Strategies for Successful Reading
Decoding/Phonics
Look for familiar spelling patterns and word parts to help you
decode longer words.
Make & Confirm Predictions
Think about what might happen next in the story. Read to find out
if you are correct. Make new predictions.
Create Mental Images
Picturing in your mind what you are reading can help you
understand. Pay attention to descriptive details.
Self-Question
Learn to ask yourself good questions as you read. This will help
you understand and focus on important details.
Summarize
Tell or list the main points of the selection or the main things
that happened.
Read Ahead
Don’t give up! Keep on reading, the meaning may become clearer
when you have more information.
Reread to Clarify
If something doesn’t make sense, you may have missed an important
point. Try reading the passage again or go back to an earlier part of the
selection.
Use Context to Confirm Meaning
By paying attention to the words around unfamiliar words, you can
learn many new words and become a stronger reader.
Use Text Structure and Format
Find clues to meaning by looking at how the author organized the
information. Look at the headings and captions.
Adjust Reading Rate
A selection that has a lot of facts and
details (such as non-fiction) may have to be read more slowly than a story
about a character (fiction).
