Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Finding the Main Idea

Try looking in the first sentence or
the last sentence of a paragraph.
If the main idea is not specifically
stated, ask yourself, "What is the
passage mostly about?

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Recalling Facts & Details

Look at the sentences that provide
information about the main idea.
Ask yourself:
Who? What? When?
Where? Why? How?

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Understanding Sequence
Think about the order in which events happen in the
passage.
Look for times, days of the week, months, and
years.
Look for clue words, such as first, next,
then, last, finally, before, and after.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Recognizing Cause & Effect

To find an effect, ask yourself, What happened?
To find a cause, ask yourself, Why did it happen?
Look for clue words, such as first, next,
then, last, finally, before, and after.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Comparing & Contrasting

To find ways in which things are alike, look for
these clue words:
both, same, like, alike
To find ways in which things are different, look for
these clue words:
but, unlike, different, however

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Making Predications
Look for clues in the title, details, and pictures of
the passage.
Ask yourself, What do I already know about the
things I am reading about?

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Using Context Clues

Look at the sentence with the new word.
Look at the sentences before & after the new word.
Think about the way the word is used in the sentence.
Use these words to think of a meaning for the new word.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Drawing Conclusions &

Making Inferences
Think about the details in the passage.
Think about what you know from your own life.
Use the details clues and what you already know to make
an inference about something not directly stated in the
passage.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Fact vs. Opinion

To find out if something is a fact, ask yourself, Can
this be proven?
To find out if something is an opinion, ask yourself,
Does this statement tell what someone thinks or feels?
Look for clue words that signal opinion, such as:
think, feel, believe, greatest, best, worst.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Authors Purpose
P.I.E.
Persuade the author wrote this to influence your opinion, or
to persuade you to take a certain side of an issue,
Inform the author wrote this to educate you on a topic;
textbooks are written to inform.
Entertain the author wrote this to entertain you; this
reading is for your enjoyment.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Figurative Language
Look for words that have a different meaning than their usual
meaning.
Look for things that are compared in the passage.
Think about the pictures that come to mind as you read the
words.
Use what you pictured to help you understand what the author
means.

Twelve Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Summarizing
If you are reading fiction, look for the main characters
problem and the solution.
If you are reading nonfiction, look for the main ideas of the
selection.
In one sentence, retell the most important ideas.