Helping Teenagers Become Active, Critical Readers

A guide for parents

Prepared by:

Lisa Canfield, Reading Specialist

Central Bucks School District, 2003

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THESE GUIDELINES

Teenagers need a repertoire of reading strategies to succeed with the reading assignments given at the middle and high school levels. Teenagers who are effective readers demonstrate mastery of the strategies listed below, the awareness of when to use them, and consistent application of these strategies during every reading time.

Teenagers who do not possess active, critical reading strategies often rely more on their memories, which have been successful in less challenging reading materials. These readers reveal an inability to reply accurately to implicit textual questions, to discriminate among types of questions, and to use only one strategy or small set of strategies in all reading/learning situations. While these readers may be technically proficient, they have difficulty when a text or an assignment requires the readers to think convergently and divergently and read critically.

Previewing Strategies

Strategies necessary to activate a reader’s prior knowledge and to help reader build an anticipatory set prior to reading.

A.	Identify the type of literature: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama
B.	Skim the features of the text, eg. Title, subhead, visual aids, etc.
C.	Set purposes for reading. Record questions on paper or post-it notes before reading especially long passages, and set new purpose questions for each chapter.

Monitoring Strategies

Strategies that a reader uses to remain engaged with the text and make meaning as reading is occurring.

A.	*Connect* with characters’ experiences or feelings. Does the story remind you of a personal experience?
B.	*Visualize* the setting, characters, and action. When are events happening? How intense are the actions?
C.	*Question* events, characters, and ideas. Why is an action occurring, or why is a character acting a certain way?
D.	*Predict* what might happen next and how the story will end.
E.	*Summarize* the information in the section.
F.	If possible, *evaluate* the quality and effectiveness of the writing. Is the author’s purpose clear? Are the author’s ideas well organized and presented?

Post-reading Strategies

Strategies that help a reader reflect on the reading and consider possible applications to other readings, subjects, or experiences.

A.	Summarize the passage.
B.	Review the method of organization:
	1.	Fiction—setting, character, conflict, climax, solution
	2.	Nonfiction—problem-solution, cause-effect, examples, anecdotes, etc.
C.	Consider a passage’s theme, message, or main topic/idea.

Fix-Up Strategies

Strategies a reader employs as soon as comprehension (understanding) breaks down. Identifies a problem at the word, sentence, or paragraph level. A critical reader realizes that re-reading is only valuable IF he can identify the problem and apply a strategy to improve understanding.

A.	Vocabulary
	1.	Unknown word—Employ context clues, structure clues, and/or dictionary
	2.	Idiom—Employ textbook footnotes, reference on idioms, or dictionary.
	3.	Allusion—Employ textbook, footnotes, or reference.
B.	Concept Relationship Ideas are related by transition/signal words and phrases. These transition/signal words indicate relationships between sentences and/or phrases.

	1.	Chronological order ex. first, second, next, finally
	2.	Cause/effect ex. because, as a result, due to
	3.	Comparison ex. similar to, alike, the same as
	4.	Specification/Listing ex. for example, for instance, as illustrated by
C.	Sentence Structure A simple sentence contains one main idea. A compound sentence contains two main ideas. A complex sentence contains one main idea and one secondary idea.

	1.	Complex sentences must be broken into clauses (independent and dependent) and transition/signal words identified.
	2.	Statements need to be recognized as fact, opinion, or mixed fact/opinion.
	3.	Statements may suggest or infer information rather than stating it directly.
D.	Figurative Language Identify the literary technique that an author employs. The techniques include but are not limited to: simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, hyperbole, understatement, metonymy, synecdoche, paradox, and pun.

Notemaking

Strategies that readers use when they must paraphrase the information into their own words and must use repeatedly for later use. Notes can be made using a variety of formats including but not limited to: post-it notes, bookmarks, Cornell notes, or a graphic organizer that depicts the method of organization of text.

A.	Notemake at the end of every column of information for text that is fairly easy to comprehend. If the text is challenging, make notes more frequently, such as at the end of every three or four paragraphs.
B.	Notemaking is based upon the organization of the text.
	1.	For fiction, make notes about setting, character, character motivation, conflict, climax, resolution, and theme.
	2.	For nonfiction, make notes about main ideas and major supporting details.
C.	Notemaking may include illustrations, phrases, and words. The goal is to understand and make connections among ideas rather than memorize the information.

Prepared by Lisa Canfield, Reading Specialist

Central Bucks School District, 2003

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THESE GUIDELINES