Reading strategies

Before reading

The more you prepare your students before reading, the greater the chance they will understand what they read!

Prior knowledge

Make connections between what your students already know and what they are about to read. Ask your students to tell you what they know about the subject of a text. As they talk, probe for more detailed information. If there are gaps in their knowledge, supply the necessary information.

Skim through the text. Look for unfamiliar words or phrases. Explain these words or phrases to your students using concepts and words they are familiar with.

Context clues

All readers find it difficult to read and understand information on an unfamiliar topic. Help your students learn how successful readers predict the content of a text.

To predict the
content of:		 Look at these clues:
a novel
  • front and back covers, including the “blurb”
  • first paragraph
a non‐fiction book
  • title, table of contents and index
a newspaper article
  • headline
  • photograph and caption
  • with more advanced students, discuss the potential bias of an article based on where it was published

Provide a focus for your students

Review the questions of a homework assignment before you start reading, or ask your students to focus on specific areas i.e., plot, characters, information gained, etc.