On the Trails

I have been looking for reading strategies to teach to kids for a long time. I have found some at: CAST UDL Book Builder’s web site

These are not my words – they are the words from the web site that I would like to remember.  I give full credit to the inspirational folks at CAST.

Reading Strategies

The following list describes and provides examples of ten of the most
common comprehension strategies used by proficient readers.

1. Activating prior knowledge
   — Skilled readers tap into their prior knowledge about aspects of a
   text, such as the topic, author, illustrator, and text structure. This
   helps them to connect new information with their own background
   knowledge and beliefs in order to make sense of new information and
   find a place to store it in their heads. Sample prior knowledge prompts
   include:
   1. Think about what you already know about this topic.
   2. In what ways are folktales different from fantasy stories?
   3. What do you notice about the illustrator’s style?
2. Checking the picture for clues
   — Most readers know to check the picture for clues to what is stated in
   the text, but sometimes it helps to remind emergent readers to use this
   strategy, especially when the text is challenging. Sample picture clue
   prompts include:
   1. Look at the picture on this page. What do you see?
   2. Look at the picture for a hint.
   3. Check the picture to see if it has clues for a tricky part of the story.
3. Predicting
   — Not only do we predict what a book is going to be about by looking at
   the title and cover, we predict the entire time we’re reading as we
   speculate on what will come next and then see if the book confirms or
   disconfirms our predictions. Sample prediction prompts include:
   1. Look at the cover page. What do you think this book is about?
   2. What do you think is going to happen next?
   3. How do you think the main character is going to solve her problem?
4. Rereading
   — Rereading is an excellent strategy for working out hard parts of the
   text and developing fluency. Skilled readers frequently reread in order
   to monitor their understanding. Sample rereading prompts include:
   1. When you reread this page, does it make more sense?
   2. Go back and reread any part of this story that was confusing to you.
   3. Try rereading when something doesn’t sound right.
5. Questioning
   — Proficient readers ask questions of the text before, during and after
   reading. Questioning before reading helps activate prior knowledge;
   questioning during reading ensures that the reader is understanding the
   author’s intent; questioning after reading cements ideas in the
   reader’s head and sets the stage for new questions. Sample questioning
   prompts include:
   1. Ask a question about something important to know and remember.
   2. Think of some questions that a teacher might ask.
   3. What do you wish you could ask the author?
6. Clarifying
   — Clarifying is a specific questioning strategy that is used when
   something is confusing or unclear during reading. Sometimes readers who
   struggle need to be reminded to ask for clarification rather than
   passively accepting confusion. Sample clarification prompts include:
   1. Find a part of the book that was confusing.
   2. Think about something that might be confusing for someone else.
   3. What might be hard to understand on this page?
7. Making personal connections
   — Readers continually make personal connections to the ideas and events
   that are presented in books. These connections engage the affective
   network and foster comprehension by forming links between the text and
   oneself, the text and other texts, and the text and the world. Sample
   connection prompts include:
   1. How do you think the main character feels?
   2. In what ways does this remind you of other books by this author?
   3. What are the differences between what is happening in the story and what has happened in your life?
8. Visualizing
   — Visualization is an useful strategy for both nonfiction and fiction
   texts, especially when there are limited illustrations. Visualization
   helps readers make connections with characters in a story or imagine
   complex processes described in an informational text. Sample
   visualization prompts include:
   1. Close your eyes and try to see it in your mind.
   2. In what ways does the image you have in your mind match what the book says?
   3. Imagine yourself in the story. What do you see around you?
9. Summarizing
   — Summarizing is considered the most difficult comprehension strategy.
   However, it is essential that readers be able to identify important
   ideas. Young readers are often asked to retell a story (an oral summary
   that may include some details), while older readers may be invited to
   form a synthesis (adding personal connections to a brief summary, or
   summarizing several texts at once). Sample summarization prompts
   include:
   1. Think about what’s happened so far.
   2. What do you think the author is trying to teach?
   3. What is the moral or lesson to this story?
10. Reflecting
    — Active, engaged readers reflect while they read. They may think about
    a favorite part of the text, ponder a new idea, or evaluate their
    emerging understanding. Reflection is a form of metacognition (thinking
    about one’s own thinking) that enhances reading comprehension. Sample
    reflection prompts include:
    1. What is your favorite part of the book?
    2. When you think about this topic, what comes to mind?
    3. In what ways have you improved in your understanding of this topic?

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