Do you read things over and over and still have trouble understanding?

Choose an answer to the following question:

When given a difficult section to read from a textbook, I…

A. Get out my highlighters and notebook, take notes on key points and then highlight important concepts, write questions I have while reading, note how information relates to what I already know, and write down words I don’t know.

B. Read for main ideas, usually the first couple pages, but sometimes I get stuck because there is so much information and I don’t always understand the vocabulary…then I zone out.

C. I read the words and it’s so boring; then I text the kid who sits next to me so that I can get his notes

D. I might try to read it, but I would probably just start listening to my ipod instead.

If you answered b,c, or d… You might benefit from using some “fix-up” strategies for when. You. Find. Yourself. Just. Reading. The. Words.

When you get stuck… Reread. Read ahead. Figure out the unknown words. Look at sentence structure. Make a mental image. Define your purpose for reading. Ask questions. Make predictions. Stop and think. Make connections to what you already know. Look at pictures, illustrations, charts, and graphs. Read the author’s note. Ask for help.

Make sure you keep thinking as you read…

Seven things to do while reading… use existing knowledge to make sense of new information. ask questions about the text before, during and after reading. draw inferences from the text. use "fix-up" strategies when meaning breaks down.

monitor your comprehension. determine what is important. synthesize information to create new thinking.

All this was taken from: I Read It, But I Don't Get It Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers by Cris Tovani

Happy Reading!