Strategic Reading means the reader has a plan in her head for understanding what she is reading. Strategic readers become more and more aware of what they are getting out of their reading and which strategies to use for every text.
There are Three Phases of Strategic Reading with effective strategies for each phase. These strategies can take place in conversation with others, but mostly happen in the reader's head as he reads.
Before Reading Strategies
- Preview the text
- Identify new vocabulary
- Ask questions
- Make connections to what I already know
- Make predicitons
During Reading Strategies
- Make connections between: text and personal experience, text and the world, text and other texts
- Visualize
- Draw conclusions about things the author has not told you
- Make predictions and support them; then adjust or confirm them as you read
- Ask questions
- Summarize
- Self-monitor for understanding
- Reread
After Reading Strategies
- Ask questions
- Evaluate and adjust predictions
- Skim to find specific information
- Reread
- Summarize
- Draw conclusions
- Compare/Contrast
- Identify cause/effect
- Analyze theme
- Synthesize