Visualizing

Good readers create pictures in their minds while they read.

While reading, note places where you get a clear picture in your mind that helps you understand the text..

Sentence Starters

I can picture…….

I can see……

I can visualize….

The movie in my head shows….

When you said___, I imagine…

I picture….

I imagine this sounds like….

When you said___, I can hear…

When you said__, I can hear….

Use story details to create pictures in your mind

Make Connections

Good readers notice pieces of text that relate to or remind them of:

• Their lives, past experiences, and prior knowledge(text to self)
• Other books, articles, movies, songs, or pieces of writing (text to text)
• Events, people or issues (text to world)
•  

Sentence Starters

That reminds me of….

This made me think of …..

I read another book that….

This is different from…..

I remember when…..

I experienced something like this when….

Make Connections with what you know about similar situations in your life

WHAT”S THE BIG IDEA?

Synthesizing

Good readers combine new information from their reading with existing knowledge in order to form new ideas or interpretations

Sentence Starters

I have a new perspective or point of view about……. Because….

I can use_____, the new information I gained from reading …..

Now I get it...

I learned that…

I understand this because of…

HOW DO I USE WHAT I’VE READ TO CREATE MY OWN IDEAS

Plot

ü      Summarize the main events that have happened (thus far) in your story

ü      Somebody( an important character)  wanted  ( a key problem), but (conflict for the character) … so (an outcome),  then (conclusion) Fiction

ü      Something happened…. Then this occurred (Non-fiction)

Setting

ü      Where does the story take place? Describe the…. (physical elements and the human characteristics) of the setting.

ü      Describe what the place was like?

ü      Explain the importance of the setting to the plot/mood/tone

ü      Describe the closest place that you know of that is like this place

ü      Did the story take place a long time ago/ in the future/now?

Characters

ü      Who are the main characters in the story? Do you like or dislike them? Why?

ü      Choose on character. Why is this character important to the story?

ü      Describe the actions of a character. What can you infer about the character from these actions?

ü      Do any of the characters change? How? What event(s) impacted this change?

ü      Do any of the characters do things that are good? Funny? Wrong?

ü      Describe any similarities between this character and (yourself, other characters you have read about.)

Author

Message/Purpose/Questioning the Author

ü      Based upon this book, what do you know about the author?

ü      What is the author’s message

ü      What did the author have to learn/research or know about in order to write this book?

ü      What sorts of things does the author like dislike? What words in the text led you to believe this?

Infer

Good readers create a meaning that is not necessarily stated explicitly in the text

Good readers draw conclusions based on background knowledge and clues in the text.

Sentence Starters

Even though it doesn’t say it in the text, I know think believe that …. Because……

You didn’t say so, but I think….

I think you are trying to say…..

This is important because….

I believe this is wrong because….

I believe this is right because….

HOW DO I READ BETWEEN THE LINES

Ask Questions

Good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading to better understand the author and the meaning of the text. Ask why characters act a certain way, why events occur and why certain information is given.

Ask questions of the author, yourself, and the text:

Question starters

Why did?

Who is?

What would happen if…

When is….

How do you think….

I wonder (whom what, where, when, why, how)….

Can you explain what you meant by…

What does_______ mean?

I’m confused by?

I don’t understand…..

ASK QUESTIONS OF THE AUTHOR, YOURSELF, AND THE TEXT