Active Reading

Throughout English Studies 12, you will be reading and listening to poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and informational text written in different writing styles. What do all types of reading material have in common? They all require that you read actively. Active reading means really thinking about the material while reading it, and using different techniques, depending on the type of writing and your purpose for reading it. Always read with a purpose whether you're seeking to understand an author, answer a specific question, or simply for pleasure. In order to better understand what you read, researchers have developed strategies that students need to use consciously for reading comprehension.

Effective reading comprehension strategies include

• self-monitoring (checking that you understand while reading)

• previewing the assigned questions on an assignment

• use of graphic organizers (There are others available in the folder on the front page of the course.)

• study of story structure

• predicting

• answering and generating questions; seeking clarification

• summarizing

Active Reading Strategy #1

QUESTION What questions come to mind as you are reading? For example, why do the characters act as they do? What causes events to happen? Why does the writer include certain information? Look for answers to your questions as you read.

VISUALIZE Use details from the story to create a picture in your mind. As you read along, change your picture as the story unfolds and your understanding grows. If you find yourself confused, try to state your confusion. Use your visualization to clarify whatever hasn’t been clear to you.

PREDICT What do you think will happen? Look for hints in the story that seem to suggest a certain outcome. As you read on, you will see if your predictions are correct.

CONNECT Bring your own experience and knowledge to the story. Make connections with what you know about similar situations or people in your life. Also make connections between one event and another in the story. Try to summarize how all the pieces of the story fit together.

RESPOND Think about what the story means. What does it say to you? What feelings does it evoke in you? What has the story added to your understanding of people and of life in general?

Active Reading Strategy #2: A second reading strategy is called SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. SQ3R is a comprehension strategy that helps students think about the text they are reading while they're reading. Often categorized as a study strategy, SQ3R helps students "get it" the first time they read a text by teaching students how to read and think like an effective reader. Here is a SQ3R graphic organizer you can use.

This strategy includes the following five steps (Robinson, 1946):

• • Survey: Students review the text to gain initial meaning from the headings, bolded text, and charts.

  • Question: Students begin to generate questions about their reading from previewing it.

  • Read: As students read, they need to look for answers to the questions they formulated during their preview of the text. These questions, based on the structure of the text, help focus students' reading.

  • Recite: As students move through the text they should recite or rehearse the answers to their questions and make notes about their answer for later studying.

  • Review: After reading, students should review the text to answer lingering questions and recite the questions they previously answered.

Practice: Put your skills to use! Use one of the reading comprehension strategies to guide your reading and understanding of the following article.

1. Click here to read about "Nature Deficit Disorder".

2. Click here for some questions to answer based on the reading. Either keep a copy open on your computer, or you can print a copy.

3. Check your answers. How did you do?