Effective reading at home

Reading is not just pronouncing words: it requires understanding. Most experienced readers use a variety of strategies to understand text. The following strategies can help students understand any text in any subject.

Make Predictions
Visualize
Ask and Answer Questions
Retell and Summarize
Connect the Text to Life Experiences, Other Texts, or Prior Knowledge

Make Predictions
Predictions encourage active reading and keep students interested, whether or not the predictions are correct. Incorrect predictions can signal a misunderstanding that needs to be revisited. Instruct students:

Look at the pictures, table of contents, chapter headings, maps, diagrams, and features. What subjects are in the book?
Write down predictions about the text. During reading, look for words or phrases from those predictions.
While reading, revise the predictions or make new ones.

Visualize
Many students think visually, using shapes, movement, and colors, and can benefit greatly from this strategy. Instruct students:

Imagine a fiction story taking place as if it were a movie. Imagine the characters' features. Picture the plot in time and space.
Use graphic organizers to lay out information. Make sketches or diagrams on scrap paper.

Ask and Answer Questions
Having students form their own questions helps them recognize confusion and encourages active learning. Instruct students:

Before reading, think about the subject based on the title, chapter heads, and visual information. Make note of anything you are curious about.
While reading, pause and write down any questions. Be sure to ask questions if there is confusion.
Look for the answers while reading. Pause and write down the answers.
Were all the questions answered? Could the answers come from other sources?

Retell and Summarize
Relating the text in students' own words clears up language issues. Retelling challenges them to aim for complete retention. Summarization allows students to discriminate between main ideas and minor details. Instruct students:

During reading, note the main ideas or events. Put a check mark in the book or write a note to point out a main idea.
At the ends of chapters or sections, review the information or story. Note main ideas or events and the details that support them.
After reading, retell or summarize the text. Focus on the important points, and support them with relevant details.
Refer to the book to check the retelling or summarization.