READING SRATEGIES: INCREASING COMPREHENSOION

1. READING SRATEGIES: INCREASING COMPREHENSOION Adapted by Meredith Spry, KIS Instructional Coach from the work of Dr. Mary C. Custureri

2. Strategy 1 • BEFORE READING • Look at the title Does it suggest anything to you? Think of some questions about the subject. Ask yourself: What do I know about the subject? What do I think I should learn about the subject? 2. Look at any pictures or graphs that might explain things. 3. Look at subtitles FOCUS IN

3. Strategy 2 • Adjust reading speed to your purpose • Skim and scan first to look for details • Re-read more slowly if to search for meaning • Give yourself time to ask questions as you read • Visualize as you read

4. Strategy 3 • When do you read more slowly? • To read for meaning • To think critically and respond to the author’s ideas • To take notes • To see if your questions about the passage were answered and to formulate other questions

5. Strategy 4: As you read • Respond to what you read • Think: What is the author trying to say? • What assumptions is he making about his subject? • What is his attitude, his voice, his tone? • Does he have good details, and does he back up what he says?

6. Strategy 5 • Take notes as you read • Summarize some sections • Write notes in the margins • Mark your text: Underline main points Highlight some important details serendipity Circle or mark unfamiliar words or phrases

7. Strategy 6 • Visualize as you read • “A picture is worth a thousand words.” • Try to picture events in your mind • This will help you understand and remember

8. Reading Strategy 7 • Use vocabulary strategies • Be aware of the role of prefixes, suffixes and roots • Look for word clues • (inside parentheses) • After or before a dash – • Definitions of a word after a comma Ex: ADHD, an attention deficit disorder characterized by hyperactivity , • A synonym apprehensive (fearful) • A contrasting word (Instead of being confident, she was diffident.)

9. Strategy 8 • If you still can’t get the meaning… • Ask someone • OR • Use a dictionary • KEEP READING…The more you read, the more your vocabulary increases…

10. Strategy 9 • Find Main Ideas • The main idea is like an umbrella DANCE • BALLET • TAP DANCE • COUNTRY DANCE • WALTZ • RHUMBA • TANGO

11. Strategy 10: Signal words • Understand transitions • Sequence • Comparison-contrast • Cause-effect • Time • Examples • Conclusions

12. Strategy 11: Paraphrase • UNDERSTAND TO REMEMBER • You need to make sense of something before you remember • You need to understand with your OWN words to “own” what you have learned • Memorizing just “words” does not make sense • PARAPHRASING IS IMPORTANT • Try to understand the author first • Write notes in your own words

13. Strategy 12: After you read • Think about your reaction to this selection • Make a list of things you learned • Think about any questions you may still have about the topic • Think about the author’s writing style. What made the author’s work effective? • Decide what is the main point of the selection.

14. Strategy 13: Organize ideas/notes • Organize your notes • Outline form • 1. a…… • Summary form • Mapping • Two column format question answer question answer

15. Strategy 14: Facts and opinion • Is what the author says valid? • Generalizations versus facts • Facts versus opinions • Enough details to back up claims • Good reasoning tactics or fallacies? • Bad generalizations, hyperbole, and words such as best, greatest, finest, never, always… • Manipulation and emotional language

16. Quiz yourself • Pre-reading activities (at least 3) • Vocabulary tactics (list at least 4) • At what speed should you read? • 3 note-taking strategies • Why visualize? • List at least 4 kinds of transitions. What do transitions do? • At least 4 ways to increase vocabulary • How do you know if what the author says is worthwhile?