The document provides strategies for becoming a better reader and understanding what is read. It discusses several pre-reading strategies including identifying the topic, activating prior knowledge about the topic through schemas, and skimming to get a general idea and identify questions. It also recommends strategies for active reading like reading slowly to understand details while finding the main idea, and checking that each paragraph supports the overall topic. The document stresses the importance of thinking about and asking questions about what was read.

1. Reading Level 1
Week 1

2.  How do you become a better reader?
 How can you remember and understand what you read
effectively?
 How can you read and understand unfamiliar vocabulary?
The Answer:
Reading Strategies!

3.  What is this about?
 What is the topic?
 What do the pictures
or charts tell me?
Pre-Reading
Strategy
A topic is the subject of a
book, movie, conversation, or
written work. The topic
answers the question, “Who
or what is this about?” The
topic is usually just a short
word or phrase.
See page 2
of Ready
to Read
Now

4.  What is this about?
 What is the topic?
 What do the pictures
or charts tell me?
http://www.aw-bc.com/info/scientificamerican/images/diet_spread_vol6.jpg
Pre-Reading Strategy

5. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-
NzdYBG9Emxo/Tj67v0WX9HI/AAAAAAAAAHw/IzK
Ys4bzd1k/s1600/schema%2Bposter.jpg
 A schema is like a file-cabinet of all your
knowledge.
 A schema is all your prior knowledge.
 Activate your schema by asking, “What do I
already know about this topic?”
Pre-Reading Strategy

6. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-
NzdYBG9Emxo/Tj67v0WX9HI/AAAAAAAAAHw/IzK
Ys4bzd1k/s1600/schema%2Bposter.jpg
 Example: What do I know about this topic:
 Planets in our solar system
 Look at page 13
 What do you know about important inventions?
 What are 10 important inventions that you
know about?
Pre-Reading Strategy

7.  Remember, the first sentence often
tells you the topic and the main idea.
 The last sentence often repeats the
topic and sometimes includes the main
idea.
 You may already know the topic,
but now you will also learn the
CONTROLLING IDEA.
 Remember, the controlling idea
shows what the author thinks
about the topic.
http://www.readingrockets.org/sites/default/f
iles/strategy_paragraphhamburger.jpg

8. Skimming is reading
quickly. This gives you a
general idea about the
reading.
Make a note of any
questions you have
If you don’t know the main
idea yet, you should find it
now…
https://blogmilitaryfamily.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/african-american-
male-student-reading.jpg

9. Now, you can take time
to actually read the
entire work. Go slowly
enough to understand
each detail, but quickly
enough to understand
the overall main idea.
https://blogmilitaryfamily.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/african-
american-male-student-reading.jpg

10.  The whole written work
must be about 1 topic.
Also, each paragraph
only has 1 main idea.
 Check to make sure that
you have identified the
correct topic.
 Then, think about the
main idea. What does the
author think about the
topic?
What’s the topic?
https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9c/39/b4/9c39b423ca241a98e0c14bb
8e2fb274e.jpg

11. http://www.end-your-sleep-deprivation.com/images/sleep-questions-man.jpg
Whether you are reading for fun or for
class, it is important to think about
what you read.
Ask questions!
What did you like about that reading?
Why?
What do you wonder?
Do you agree with the author? What
do you want to ask the author?