Reading Comprehension Strategies

Some Reading Comprehension Strategies to do at home

before, during, after reading

Connections (access prior knowledge)

1. Text-to-Self connections
   • Does this book remind you of anything that happened to you?

2. Text-to-Text connections

• Does this book remind you of any other books you have read/movies you have seen?
• Have you read any other books by the same author? How could this help you with this book? What is the same/difference?

3. Text-to-World

• Does this book remind you of anything that has happened to someone else, on the news, etc.?

Questioning & Wondering: ask thick (need to do more research/search for answers) and thin (answers are in the book/doesn’t help you to understand the text) questions

1. What did this part make you wonder? Why?
2. How would you feel if that happened to you? What would you do?
3. Do you have any questions left that weren’t answered at the end?
4. What if…?
5. Why did…?
6. What caused…?
7. How would you feel if you…?
8. Why do you think…?
9. How did…?
10. What would happen if…?
11. What might…?
12. What character traits describe ___ ?
13. Why is…?

Visualizations: making a picture or movie in your head

1. What pictures were you making in your head while you were reading?
2. What did you hear, see, or feel when you read this?
3. Describe the setting/characters using as much detail as you can.

Inferring: reading between the lines

1. Why do you think ___ happened?
2. Why do you think the character acted that way?
3. If you have any questions after reading, what might be the answer?

Predicting: what will come next

1. Looking at the cover - What do you think the story is about?
2. Part way through - What do you think is going to happen next?
3. After reading - What do you think would happen if the story continued, or if there was another book/sequel?