1. Reading Strategies

2. Make Connections
To enhance understanding of a text, it is useful to connect or relate what you are reading to another experience.
Text to self- You can personally connect to a situation or emotion found in the text.
Text to Text-A situation or emotion that can be connected to another text, movie, etc.
Text to World- A situation, emotion, character, or setting that can be connected or related to something in our world.

3. Visualize
Good readers take the time to create a mental picture of what the author is describing.
The author uses descriptive language and detail, so that the reader can create a movie in his or her mind.
Settings
Characters
Events

4. Ask Questions While reading, it is important to question or wonder.
Possible questions:
What is unclear?
What do you want to know more about?
What words are unfamiliar to you?

5. Infer
Good readers try to read between the lines. When the answers are not “right there,” good readers draw conclusions based on background knowledge and clues in the text.
I think the character will… because
I bet this… because
I suppose… because
Next, her or she will… because
Good readers try to “see into the future”.

6. Determine Importance What’s the big/main idea?
Good readers look for things that help them identify big ideas and why they are important.
The big idea is…
The most important information is…
So far I’ve learned…
The author is saying…

7. Evaluate
Good readers form opinions while reading. These opinions can be about the written format, events, characters, etc.
Opinion Examples:
The diary entry format made it easier for the reader to understand the main character. This format allowed the reader to hear the character’s inner most thoughts.
Steven was an unlikeable character. Throughout the story all Steven seems to do is complain. It was extremely painful to listen to him constantly whine.
Be sure to explain why you feel the way you feel the way that you do.

8. Reading Strategy Recap
Make Connections
Visualize
Ask Questions
Infer
Determine Importance
Evaluate (Opinion)