Lesson 7 — Activity 1: Reading Strategies
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Lesson 7 — Activity 1:
Reading Strategies
Making sense of something you read for the first time can be tricky! Here are some reading strategies that are very common.
To help you understand new information, do you do any of the following when you read?
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skim or scan the material
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read the material out loud
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reread the material
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form
questions in your mind
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make predictions about what might happen next
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use clues from the material to give you clues to the meaning
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use webs and charts to organize the information from the text
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summarize what you have read
skim or scan the material
read the material out loud
reread the material
form questions in your mind
make predictions about what might happen next
use clues from the material to give you clues to the meaning
use webs and charts to organize the information from the text
summarize what you have read
Click on the tabs below to learn more about these reading strategies.
Skimming is one strategy to help you understand the meaning of what you are reading. When you skim, you look only for the general or main ideas of the material. You only read what is important to your
purpose. Skimming allows you to look for details in addition to the main ideas. Skimming can be a helpful strategy if you are trying to get the general idea of a new piece of information.
Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your reading. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything. Scanning also allows you to find details and other information in a hurry.
Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your reading. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything. Scanning also allows you to find details and other information in a hurry.
Reading out loud is a strategy that many people use to help them understand new information. In elementary school, most reading is out loud until students learn to read silently to themselves. When you read out loud, you not only SEE the words, but you
HEAR them as well.
Read this passage out loud — don't worry about who might be listening!
Do you feel hungry now? Reading out loud can really help get the message across!
Read this passage out loud — don't worry about who might be listening!
Chocolate chip cookies are a favourite of adults and kids everywhere! Who can resist a chewy cookie with chunks of chocolate? What makes chocolate chip cookies even tastier is a mug of hot chocolate. You can either dip your cookie into the hot chocolate, or you can take a bite and then sip. The sweet, chewy cookie and the heat from the hot drink melts in your mouth and tastes heavenly! The next time you are craving a sweet treat, consider a chocolate chip cookie and a mug of hot chocolate to go with it. You'll be glad you did!
Do you feel hungry now? Reading out loud can really help get the message across!
Rereading is a strategy that can help you understand new information. Rereading will help you focus on the text you did not understand the first time you read it through. Rereading is very useful when you are taking an exam.
Read this passage and then REREAD it to see if your understanding improves.
Camelopards are interesting mammals. Their spectacular arrangement of splotches and spots is unique to each one. Did you know that a camelopard's designs are not unlike human fingerprints? That's correct — the pattern in their
body
covering is as individual as the animal itself. Did you also know that they pluck their food from atop high, high trees with long, thin pointed tongues? Yes, that's right — they have long, thin pointed tongues, not unlike that of the anteater. They are
majestic, calm, and patient creatures who dwell in the sparse African terrain. Do you know what a camelopard is also known as? Well, a giraffe, of course!
Read this passage and then REREAD it to see if your understanding improves.
Camelopards are interesting mammals. Their spectacular arrangement of splotches and spots is unique to each one. Did you know that a camelopard's designs are not unlike human fingerprints? That's correct — the pattern in their
body
covering is as individual as the animal itself. Did you also know that they pluck their food from atop high, high trees with long, thin pointed tongues? Yes, that's right — they have long, thin pointed tongues, not unlike that of the anteater. They are
majestic, calm, and patient creatures who dwell in the sparse African terrain. Do you know what a camelopard is also known as? Well, a giraffe, of course!
Reread it now!
Forming questions as you read is a strategy to help you understand what you are reading by looking for the answer. If you come up with some questions about what you are reading, you may find the answers within the text.
Click back on the previous tab to the passage about camelopards. Read the passage again. This time, however, write down some questions as you go. The questions might be about vocabulary words or how to pronounce something you read. Any questions that come to mind while reading can help you make sense of new information.
Click back on the previous tab to the passage about camelopards. Read the passage again. This time, however, write down some questions as you go. The questions might be about vocabulary words or how to pronounce something you read. Any questions that come to mind while reading can help you make sense of new information.
You have probably heard about making predictions in science. You can also make predictions to help you understand what you read. As you read, you can "guess" what might happen next or what the outcome might be at the end of the passage.
Read the paragraph below.
Predict what might happen next!
Read the paragraph below.
Fifty-six centimetres of snow fell in 29 hours in my small town of Glastrow. I had a broken leg, and the phones were out. I needed to get to the doctor so they could remove my cast. If I missed my appointment, it would be three weeks before the doctor came back to town. The streets were still and quiet. How could I contact someone to get them to help me? Then a thought came to me; an idea that just might work to alert my neighbours that I needed help!
Predict what might happen next!
Using clues is another technique that can really help you understand what you are reading. When looking for clues, look for words that are familiar to you. Try to think of where you have heard the words or seen the images being described. If you can make
these types of connections, you will understand the passage better.
Look for clues as you read this short poem. What is it about?
Dogs & Wood
What clues did you look for to make sense of this poem?
Look for clues as you read this short poem. What is it about?
Dogs & Wood
Do you know this one?
The small, white almond shapes
The faithful black centres
Familiar scent
I know this
form
I know this shape
I can think of no other place I'd rather be
than ...
Next to you on a hot summer's day
The dog days of summer spent under my dogwood tree
What clues did you look for to make sense of this poem?
Webs and charts are two ways to organize information in visual ways so that it is easier to understand. If you read a long paragraph about something you don't quite understand, you can put the information into a "web" so that you can see the important
facts more easily. This is called a graphic organizer. There are many different types of graphic organizers that can help you to understand what you are reading.
This is an example of a web graphic organizer:
Courtesy of ADLC
This is an example of a web graphic organizer:
Courtesy of ADLC
Making a summary of what you have read is a technique that many people have used. Teachers will often ask students to summarize information. This means that as you read, you make brief notes. These notes create a summary of what you have read. A summary
is a shorter version of the original with the most important facts highlighted.
Read the following passage. The underlined and bolded words are what could be pulled out of this passage to put into a summary.
Read the following passage. The underlined and bolded words are what could be pulled out of this passage to put into a summary.
Avalanches are rapid, downhill movements of snow, ice, or rock. They occur like landslide movements when the weight of the material overcomes the friction. The snow, ice, and sometimes rock starts to descend at considerable speeds under the force of gravity. Average speeds are between 40 to 60 kilometres per hour and up to speeds of 200 kilometres per hour. Avalanches are widespread globally and are commonly found in mountainous areas.
Self-check!
Click on the Play button below to watch a short video on how to be a better reader!