Wonders Reading Strategies

Ask and Answer Questions – Readers ask and answer questions while reading to make sure they understand what they read. Sometimes the answers can be found right in the story.  Sometimes readers have to use clues in the selection together with what they know to answer the question.

Determine Important Information - Readers determine important information by picking out the most important idea or ideas in a story. 

Make Connections - Readers connect what they read to their own knowledge and experiences at home or school.  They also connect topics and themes between different books that they have read.  Finally, readers connect what they read to issues and ideas in the world.

Make Inferences - Readers make inferences to fill in the gaps that the author has left in a story.  Readers use what they already know along with what they read to “read between the lines.”

Monitor Comprehension - Readers monitor comprehension as they read.  Periodically, they stop and check that they have understood what they have read so far.  If they do not understand what they read, they use fix-up strategies, such as rereading, reading ahead, or seeking help.

Predict - Readers make predictions by making a thoughtful guess about what will happen next in a story.  Predictions can change as readers continue reading. 

Summarize - Readers summarize by telling in their own words what the story is mostly about. 

Visualize - Readers visualize by using the words in a selection to make pictures in their minds.Forming pictures helps readers make sense of what they read.