Effective Reading Strategies (Ms. Spangler):

Effective readers approach novels, poems, plays and expository (non-fiction) works in different manners, but they use similar strategies to help them understand these texts. Effective readers engage in a type of conversation with the text's author, not only reading the text but 'writing' their own versions of it. Some readers paraphrase--or rephrase--difficult passages. Some readers read with a dictionary by their sides, ready to look up any tricky words that may make the meaning of a sentence or paragraph clearer. I've thought a lot about how I read; I've taken notes on what I do whilst reading a variety of texts; and I've put together this list to help you see what good readers do, how they 'write' their own versions of a text. Feel free to adopt any of these strategies as your own.

Before reading:

• Particularly with a work of fiction, I look at the picture on the front, look at the remarks made about a book by various critics and finally, read the summary or teaser on the book’s inside cover or on the back.  From here, I try to determine if it’s a subject matter that interests me or not: if it is, I try to determine what the book may be about beyond the short description; if it’s not, I look for other ways the author might draw me in, such as a strong character description or the title.  Oftentimes the title is what drew me to the book in the first place!
• I read the dedications, definitions, excerpts from other texts, or anything else the author has chosen to put before his or her story, since that will sometimes give some insight into both author and narrative.
• If I know there’s something coming up in the text that I don’t know much about—such as the time of the Ottoman Empire—I go look it up.  I learn a little bit about the topic before I start the narrative.

During reading:

• I make a bookmark with concepts I need to remember.  Ex: didactic, meaning to lecture or teach in a regulated manner.  I write the concept on the bookmark, like an index card or something.  I add to it each concept I have trouble remembering.
• When I am confused about a point in the text, I use rehearsal strategies to help me clarify something.  I reread the passage more slowly, paying attention to the words the author has chosen.  If that doesn’t work, I rehash salient points—that is, I reread the most important points in the paragraph(s).  Sometimes I’ll talk a particularly difficult passage through to myself.  Finally, I take notes (see the bookmark idea above).
• As I do before I read, I make a point of looking up anything I don’t know.  For example, if I come across a word I’m not sure about, I’ll grab the nearest dictionary and look up the definition.  The author has chosen that word for a reason, typically because a synonym doesn’t have as precise a meaning.  The author wants a specific meaning which only that word will convey.  The same is true with any other facts, figures, philosophies, events … that the author has employed.  If I don’t know them, I look them up.  This is what a good scholar does.  It is also a great way to become interested in new things, as the research often leads to new pathways of thought.
• Often, I will make connections to other texts, movies, situations, etc. as I read.  I somehow note those in my text.  I personally don’t like to write in my books, so I grab a Post-it note and write down the allusion or connection or analogy that I have made.  I then elaborate a little on why that link stood out to me.  This is a great strategy for comparing/contrasting, forming and recognising relationships and conceptual/thematic studies.

After reading:

• I think reflect upon what I’ve read.  What did I actually understand or learn from the material?  What was the author trying to tell me?  What were the most important points of the text?  What did I like or not like about it?  What was the author’s style?  Was the text biased in any way?  In essence, I debrief myself about what I’ve read.
• If I’m preparing a lesson, I’ll write my notes up as if I were writing a formal paper.  That helps to deepen my understanding of a text.

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