7+ Reading Comprehension Strategies Every Student Needs to Know

Reading comprehension is an essential skill for students. It involves the ability to comprehend, interpret, and analyze written information. However, learning how to comprehend written text is not an innate ability, and like any skill, it requires the implementation of specific strategies.

In this article, we will discuss seven effective reading comprehension strategies that every student needs to know.

1. Previewing

Previewing is the process of gaining an overview of the text before reading it comprehensively. It involves scanning the text and examining its structure, headings, subheadings, and bolded or italicized words.

The purpose of previewing is to understand the main idea of the text and to focus on relevant sections of the text. This strategy helps students to initiate their thought process and directs their attention to their learning objectives.

2. Activating Prior Knowledge

Activating prior knowledge is when students use their existing knowledge to make connections with the new information they are reading. This strategy enables students to engage in critical thinking and make inferences to understand the meaning of the text.

For example, if a student is reading a text about human anatomy, they can activate their prior knowledge of biology and relate it to the new information. This strategy helps to build a comprehensive understanding of the text and enhances the ability to retain information in memory.

3. Summarizing

Summarizing is the process of condensing information to its essential components. This strategy helps students to recognize the main idea, and key points of the text.

To summarize, students should identify the important information and condense it into a brief statement. This strategy helps students to build a conceptual understanding of the text and enhances the ability to recall relevant information.

4. Questioning

Questioning is a strategy where students generate questions about the text while reading. This strategy helps students to comprehend the text by focusing on key concepts and clarifying their understanding of the material.

Students can use question stems such as, “What is the purpose of the text?”, “Can you explain how this concept works?” or “What evidence supports the author’s argument?”

Questioning helps students to engage with the text and encourages critical thinking, Higher-level cognitive skills and effective reasoning.

5. Visualizing

Visualizing is the process of creating mental images of the text. This strategy helps students to comprehend and retain the information by creating a deeper connection to the material.

For example, if the text is describing a place or a process, visualizing can help students to create a mental picture of the scene and remember the information more effectively. Visualization is essential for creating an immersive learning experience and helps students to recall information from memory.

6. Inferring

Inferring is when students use information from the text to make logical guesses or predictions about what is happening in the text. This strategy requires students to think critically and analyze the text to make logical inferences.

For example, if the text refers to a character’s emotions but does not state them explicitly, students can infer what the character is feeling by examining the context of the situation. Inferring helps students to understand and analyze texts and other forms of information, and enhances their ability to think logically.

7. Connecting

Making connections is when students relate the text to their personal experiences or to other texts. This strategy helps students to understand the text and retain information by making it meaningful and relevant to their own lives.

For example, if the text describes a historic event, students can connect it to their prior knowledge about similar events or the current situation in their country. Connecting the text to their own lives and knowledge enhances the ability to retain information and recall it when needed.

Conclusion

Reading comprehension is an essential skill for students to succeed in their academic careers. It involves the ability to comprehend, interpret, and analyze written information. Implementing the seven strategies discussed in this article will help students to improve their reading comprehension skills and retain information more effectively.

The strategies mentioned are previewing, activating prior knowledge, summarizing, questioning, visualizing, inferring, and connecting. These strategies should be used in combination to develop a comprehensive understanding of the text and encourage critical thinking. Start implementing these strategies and enhance your reading comprehension skills today!