Active Reading
Strategies!!!
Six Strategies
 Visualize
 Clarify
 Question
 Predict
 Connect
 Evaluate
Valerie Called Queen Priscilla Cute and Energetic.
Visualize
 Describe the images you see as the author
describes them. Use the details from the text to
create the “movie in your mind.”
*Important things to note when visualizing are details.
 These are the picky little things that may seem
unimportant at first but may prove to be more
important later. They also separate the average
reader from the excellent reader. The more you
picture things in your mind as you read, the better
your recall of these details later.
Books Turned into Movies
 The Hunger Games
 Description of Katniss’s fire dress:
 “I am dressed in what will either be the most sensational
or the deadliest costume in the opening ceremonies. I’m
in a simple black leotard that covers me from ankle to
neck. Shiny leather boots lace up to my knees. But it’s the
fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow, and
red and the matching headpiece that define this costume.
Cinna plans to light them on fire just before our chariot
rolls into the streets.”
Visualization in your head
Visualizing in Music!
 Just like authors of books, song writers and artists
choose their words carefully to allow the listener to
visualize their songs.
 What do you picture when you read the following lyrics
to Katy Perry’s “Firework”?
“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the
wind wanting to start again? Do you ever feel, feel so
paper thin like a house of cards, one blown from caving
in?”
Question
 Ask questions about the text. What are you
confused by? What is motivating the character(s)?
Why are certain things happening?
 Don’t just try to remember the questions you have; write
them down!
 When a question is answered later in the text record your
answer.
What Questions Do You Have
About This Passage?
It is obvious to anyone thinking logically that minimum
wage should be increased. The current minimum wage
is an insult and is unfair to the people who receive it.
The fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase
was denied is proof that the government of this state is
crooked and corrupt. The only way for them to prove
otherwise is to raise minimum wage immediately.
Look carefully at the red
phrases for help…
It is obvious to anyone thinking logically that minimum
wage should be increased. The current minimum wage
is an insult and is unfair to the people who receive it.
The fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase
was denied is proof that the government of this state is
crooked and corrupt. The only way for them to prove
otherwise is to raise minimum wage immediately.
Example Questions
 It is obvious to anyone thinking logically that minimum wage
should be increased. The current minimum wage is an insult and is
unfair to the people who receive it. The fact that the last proposed
minimum wage increase was denied is proof that the government
of this state is crooked and corrupt. The only way for them to prove
otherwise is to raise minimum wage immediately.
1. Who is anyone and how is it obvious?
2. What is the current minimum wage?
3. Is the fact that the last proposed minimum wage increase was denied the only
proof that the government is corrupt?
4. Is raising minimum wage the only way for the government to prove they aren’t
corrupt?
5. What should minimum wage be raised to?
Clarify
 STOP AND PAY ATTENTION.
 Summarize/explain what you have read. This is a
great way to stop and check whether you
understand the text. Read on (and sometimes even
reread) and your understanding may change and
develop. When you find the answers to any
questions you have had, note them in the text.
 *Important things to note when clarifying are
sequencing, inferring, and determining vocabulary in
context.
Clarifying by Sequencing
 The order in which events occur; NOT necessarily
the order in which they are mentioned (i.e.
flashbacks)
 Flashbacks: a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time
earlier than the main story
 Ex: “You’re getting it. Good girl!” Anya cheered as she ran
beside her little sister. Anya smiled remembering when
her dad had taught her to ride a bike. She could still see
him running beside her, even when he didn’t need to
anymore! He’d always been so productive. But now, he
was gone and she alone had to take care of her family. “I
still need you, Dad,” she whispered.
 What would the order of events be in this passage?
Clarifying by Inferring
 Making an educated guess about something based
on clues you are given. This is sometimes called
"reading between the lines.”
 What can you infer from this picture?
Clarifying by Vocabulary in
Context
 Determine an unfamiliar word's meaning based on
the words around it and the way it is used
OR
 Looking up the definition in the dictionary
Predict
 Try to figure out what will happen next and how the selection
might end. Then read on to see how accurate your guesses
are.
 *Try to determine the plot events before they happen. Some
authors like to keep you guessing or throw surprises in, but
you'd be surprised how many stories have similar plots.
 For example, good guys usually win and bad guys usually
lose. All of Shakespeare's plays had the exact same plot
lines.
 Example - How do almost all dystopian teen novels play out?
Connect
 Text to Self: Refers to connections made between the
text and the reader’s personal experiences
 Text to World: Refers to connections made between a
text being read and something that occurs in the world.
 Text to Text: Refers to connections made between a
text being read to a text that was previously read.
Connect
 How do you connect to the following passage?
 “He begins shaking slightly as he looks out over the
sea of faces, some familiar, some not. His lunch tray
balances awkwardly in his hands. He feels as if all eyes
are on him, yet at the same time, he feels as if no one
even notices who he is.”
Evaluate
 Form opinions about what you’ve read, both while
you’re reading and after you’ve finished. Develop
your own ideas about characters and events. Make
a logical guess (infer) or come to a conclusion
based on the story or text.
 *Important things to remember about evaluating are
theme and tone.
Evaluating Through Theme
 Theme—the moral of the story; often the “life
lesson” to be learned from a piece of writing
 Common themes:
 Perseverance
 Courage
 Acceptance
 Honesty
 Kindness
 Loyalty
 What are the themes of most children’s books?
Evaluating Through Tone
 Tone--the writer's attitude about his/her subject (serious,
angry, sarcastic, humorous, etc.); this is not always easy to
determine but could mean the difference between
understanding what you're reading and not
 Sample words to describe tone:
Terrified
Unenthusiastic
Alarmed
Pressured
Fearful
Bossy
Evil
Frustrated
Cheerful
Adoring
Supportive
Loving
Distraught
Unified
Argumentative
Upset
Thrilled
Devoted
Fondness
Dedication
Companionship
Red Flags That You Need to
Use These Strategies!!
 The voice inside the reader’s head isn’t interacting with the text.
 The camera inside the reader’s head shuts off.
 The reader’s mind begins to wander.
 The reader can’t remember what has been read.
 Clarifying questions asked by the reader are not answered.
 The reader re-encounters a character and has no recollection
when that character was introduced.
Exit Ticket
 Of the six active reading strategies that we learned,
which do you think will benefit you the most to help you
understand what you read? Why?
 Visualize
 Clarify
 Question
 Predict
 Connect
 Evaluate