The Active Reading Process
Good readers get involved with what they are reading in a
variety of ways. As you read selections, challenge yourself to
choose which of the strategies listed below would be
appropriate for the informational text that you have been
assigned to read.
Activating prior knowledge:
Using background knowledge to make connections with what you already know about the reading
material in relation to personal experiences, knowledge about the world and other previously read
materials can help you understand the new text better and repair meaning if anything is unclear.
Inferring – stopping to think about what has been read:
By stopping and then pondering about what has been read, efficient readers connect new information
with background knowledge they possess. This allows them to process new information.
Asking questions:
When readers ask questions as they read and when they know where to look for answers to those
questions, they improve the quality of their reading, make inferences more readily, can reach
conclusions and are able to reestablish control over their reading. This would include searching to
identify the meaning of unknown words.
Predicting:
By anticipating what may come next in text based on what has already been read readers alert
themselves to possible confusions or awareness that their comprehension is breaking down. If a
prediction is wrong, efficient readers return to the text to make a new guess and get them back on track.
“Marking up” the reading material:
Effective readers underline important passages, and/or use a coding system to indicate essential
concepts, questions they may have about the text, recurring key words, or other points of interest.
Writing about what has been read:
By jotting down any thoughts or reflections or connections that come to mind about a text helps readers
to clarify what they think about the text and helps them better understand the text. The use of graphic
organizers helps the reader to see relationships between concepts.
Visualizing:
When meaning is compromised, efficient readers conjure up mental images from life experiences to
assist them in understanding what is occurring in the text or what the step that they are being instructed
to perform is likely to look like.
Rereading:
After reading a passage, stop and think about what it was that you just read about. Identify the main
idea and important details. If you cannot do that, go back and read the passage again.
Adjusting the rate of reading:
Everything should not be read at the same speed. If you are reading something that is technical or
complicated, slow down your rate of reading.