Active Reading Strategies

Active Reading Strategies
Skilled readers use a variety of active reading strategies to help them make meaning from a text. Knowing what
you need to get out of your reading will help you choose the appropriate reading and learning strategy to
maximize comprehension and reading efficiency.
What are Active Reading Strategies?

Active reading strategies are the mental processes that highly effective readers use when approaching
reading. These reading strategies require a reader to read critically by focusing on the material to
understand and actively engage with the material by being aware of one’s own thought process when
reading. Through active reading readers gain greater critical thinking skills that makes things easier to
understand and enables readers to retain information for a longer period of time.
Adjusting Reading Rate Readers use a constant rate for most materials they read but learn to use different
speeds based on the types of tasks and their purpose for reading (e.g. slowing down to
comprehend new information, or speeding up to scan for key words.)
Annotating Marking and highlighting a text during reading is a way for readers to stay engaged
with a reading and comprehend the reading at a deeper level. Readers record
responses to the text during the act of reading and write ideas and personal comments
in the margins.
Author’s Purpose Being aware of the author’s purpose allows a reader to understand the reason and
intent of the writing. Different purposes, such as those written to entertain, inform, or
advertise have particular characteristics.
Chunking Breaking information down in small sections allows the reader to comprehend and
retain information more easily. This learning strategy makes it easier for students to
keep information in their short term memory and has been shown to improve students
reading comprehension and fluency.
Connecting Readers connect prior knowledge to new information by making connections between
text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to- world.
Consulting a Reference Readers use a dictionary, thesaurus, reference chart or glossary to help find word
meanings/pronunciations or background information.
Determining Readers distinguish between what information in a text is most important versus what
Importance information is interesting but not necessary for understanding. Knowing the primary
purpose of reading a textbooks and nonfiction is important to determine importance.
Evaluating The reader forms an opinion and judgment about the writing--e.g., whether the
argument (if there is one) is well or poorly structured, supported, or detailed; whether
the writing style is appropriate, efficient, or well-toned--whether the audience is
appropriately addressed; or if the author is biased in any way and how this may have
affected the writing.
Graphic Organizer Readers use a visual or graphic organizer to construct meaning. These organizers help
readers visualize how ideas fit together and help identify strengths and weakness of
thought processes. Outlines and concept maps are two ways to organize textual
information.
Inferring Readers make inferences when they think use clues from the text and their own
experience to figure out what they have read. The result is that they form a conclusion
or create new meaning that is not stated in the reading.
Paraphrasing Readers re-state and re-write text in their own words to capture the main focus of the
reading. This strategy forces readers to pay close attention to the author's ideas and
helps improve the readers’ level of understanding.
Predicting Readers make predictions or “best guesses” about what will happen next. Predictions
are based on the prior knowledge and experience about the topic.
Previewing Readers look over the reading material in order to become familiar with topic and
organization before actually beginning to read it. This helps make the reading an
easier, faster, and more effective learning experience.
Prior Knowledge The readers consider information they already know about a topic to make
connections to the article before they read it. This connection enables readers to
understand the topic better and at a deeper level.
Monitoring Readers recognize when they don't understand parts of a text and take necessary steps
Comprehension to restore meaning. Monitoring includes asking clarifying questions if something
remains unclear, rereading if there is some confusion, looking for answers and adjust
reading strategy to understand material.
Reading On Readers skip unfamiliar word(s) and read further to provide sufficient context needed
to determine unknown word.
Re-Reading A reader re-reads text again for deeper understanding, word identification and fluency.
Scanning The readers looks through a text to locate specific information without reading
everything, e.g. names, dates, illustrations, etc.
Synthesizing Readers piece together and combine information from their own knowledge of how
life works and the way they see it along with the information they have gathered and
understood from the text to create their own perspective and original insight.
Questioning Readers engage with the text by asking questions about the text and the author's
intentions, and then seek information to clarify and extend their thinking before,
during and after reading. Questioning helps to clarify meaning, promote
comprehension, and extend understanding.
Skimming The readers looks quickly through material to gain an overall view of text without
reading everything.
Summarizing Readers reduces larger texts to focus on important elements by identifying key
elements and condense important information into their own words to solidify
meaning.
Visualizing Readers create images in their minds that reflect or represent the ideas in the text.
These images may include any of the five senses and serve to enhance understanding
of the text.
* For more information on active reading strategies: see The Active Reading Process handout.

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What are Active Reading Strategies?

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