Active Reading Traits
1. To be an effective reader, you must be an active reader. To be an active reader, you should
2. Have a purpose in mind
3. Use context clues to determine meaning
4. Ask questions to clarify understanding
5. Use context clues and background knowledge to make inferences
6. Make connections with the text (to activate background knowledge)
7. Monitor comprehension while reading
8. Revise or confirm inferences based on textual evidence
9. Reread or shift to a slower reading rate when comprehension breaks down
10. Visualize as you read
11. Put the pieces together to get the main idea
12. Determine the most important ideas in a text
13. Summarize important points and details to check for understanding
14. Look for the figurative after you understand the literal
15. Look for patterns