1. READING PLAN
Strategies
Before Reading:
Look at the article you will be reading, and think about it. Answer the questions:
What is the topic?
What do you already know about that topic?
What would you like to learn?
Scan the headings: Take a look at the title of what you’ll be reading.
Predict: Try predicting what kind of information you’ll find. Then while you are reading, pay
attention to see if what you find agrees with your expectations. And keep making
predictions about what’s coming up next. This keeps your mind focused and engaged.
During the reading:
Scanning:Tryscanning first and then reading carefully,or reading carefullythe first time
and then scanning through again just for main ideas.
Ask questions: “what is the author really trying to say," “what is the main idea in this
section," and “do I really understand what I’m reading?
Take notes: Highlighting, underlining, and writing down information forces your mind
to think about what you’ve read more than once, as well as helping you pick out the
really important parts.
Pay attention to organization:In the article, every sentence and paragraph is connected
to every other sentence and paragraph. It helps you figure out things like how all the
different parts are connected and what the main ideas are, as well as what the writer
was trying to accomplish.
After reading:
Pick out the main ideas: Think about just what the author was trying to communicate.
Connecting to real life: We remember things that are meaningful, so one of the best ways
to really make information stick is to relate it to your own life. While you’re reading and
after you are finished, be alert for ways the text reminds you of your life and experiences
you have had.
Answer questions: answer the questions given.