5 Reading strategies


  1. Activating background knowledge. Studies have shown that if learners are doing activities and engage with others, it will build new knowledge based on the older (background) knowledge.

What do you know about a specific topic? This will help them to make reading more engaging and fun. In this manner the learner will then be more creative and wants to learn more.

  1. Questioning focuses on the fact that each learner needs to reflect on what they have learned from the text. If the teacher asks questions after the text have been read to the learners, it will improve their comprehension. The teacher can give the learners some food for thought in order to encourage further independent research by learners about this topic. This in turn also enhances active learning.

  2. Analyzing text structure refers to analyzing the structure of the text. Graphs or the compilation of a table will help with this process. It is crucial to teach learners all the different patterns in which a text can be presented to to the reader.

  3. Visualization is based on the learners' use of imagination to create mental picture of what the text poses. Visualization has a few benefits namely

  4. Summarizing

  • Learners learn best when doing their own summary of what the text was about.

  • Learners can include diagrams, mind maps, table and drawings in their summaries.