Reading Strategies

From Test-Taking Strategies and Study Skills for the

Utterly Confused
by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D.

PowerPoint and Some Activities

by Mary F. Ciccone-Cook
Be an Active
Reader
 Does this sound like you?
• “My mind wanders when I’m reading. I
don’t seem to understand what I’m
reading, and I can’t remember any of it.”

• “I can’t find the important material in the

textbook.”

• “I can’t keep up with my reading

assignments, so I cram the night before a
test.”
 Being an active reader can help
you understand more of what you read
and remember it longer. To be an
active reader, preview a text, set a
purpose for reading, build on what you
already know, and dialogue with the
text.
 Preview a Text
•Determine whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction
•Preview the parts of the text:
*the cover
*the title
*the outline of contents
*the headings
*the pictures, illustrations, photographs
*the captions
 Preview a Text Practice
Directions: Using the text you were given,
answer the following questions.
NOTE: Not all questions may be
relevant to the text.
 Preview a Text Practice
1. Preview the title
a. What does the title mean? Does it have
more than one meaning?
b. What reasons could the writer have for
choosing this title?
c. Based on the title, what do I predict will
happen in the text?
 Preview a Text Practice
2. Preview any other headings
a. What will this text teach me?
b. What main topics does this text cover?
c. How are the topics arranged? What will I
read first, second, and so on?
 Preview a Text Practice
3. Preview any pictures,
illustrations, photographs, charts,
or maps.
a. What different types of pictures, photographs,
and maps are included?
b. What do these visuals show?
c. Why did the writer include these illustrations?
What purpose do they serve?
d. Based on the pictures, what do I think this text
is about?
 Preview a Text Practice
4. Preview the captions for
pictures, photographs, and
other illustrations.
a. What facts do I get from the captions?
b.Based on the captions, what does this text
describe?
 Make Predictions
As you read, your brain is always trying to
figure out what is coming next in the text.
Make, revise, and confirm your predictions
to increase your reading comprehension.
 Make Predictions
1.Make predictions
When you make predictions, you make educated guesses
about what’s to come in a text. The process looks like this:
What I know + text clues = prediction

Make predictions by looking at the title, subtitles,

headings, illustrations, and captions. For example, if you
previewed a passage called “Leaders of the Pack,” you
might predict that the story would be about presidents,
kings, or even dogs.
 Make Predictions
Make predictions mini-practice
Directions: Using the texts at your desk,
make predictions by looking at the title,
subtitles, headings, illustrations, and
captions. Be prepared to share your ideas.
 Make Predictions
2. Revise predictions.
As you read, adjust your predictions to take into
account any new information you gather from your
reading or from outside sources. Ask yourself
questions like these:
*What new information did I find?
*How does this information affect my predictions?
*How should I change my predictions to make them
more accurate?
 Make Predictions
3. Confirm predictions.
Finally, read on until you find the information you need to
verify your predictions. See how accurate your predictions
were. If you were off the mark, find out why. Did you
overlook some important details? Did you misunderstand a
subheading? Use the information as you set new predictions
for the rest of the reading. Ask yourself these questions:
*How accurate were my predictions?
*What new predictions can I make using the facts I just
read?
 Set a Purpose for Reading
Your reason for reading is your purpose for reading.

After you preview and predict, it’s time to set a purpose

for reading.

Here are some of the main purposes you have for reading:
*to confirm a belief *to have fun
*to discover opinions *to get facts
*to learn new information *to review notes
*to get instructions *to learn new vocabulary
 Set a Purpose for Reading
Your purpose for reading shapes the way you read.
*When you study, you read slowly to understand and remember the
material
*When you read for entertainment, you read more quickly.

Setting a purpose saves time.

*If you know why you’re reading, you won’t waste time reading
material that you don’t need at that time.

Setting a purpose improves understanding.

