Reading Comprehension Strategies
Good Readers practice these strategies:
Predict & Infer
1. Think about the title, the illustrations, and what you have read so far.
2. Tell what you think will happen next--or what you will learn. Thinking
about what you already know about the subject may help.
3. Try to figure out things the author does not say directly.
Phonics/Decoding
1. Look carefully at the words.
2. Stop at words that seem hard and look for word parts that you know.
Think about the sounds for the letters to help you figure out the
word. Blend the sounds to read the word.
3. Ask yourself if this is a word you know. Does it make sense in the
sentence? If not, ask yourself if there’s anything else you can try.
Should you ask for help?
Monitor/Clarify
1. Ask yourself if what you’re reading makes sense-or if you are learning
what’s important in the story.
2. If you don’t understand something, reread, look at the illustrations, or
read ahead for more meaning.
3. Ask yourself about punctuation, character’s voices, unfamiliar
vocabulary and how they affect your reading and the story’s meaning.
4. As you’re reading, check to see if the words you are saying match what you’re seeing. Did you skip any words or used another word in place of the one used
in the story?
Question
1. Ask yourself questions about important ideas in the story.
2. Ask yourself if you can answer these questions.
3. If you can’t answer the questions, reread and look for answers in the
text. Thinking about what you already know and what you’ve read in
the story may help you.
Evaluate
1. Think about how the author makes the story came alive and makes you want to
read it.
2. Think about what was entertaining, informative, or useful about the selection.
3. Think about how well you understood the selection and whether you enjoyed
reading it.
Summarize
1. Think about the characters.
2. Think about where and when the story takes place (setting).
3. Think about the problem, wish, or goal in the story and how the characters
solve it.
4. Think about what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the
story.
Predict & Infer
1. Think about the title, the illustrations, and what you have read so far.
2. Tell what you think will happen next--or what you will learn. Thinking
about what you already know about the subject may help.
3. Try to figure out things the author does not say directly.
Phonics/Decoding
1. Look carefully at the words.
2. Stop at words that seem hard and look for word parts that you know.
Think about the sounds for the letters to help you figure out the
word. Blend the sounds to read the word.
3. Ask yourself if this is a word you know. Does it make sense in the
sentence? If not, ask yourself if there’s anything else you can try.
Should you ask for help?
Monitor/Clarify
1. Ask yourself if what you’re reading makes sense-or if you are learning
what’s important in the story.
2. If you don’t understand something, reread, look at the illustrations, or
read ahead for more meaning.
3. Ask yourself about punctuation, character’s voices, unfamiliar
vocabulary and how they affect your reading and the story’s meaning.
4. As you’re reading, check to see if the words you are saying match what you’re seeing. Did you skip any words or used another word in place of the one used
in the story?
Question
1. Ask yourself questions about important ideas in the story.
2. Ask yourself if you can answer these questions.
3. If you can’t answer the questions, reread and look for answers in the
text. Thinking about what you already know and what you’ve read in
the story may help you.
Evaluate
1. Think about how the author makes the story came alive and makes you want to
read it.
2. Think about what was entertaining, informative, or useful about the selection.
3. Think about how well you understood the selection and whether you enjoyed
reading it.
Summarize
1. Think about the characters.
2. Think about where and when the story takes place (setting).
3. Think about the problem, wish, or goal in the story and how the characters
solve it.
4. Think about what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the
story.