General Strategies for Reading Comprehension

The process of comprehending text begins before children can read, when someone reads a
picture book to them. They listen to the words, see the pictures in the book, and may start to
associate the words on the page with the words they are hearing and the ideas they represent.

In order to learn comprehension strategies, students need modeling, practice, and feedback.
The key comprehension strategies are described below.

Using Prior Knowledge/Previewing

When students preview text, they tap into what they already know that will help them to
understand the text they are about to read. This provides a framework for any new
information they read.

Predicting

When students make predictions about the text they are about to read, it sets up expectations
based on their prior knowledge about similar topics. As they read, they may mentally revise
their prediction as they gain more information.

Identifying the Main Idea and Summarization

Identifying the main idea and summarizing requires that students determine what is important
and then put it in their own words. Implicit in this process is trying to understand the author’s
purpose in writing the text.

Questioning

Asking and answering questions about text is another strategy that helps students focus on the
meaning of text. Teachers can help by modeling both the process of asking good questions
and strategies for finding the answers in the text.

Making Inferences

In order to make inferences about something that is not explicitly stated in the text, students
must learn to draw on prior knowledge and recognize clues in the text itself.

Visualizing

Studies have shown that students who visualize while reading have better recall than those
who do not (Pressley, 1977). Readers can take advantage of illustrations that are embedded in
the text or create their own mental images or drawings when reading text without
illustrations.
 Re Text / Passage
Passage 1 - Opera
Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is
conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is
through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor's dramatic performance is primary,
and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements
of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto,
are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging
from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

Passage 2 - Dolphins
Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping
drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins,
the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They
look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest
in the community, as we do. Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language
but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words.
Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common
argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they
can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these
remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy them.

Passage 3 - Unsinkable Ship

Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-
car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have happened. It was well designed
and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly
inspected the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a
cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark,
flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble
overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck
them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there were an
unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were
men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.

Passage 4 - Erosion in America

Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put
the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than
282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation
efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop
production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to
replace petroleum scarcity as the nation's most critical natural resource problem.
 Tips To Answer of Each Question
Circle keywords in the question. This will help you focus on the main idea the instructor
wants you to recall. Look for any vocabulary words you learned recently in class, and any
study terms you recognize.[1]

 Some teachers like to reuse test sheets for other classes, especially if you are
answering on a scantron. In this case, use pencil.
 You don't have to circle the words; you can underline them instead.

Answer easy questions first. Quickly go through the test and fill in the blanks that you are
sure you know. This will give you confidence, and it will “prime” your brain – you'll be
subconsciously working on the answers you skipped over. Then go back and answer the hard
questions.[2]

 Another reason you want to answer the easy questions first is to get them out of the
way. This way, if you run out of time, at least you'll have a bunch of questions
answered.

Supply more than one answer, if you aren't sure. If you have more than one idea, and you
truly can't decide which is more likely to be correct, write them both down. Your teacher may
give you partial credit if one of your answers is correct.[3]

 This won't always be the case, especially if it is a multiple choice question or a

scantron.

Answer from your teacher's point of view. If you can't decide between two possible
responses to a question, try to think of it from the teacher's point of view. What would they
most likely want you to say? What sort of things did he or she most often emphasize in class
lectures?[4]

 Imagine the teacher is reviewing the test results in class, later on. Try to picture what
your professor would give as the answer.
 Imagine that you are writing the test. What sort of answers would you put as the
correct and incorrect ones? This is helpful for multiple choice questions.
 5

Use the margins. If you are having difficulty figuring out the answer to a question, or if you
have several possibilities in mind, use the margins (or the back) of your exam to work it out.
Write down anything that comes to you, and see if this jogs your memory.[5]

 Some teachers allow you to bring a scrap sheet of paper to the exam. If your teacher
lets you do this, take advantage of it.

Rephrase the question. Summarize the question using your own words, to see whether this
makes the instructors' point more clear. Be careful not to change the question when you
rephrase it.[6]
Prepare and study with flashcards. If you know your teacher will be giving you a short
answer test, prepare beforehand by making note of any key ideas or terms you find in the text
book or reading materials. Always include key points your teacher makes in his or her
lectures, especially points that are repeated two or more times.[7]

 Write the key word on the front of the flashcard, and a brief description on the back.
 Alternatively, write the key terms on the left side of a sheet of paper, and the
definitions on the right side. Fold the paper so you can only see the definitions, then
try to recall the terms.

Write as much as you can remember on the back of the test. Briefly read through the test
questions. Then, if you are allowed to write on the back of the test sheet, or on a cover sheet,
try to list any information you think might help you during the test.[8]

 List any of the terms on your flashcards that often stumped you – get those down, so
you don't get stuck on them when they appear on the test.
 If you memorized any lists or collections of terms by using mnemonics, quickly write
them down.
 If you aren't allowed to use the Periodic Table during a chemistry exam, memorize it
and sketch it out before you take the test. Then you'll have it to refer to during the test.
 Always be sure your teacher is okay with this method, and that it is obvious you didn't
bring the paper in with you to class – otherwise, it might look like you're cheating.