How to Effectively Teach Strategic Reading

2148 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Glossary of reading strategies

Strategic Readers

To be strategic means to use a careful plan of action intended to accomplish a specific target goal or outcome (Company, 2002). Ultimately our goal in reading is to gain knowledge and understanding through comprehension of text we present ourselves with for lifelong learning and enjoyment. To be a strategic reader means the use of a variety of intentional cognitive skills and strategies to read for a purpose. Strategic readers have the ability to adjust their reading for different purposes and reading tasks, understanding when it is necessary to tend to every detail and when it is appropriate to read quickly for enjoyment (Tovani, 2000). Becoming a strategic reader involves two main aspects, first the reader must become more automatic in using strategies as well as come to be more deliberate and aware. These aspects can be taught through direct explanation and modeling (Guthrie & Alvermann, 1999).

Skills of Strategic Readers

Using reading strategies successfully is important in constructing meaning from text. Good readers employ many strategic reading skills automatically throughout the reading process, before, during and after. Some of these skills are cognitive which involves cognition or thinking, while others are metacognitive involving reflection or thinking about thinking. Strategic readers employ both cognitive and metacognitive skills, including but not limited to, previewing text, understanding text structures, activating prior knowledge, making connections, making predictions, drawing inferences, summarizing, and monitoring comprehension (Tompkins, 2011).

One of the first things strategic readers do before they begin reading is to preview the text. Previewing helps students to learn better by ...

... middle of paper ...

...skills automatically throughout the reading process, as described above. Through direct explanation and modeling using these tools teachers can successfully aid students in the process of become a strategic reader.

Works Cited

Company, H. M. (2002). The american heritage college dictionary. (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Guthrie, J.T., & Alvermann, D.E. (1999). Engaged reading, processes, practices, and policy implications. New York, NY: Teacher College Pr.

Tompkins, G.E. (2011). Literacy in the early grades, a successful start for prek-4 readers and writers. (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

Tovani, C. (2000). I read it, but i don’t get it, comprehension strategies for adolescent readers. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Pub.

Wilhelm, J. D. (2001). Improving comprehension with think-aloud strategies. New York, NY: Teaching Resources.

Show More
Related

  • Differentiated Instruction in the Area of Reading

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fountas, I., C., & Pinnel, G. S., (2009). When readers struggle: Teaching that works. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

    Read More

  • The Crisis in Adolescent Literacy

    2250 Words  | 5 Pages

    With such high numbers of adolescents falling below basic in reading, illiteracy is a battle that must be fought head on. The largest dilemma with the struggle is the number of variations that cause adolescents to become reluctant, unmotivated or struggling readers. Fortunately, a large number of strategies exist to encourage and strengthen readers of all ages, proving that adolescence is not a time to give up on faltering students. Rather, it is a time to evaluate and intervene in an effort to turn a reluctant reader into an avid one (or near enough). Ultimately, educators must learn to properly assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses (Curtis, 2009) and pair them with the proper intervention techniques. If one method does not work, countless others exist to take its place.

    Read More

  • Donald Murray Reading As A Reader Analysis

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    Donald M. Murray, in this article entitled “Reading as a Reader” is talking about how reading is an unique, an essential, and a necessary aptitude for human beings in their society. While illustrating his point of view, the author stresses on the idea that our attitudes towards reading is directly linked to the systematic approaches we have while facing a article or a book. In this article, he said that: “If we approach a text believing that we are not readers, or that we can’t read, that attitude may make it more difficult for us to understand the challenging text.”(Murray, 2). Throughout those words, Murray emphasizes that we should consider the process of reading as a learning process, and as a way of deepening the capacity we have as readers. We should have an open-mind while engaging with a reading, and understand that it may always not be our fault if it comes that the text we are reading is difficult. In clear, it is all part of the process of improving ourselves. Then, Murray, in his well structured writing, portrays differents types of reading and also gives us some tips on how to approach them.

    Read More

  • Guided Reading

    1705 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Lesson One, it became apparent through questioning that Kowahi students were confident readers who could use strategies successfully to decode and summarise a text. However, their ability to connect personal opinion and knowledge was lacking, which led to them reading text as opposed to understanding the deeper meaning. Good readers simultaneously employ strategies; they decode and read for meaning at the same time (Dymock, 2007), unskilled readers “fail to monitor comprehension” (Garner, 1987, as cited in Harp, 1999).

    Read More

  • Active Reading Essay

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Learning to comprehend what we are reading and retaining it is crucial to being an active reader. Dr. Annie Olson described active reading as a process that can be condensed into three steps: preparing, interacting, and reflecting. Preparing to read, even if it might take a few extra moments, ultimately saves time later and revolutionizes one's reading (Olson 3). In addition to preparing to read, interacting with the text while reading enhances one's memory of what they read and encourages critical thinking. Finally, reflecting on your reading allows the brain to systematize and store the new information you received to be accessible in the future. As psychologists say: "Encoding, storage, and retrieval are the three primary stages of the human

    Read More

  • National Curriculum

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    Focusing on reading and writing, The National Curriculum gives guidelines on teaching reading in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding. Reading strategies is one of them, for instance, pupils are to be taught to read with fluency, accuracy, understanding and enjoyment. A teacher aims to foster in each child a love of reading for pleasure by providing opportunities to read and surround children with a range of reading materials appropriate to age, ability and interest.

