Reading Strategies

You may have heard your teachers talk about using reading strategies.  What are reading strategies?  Reading strategies are things we do while we are reading that help us think about the text and understand the text.  

All good readers use reading strategies to help them really think about the text when they are reading.  Reading strategies are ideas or plans for what a good reader will do while ho or she is reading.  You can think of reading strategies as "tools" that a reader uses.  When a carpenter builds something, he or she uses tools to help him or her.  When a chef cooks something, he or she uses tools to help him or her.  When you, the reader, reads something, you use tools to help you read.  We call these reading tools reading STRATEGIES!

Some examples of good reading strategies are making predictions, visualizing, or making connections.  Good readers use strategies before, while, and after reading.  It’s important to think about the book before, while, and after reading to make sure you really understand what you read. 

I will be posting about a new reading strategy each week.   Try and think about using these good reading strategies when you read!  Can you tell me about some reading strategies you know and use already?  How does the strategy help you as a reader?