*You’ll be sure to get the most out of what you read.
*Helps you concentrate on that information and remember it better.
 Ask and Answer Questions
• Ask yourself questions to define unfamiliar
words, clarify confusing passages, or
locate the main idea
• Ask yourself questions to isolate the text
organization; the author’s purpose, or to
make, revise, or confirm predictions
• Answer the questions based on the
information you find by rereading or
reading on.
 Ask and Answer Questions
Here are some sample questions you can ask yourself as you
read:
*What does this unfamiliar word mean? How can I use
context clues to define the word?
*Am I confused because the word has multiple meanings? If
so, which meaning is being used here?
*What point is the author making in this passage? Where is
the topic sentence or main idea?
*What is the author’s purpose? Is it to tell a story? To
explain or inform? To persuade? To describe?
*How is this passage organized?
*How is the text organization linked to the author’s
purpose?
 Practice Makes Perfect
• Practice these reading techniques 15-20 minutes
a day. Follow the schedule and you’ll see
progress.
• Try reading at the same time every day, in the
same place, so you get into a reading routine.
• Keep a “reading diary,” listing all the different
things you have read. You’ll feel good looking
back at all the reading you’ve done.
• Don’t give up! Learning any skill takes time and
effort, but it’s really worth it.
Use Proven
Reading
Techniques
 Skim and Scan
• Skimming is a fast method to get a general
idea about a text.
• Skimming boosts comprehension because it
helps you focus on the important parts of
the text.
• If you go back and read the text in detail,
you can zero in on the parts you need.
 Skim and Scan
Follow these steps as you skim a text:
1. Preview the text by looking at the title, subheadings,
pictures, and captions.
2. Make predictions and set a purpose for reading.
3. Start skimming by running your eyes across the page. Try
to read as fast as you can.
4. Focus on the key words. These will be nouns and
verbs.
5. Look for the facts you need. These will often be in the
first and last sentences. Read these facts more
slowly.
• Pause at the end of every page or passage to restate the
meaning in your own words.
 Summarize to Increase
Comprehension
• To summarize, find the most important
information and restate it in our own words.
• Summarize every time you study to help you
understand and remember what you read.
• To ensure you have included all the important
details in your summary, it should answer the
questions, who, what, when, where, why, and
how.
 Summarize to Increase
Comprehension
To summarize a passage:
1. Preview the passage, set predictions, and read
the passage.
2. Find the main idea and important details.
3. Explain them in your own words.
4. Skim the passage again to make sure you have
included all the important points.
5. Begin your summary by stating the main idea.
Then summarize the key details.
 Summarize to Increase
Comprehension
• At first, you might stop to summarize after
every paragraph or two.
• With practice you should be able to
summarize a page or two at a time.
Skim, Question,
Read, Recite,
Review
(SQ3R)
 Skim, Question, Read, Recite,
Review (SQ3R)
The SQ3R method is a great way to get the most out of your reading. It
works especially well with material you have to study, such as
textbooks.

To use SQ3R, follow these steps:

•1. Survey. Preview the text by reading the title, headings,
illustrations, and captions. Based on your survey, make predictions
about the contents. Then skim the passage to get its overall meaning.

•2. Question. As you survey and skim, ask questions about the
material and what you find. Start by turning the title into a question.
For example, you will be reading a practice passage called
“Literature.” Turn this title into a question such as “What will this
author say about literature?” or “How does the author define
literature?” As you read, look for the answer to this question.
 Skim, Question, Read, Recite,
Review (SQ3R)
SQ3R steps, continued…
• 3. Read. Read the passage and continue making and
revising predictions. Try to find the main idea by looking
at the topic sentence and details in each paragraph.

• 4. Recite. After you finish reading, look back over the

passage. Focus on the title, headings, and topic sentences.
Summarize the material in your head, reducing what you
read to a few sentences. Then recite your summary aloud.

• 5. Review. Review by looking back to your predictions.

Were they on target? If so, find the details you used to
make them. If not, figure out where and why you guessed
incorrectly.
 Skim, Mark,
Read, Reread
(SMRR)
 Skim, Mark, Read, Reread
As with SQ3R, SMRR combines many powerful reading techniques to give
you a study boost. SMRR is especially good when you are studying a text,
because you highlight important details. However, try both SQ3R and SMRR
to decide which one works better for you.

Here’s how to use SMRR:

•Skim. Preview the passage by scanning the title, heading, art, and captions. Then
read the passage as quickly as you can.

•Mark. Using a highlighter, pencil, or pen, mark the topic sentence and key details.
Of course, never mark a text that doesn’t belong to you!

•Read. Read the text slowly and carefully, checking that you correctly identified
the main idea and important points.

•Reread. Go back over the text, checking that you understood the main idea.
 Monitor Comprehension
You can also change your reading rate to accommodate the
text. Vary your reading rate in the following ways:

Skim the text when...

• You want to preview text to decide whether to read it
• You need only a general idea of the contents of the text

Scan the text when...

• You need to find a specific fact in the text
• You are looking for names or dates
• You need only some of the information from the text
 Monitor Comprehension
Read slowly and carefully when...
• You’re confused about the content or stuck on a specific
point
• You’ve lost the author’s main idea
• You’re studying for a test
• You want to make sure you understand all of the author’s
points
• The information contains a lot of difficult or new words
• The information contains a lot of new concepts or ideas

Read at a comfortable rate when...

• You’re reading for enjoyment
• The text seems fairly easy to read