    Read More

  • Learning To Read In High School

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Providing children with the best reading strategies through the choice curriculum must be a deliberate action; therefore, accountability is being placed on schools and districts to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to the best education possible. The system of learning to read is an orderly one. There are prerequisites to the art of becoming good reader. Children who miss certain steps will experience difficulty in all academic areas. By in large, the findings from Giles and Tunks (2014) states teachers’ assumptions about teaching and learning have a critical impact on pedagogical

    Read More

  • Reading And Writing Relationship Analysis

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    Therefore, while thinking about the text before understanding it, you must read, review, and recite information as it is read while providing a written study guide as the text is read will help you think critically about a topic whether fact or fiction. (Vandermey, 2012) When it comes to understanding the reading and writing connection, SQ3R and analyzing images is just a tactical way of studying. When you engage in reading-to-learn, it will prepare you to write well only as if you engage in writing-to-learn you will become a more effective reader. (Mackey,

    Read More

  • Integrated and Balanced Approach to Literacy

    1602 Words  | 4 Pages

    Every child deserves a positive, safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment where they will grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. My role as an educator is to provide my students with this type of environment as well as an education that will help them succeed academically and become life long learners. It is the responsibility of a literacy educator to provide students with this type of environment, but also to provide instruction that will help students become successful readers and writers. There are numerous programs and philosophies about literacy and reading. Through years of experience and research, one begins to develop their own creative approach on teaching these skills. After looking at different programs and seeing the positive and negatives of each, an integrated and balanced approach of literacy seems to be the best way to teach the differing needs of each student.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Teaching Critical Media Literacy

    2172 Words  | 5 Pages

    Flood, J., & Lapp, D. (1995). Broadenening the lens: Toward an expanded conceptualization of literacy. In K.A. Hinchman, D.J. Leu, & C.K. Kinzer (Eds.), Perspectives on literacy research and practice: Forty-fourth yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 1-16). Chicago: National Reading Conference.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Metacognitive Awareness Of Reading Strategies

    2543 Words  | 6 Pages

    According to Mokhtari and Reichard (2002), global reading strategies are intentional, carefully planned techniques by which readers monitor or manage their reading. There are a total of 13 items (strategies) in this category. Having a purpose in mind, previewing the the text length and organization and also using tables and figures are examples of the strategies These strategies can be taken as a ‘generalized, intentional reading strategies’ which aims for setting up the stage for reading to happen. This means that the strategies helps readers to set purpose of reading the text and also making predictions of the text before they actually read the whole

    Read More

  • Reading And Reading Strategies: Critical Analysis

    1090 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many articles on reading and strategies for teaching reading and reading skills to younger students, while at the same time there is a strong need for this information for adults and those who are in or entering college. In their academic article, Reading and Learning Strategies: Recommendations for the 21st Century, the authors have found that there are several models that will assist this group. The first would be to choose program models that emphasize cognitive development on the part of the learner, while emphasizing their strengths. The next of these models would be to emphasize the transfer and modification of skills across all the academic disciplines. Another model, and one of the most important is to emphasize the students flexible use of any processes that may be used in a strategy.

    Read More

  • Effective Reading Essay

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abstract-Reading is a lifelong skill to be used both at school and throughout life. According to Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, reading is a basic life skill. It is a cornerstone for a child's success in school and, indeed, throughout life. Despite its importance, reading is one of the most challenging areas in the education system.Researchers have found that teaching reading strategies is a key element in developing student comprehension and ensuring academic success. However, schools and teachers sometimes lack a solid foundation for teaching these strategies. Schools should be better prepared on how to design effective reading strategies and how to teach these to their students. This project aims to study the most effective reading

    Read More

  • Literature review:Reading Comprehension

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    comprehension instruction: A comparison of instruction for strategies and content approaches ―[Electronic version]. Reading Research Quarterly, 44(3), 218–253.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Reading Interventions

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many students have a hard time when it comes to reading. There are many reading inventions that can help students out. Reading inventions are strategies that help students who are having trouble reading. The interventions are techniques that can be used to assist in one on ones with students or working in small groups to help students become a better reader. Hannah is a student who seems to be struggling with many independent reading assignments. There can be many reasons that Hannah is struggling with the independent reading assignments. One of the reasons that Hannah can be struggling with is reading comprehension while she is reading on her on. Reading comprehension is when students are able to read something, they are able to process it and they are able to understand what the text is saying. According to article Evidence-based early reading practices within a response to intervention system, it was mentioned that research strategies that can use to help reading comprehension can include of activating the student’s background knowledge of the text, the teacher can have questions that the student answer while reading the text, having students draw conclusions from the text, having

    Read More

More about How to Effectively Teach Strategic Reading

Open Document