key information
Determine WHAT to remember
Distinguish between YOUR thinking and the author’s
Construct main ideas from supporting details

9. Questions to use AFTER reading:
What are the main ideas of this article?
What generalizations can be made using the details from the text?
What conclusions can be made from the details described in the selection?
What is the overall theme of this article?
Did the reading leave you with unanswered questions? What are these?