Active readers engage fully with text by asking questions, making guesses, and rephrasing ideas in their own words to gain a deeper understanding. They take an active role in constructing meaning from a text, rather than passively absorbing words. In contrast, passive readers expect the author to do all the work of holding their interest and motivating them, and they may skim over unfamiliar concepts without fully engaging or asking questions.

1. Active Readers vs. Passive Readers

2. Active Readers Passive Readers
Vs.
Read Ideas Read Words
Goal to learn something Goal to finish material (text)
Expectation:
 Contribute or Add Value
 Self Motivated
 Create interest
Expectation:
 Author to do all work
 Motivate them
 Keep them interested
No Thinking, wander minds
Engage with Characters and build story Skims and Skips over unfamiliar words
Put clues together and rephrase the same Neither engage characters nor build stories
Ask Questions Doesn’t ask Question
Makes Guesses about what’s going to happen
next
Read everything at the same speed and accept
whatever is written – not willing to add
something

3. Reading Strategies