Effective before, during, and after reading strategies are discussed for expository text.

1. Effective Reading
Strategies
Before, During, and After Reading Strategies for
Non-Fiction Comprehension
Kimberly Wauters
RED4348 – Literacy Development
Engel 2015

2. Develop a Comprehensive Reading Plan
 Before Reading Strategies
 Activate Prior Knowledge
 Consider Text Readability
 Set A Purpose
 Scan the Text
 During Reading Strategies
 Self-Monitor
 Visualize
 Take Notes
 Make Connections
 After Reading Strategies
 Summarize
 Review
 Discuss
 Seek Clarification

3. Before Reading Strategies
Activate
Prior
Knowledge
Consider
Text
Readability
Set a
Purpose
Scan the
Text

4. Activating Prior Knowledge
• Brainstorming
• Group Discussions
• Mind or Concept Mapping
• Advance Organizers
• Vocabulary Previews
• KWL Charts
• Developing Pre-Reading Questions
Prior Knowledge is”…the knowledge and skills
that readers bring to the reading process”
(Bursuck & Damer, 2011, p. 276)
Activities

5.  Five Finger Test
1. Open an expository text to any
page near the middle
2. Begin reading aloud
3. Hold up 1 finger for every word
read incorrectly
4. If you are holding up 5 fingers
before you reach the end of the
page, the book is too hard
5. If you are holding up some fingers
before you reach the end of the
page, the book is just right
Consider Text Readability
 Is the text comprehensible and at the
appropriate level of the reader?
 According to Bursuck & Damer, “When
a student is expected to read
frustration-level text, feelings of
inadequacy for the task can consume
her attention and diminish effort”
(2011, p. 277).

6. “The nature and purpose of a reading task also affect
comprehension” (Bursuck & Damer, 2011, p. 276).
Set A Purpose
• Pre-read comprehension questions to focus attention
during reading and guide retention efforts towards key
concepts
• Predict what will be covered in the text by examining
exterior text features: Cover art, back-cover summary, and
title
• Is the purpose for reading recreational or academic?

7. o Consider and note the structural organization of content by examining
expository text features
Scan the Text
o Maps
o Tables
o Graphs
o Illustrations
o Bolded Vocabulary
o Index
o Table of Contents
o Chapter Headings
o Section Headings
o Figures
o Captions
o Glossary

9. During Reading Strategies
Self-Monitor for
Comprehension
Take Notes to
Summarize
and Retain
Information
Visualize the
Information
Make
Connections

10. Think A-Louds
Summarizing Key Information
Re-reading Misunderstood Text
Setting an Appropriate Reading Pace
Monitoring for Comprehension
Metacognitive Skills : Students’ ability to “…plan, monitor, and select
effective strategies when there is a problem with their comprehension”
(Bursuck & Damer, 2011, p. 285).
Do I understand
what I’m
reading?

11. “Visualizing
strengthens reading
comprehension skills
as students gain a
more thorough
understanding of the
text they are reading
by consciously using
the words to create
mental images”
-
Teachervison.com
Visualize the InformationVisualize the Information
• Create a mental picture of what is being read and
relate it to personal experiences
• Keep a visualization reading log where images and
connections are documented for future reference
• Seeing key information in your mind will help you
remember it later!

12. Take Notes!
• Use sticky notes to write key information on the
page and find the hot spots
• Complete graphic organizers to summarize,
compare, and contrast important concepts and
details
• Make outlines
• Cornell note-taking
• Highlight key terms and information
• Pair and Share notes
• Make Index Cards for future reference
“Taking good notes requires students
to evaluate, organize and summarize
information.”
-
GreatSchools.org

14. Make Connections
• Text to Self
How does the information relate to me?
• Text to Text
How does the information remind me of
something I’ve read before?
• Text to the World
How does the information relate to the world?
“Reading comes alive when we
recognize how the ideas in the text
connect to our experiences and
beliefs, events happening in the
larger world, our understanding of
history, and our knowledge of other
texts.”
-
FacingHistory.org

15. After Reading Strategies
Summarize Key
Ideas and
Concepts
Discuss the
Content
Review
Comprehension
Questions &
Notes
Seek
Clarification

16. Summarize Key Concepts and Details
 It helps students learn to determine essential
ideas and consolidate important details that
support them.
 It enables students to focus on key words
and phrases of an assigned text that are
worth noting and remembering.
 It teaches students how to take a large
selection of text and reduce it to the main
points for more concise understanding.
-
ReadingRockets.org
“Summarizing can also help
students evaluate their
understanding of what they
have read, tell important and
unimportant information apart,
and better remember what they
have read” (Bursuck & Damer,
2011, p. 293)

17. Review Comprehension Questions & Notes
QAR’s
Right There
Author and You
Think and Search
On My Own
• Were your questions answered in the text?
• Did the text cover the topics you expected?
• Are your notes organized and thorough?

18. Discuss the Text
• Think, Pair, Share
• WHIP Questioning (TheTeacherToolKit.com)
• Discussion Webs (EducationWorld.com)
• Blog and Tweet
• Reading Circles
“A recent study, published in Literacy, found that
placing children in small group discussions
fostered reading comprehension through
creative and meaningful conversations.”
-
NeuroNetLearning.com

19. Was there something you did
not understand?
 Ask parents, friends, and teachers
to clarify the meaning of difficult
content
 Conduct independent research
 Try revisiting the text in an effort to
draw more meaning from it.
Would you like to know more
about the content within the
text?
 Find other books and internet
resources on the
subject
 Seek out the opinions and thoughts
of experts through digital
communication
Seek Clarification

20. The Power of Reading
“Not all readers are leaders, but all
leaders are readers.”
―
Harry S. Truman
“A great book should leave you with
many experiences, and slightly
exhausted at the end”
–William
Styron

21. References
Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2011). Teaching reading to students who are at risk or have disabilities. Boston: Pearson.
Education World, Inc. (2011, November 15). Webs (The discussion kind!) in the classroom. Retrieved from Education World: Connecting
educators to what works: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson032.shtml
ESC Region 13. (n.d.). Whip around. Retrieved November 2015, from TheTeacherToolKit.com:
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/whip-around
Facing History and Ourselves. (n.d.). Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World. Retrieved November 2015, from FacingHistory.org:
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/text-text-text-self-text-worl
NeuroNet Learning. (2013, October 13). Neuronetlearning.com. Retrieved from Small group discussion fosters reading comprehension:
http://neuronetlearning.com/blog/small-group-discussion-fosters-reading-comprehension/
Porter, K. (n.d.). Pre-reading Strategies. Retrieved November 2015, from StudyGuidesandStrategies.net: http://www.studygs.net/preread.htm
Sandbox Networks Inc. (n.d.). Visualizing. Retrieved November 2015, from TeacherVision.com: https://www.teachervision.com/reading-
comprehension/skill-builder/48791.html?page=1&
Unknown. (2013). Identifying expository text features. Retrieved from CourseImage.com: http://courseimage.com/images/187215-expository-text-
features.png
Walshire, R. (2015). Five finger test for choosing books. Retrieved from Rachael Walshire's Site:
http://www.antioch34.com/webpages/RWalshire/mrs.cfm?subpage=744600
WETA Public Broadcasting. (n.d.). Summarizing. Retrieved November 2015, from ReadingRockets.org:
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/summarizing