1. Self-Monitoring
Self-Monitoring involves keeping track of whether you're understanding the text as you read. When a problem in comprehension arises, they need to figure out what the problem is and how to fix it so they can improve their understanding. We call these strategies, "Fix-Up" Strategies. The following is a list of some of these fix-up strategies:
- Reread the section more slowly
- Reread the part before you stopped understanding
- Read on and see if it clears up the problem and answers your questions
- Try to make a picture in your mind (visualize)
- Look at any visuals! (pictures, graphs, charts) Do they help?
- Look up any confusing words in the dictionary
- Read the part aloud to yourself
- Flag difficult spots with a sticky note and go back to it
- Talk to a friend or ask the teacher
2. Analyzing (Determining Important Ideas)
Analyzing is finding the facts when you read. When you analyze a text, you are looking for specific information provided by the author.
When you analyze, you need to:
- skim and scan features and elements to locate information prior to reading
- focus on literal information (what the author actually states)
- retrieve main ideas (often at the very beginning and ending of a paragraph or article) and their supporting details.
3. Making Connections
Making connections is a strategy where you link the text to relevant personal experiences and your accumulated knowledge. You draw on your experiences, knowledge, opinions, or emotions to better understand what you read. There are three types of connections:
a) Text to Self - Information from a text is linked to personal experiences.
b) Text to Text - Information that you read from one text is linked to something you read in another text.
c) Text to World - Information from the text is linked to issues and events in our world/society.
Examples of Guiding Questions/Ideas for connections:
- This reminds me of....
- I remember I saw something like this on television....
- I have felt like this character before when....
- This book reminds me of another book I read called.....
- Have I been in a similar situation to what I am reading about right now?
- How does this make me feel?
- What are the similarities/differences between the characters in this book to another book that I have read?
- Does this part remind me of something I've have heard in the news?
Making connections is a strategy where you link the text to relevant personal experiences and your accumulated knowledge. You draw on your experiences, knowledge, opinions, or emotions to better understand what you read. There are three types of connections:
a) Text to Self - Information from a text is linked to personal experiences.
b) Text to Text - Information that you read from one text is linked to something you read in another text.
c) Text to World - Information from the text is linked to issues and events in our world/society.
Examples of Guiding Questions/Ideas for connections:
- This reminds me of....
- I remember I saw something like this on television....
- I have felt like this character before when....
- This book reminds me of another book I read called.....
- Have I been in a similar situation to what I am reading about right now?
- How does this make me feel?
- What are the similarities/differences between the characters in this book to another book that I have read?
- Does this part remind me of something I've have heard in the news?
4. Sequencing
Sequencing is understanding the order of a story/text and being able to put events in sequence (in order) from the beginning to the end.
* Try reading a news article about an event or incident and then recall/write down the events in order from beginning to end.
* Placing the events of a chapter/book in order, and then record this down or tell someone.
5. Predicting
Predicting involves using and finding clues in the text that help you guess what will happen next. You can also use text clues to revise/change your prediction. When predicting, you can use the text itself, pictures, and titles to help you predict the next event. Next time you read a chapter book, try making predictions as you read and then continue reading to see if your predictions are correct. :)
6. Inferring
"Reading between the lines".
Inferring involves using all parts of a text to help you make conclusions and educated guesses about the text. When inferring, you're making interpretations about the text versus pulling out the actual facts. Predicting is a type of inference, where you think about the "future" parts of the text. Other inferring is made when you look at previous parts of the book or in the present moment of reading. Another difference with predicting is that you can continue reading to see if you're correct or not. When you infer, you can't really check if you're right.
Sentence starters when making predictions:
- I think that....
- Maybe it means....
- I'm guessing that....
- I predict......
7. Visualizing
"Creating a movie of the text in your head".
Visualizing involves picturing in your head what you're reading. You can use the actual text to visualize, but you can also use photographs, diagrams, charts, and maps to help you create that picture in your mind and to support your understanding. Visualizing helps you record and store information as pictures in your brain. When visualizing, you can also imagine what you're five senses may be experiencing. What might you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell?
8. Evaluating
Evaluating involves reacting to a text (i.e. - liking it or not liking it and why) and forming opinions about information in a text. When you evaluate, you do the following:
a) Recognize the difference between fiction, non-fiction, and info-fiction texts.
b) Recognize whether an author has a solid argument versus a biased opinion.
c) Form opinions based on what you read.
d) Confirm or adjust opinions as you read and learn other points of view.
e) Establish a point of view and learn to see events or arguments from other people's perspective.
f) Use evidence from the text to back up your opinion.
g) Critique how the author wrote the text. (Eg. Did they explain information clearly? What it a good ending?).
Sequencing is understanding the order of a story/text and being able to put events in sequence (in order) from the beginning to the end.
* Try reading a news article about an event or incident and then recall/write down the events in order from beginning to end.
* Placing the events of a chapter/book in order, and then record this down or tell someone.
5. Predicting
Predicting involves using and finding clues in the text that help you guess what will happen next. You can also use text clues to revise/change your prediction. When predicting, you can use the text itself, pictures, and titles to help you predict the next event. Next time you read a chapter book, try making predictions as you read and then continue reading to see if your predictions are correct. :)
6. Inferring
"Reading between the lines".
Inferring involves using all parts of a text to help you make conclusions and educated guesses about the text. When inferring, you're making interpretations about the text versus pulling out the actual facts. Predicting is a type of inference, where you think about the "future" parts of the text. Other inferring is made when you look at previous parts of the book or in the present moment of reading. Another difference with predicting is that you can continue reading to see if you're correct or not. When you infer, you can't really check if you're right.
Sentence starters when making predictions:
- I think that....
- Maybe it means....
- I'm guessing that....
- I predict......
"Creating a movie of the text in your head".
Visualizing involves picturing in your head what you're reading. You can use the actual text to visualize, but you can also use photographs, diagrams, charts, and maps to help you create that picture in your mind and to support your understanding. Visualizing helps you record and store information as pictures in your brain. When visualizing, you can also imagine what you're five senses may be experiencing. What might you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell?
8. Evaluating
Evaluating involves reacting to a text (i.e. - liking it or not liking it and why) and forming opinions about information in a text. When you evaluate, you do the following:
a) Recognize the difference between fiction, non-fiction, and info-fiction texts.
b) Recognize whether an author has a solid argument versus a biased opinion.
c) Form opinions based on what you read.
d) Confirm or adjust opinions as you read and learn other points of view.
e) Establish a point of view and learn to see events or arguments from other people's perspective.
f) Use evidence from the text to back up your opinion.
g) Critique how the author wrote the text. (Eg. Did they explain information clearly? What it a good ending?).
