:::What Good Readers Do:::

Good readers are active readers. From the outset they have clear goals in mind for their reading. They constantly evaluate whether the text, and their reading of it, is meeting their goals. Good readers typically look over the text before they read, noting such things as the structure of the text and text sections that might be most relevant to their reading goals. As they read, good readers frequently make predictions about what is to come. They read selectively,continually making decisions about their reading -what to read carefully, what to read quickly, what not to read, what to re-read, and so on.

Good readers construct, revise, and question the meanings they make as they read. They draw upon, compare, and integrate their prior knowledge with material in the text. They think about the authors of the text, their style, beliefs, intentions, historical milieu, and so on. They monitor their understanding of the text, making adjustments in their reading as necessary. Good readers try to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and concepts in the text, and deal with inconsistencies or gaps as needed. They evaluate the text’s quality and value, and react to the text in a range of ways, both intellectual and emotional.

Good readers read different kinds of text differently. For example, when reading narrative, good readers attend closely to the setting and characters; when reading expository text, these readers frequently construct and revise summaries of what they have read. For good readers, text processing occurs not only during ‘reading’ as we have traditionally defined it, but also during short breaks taken during reading, and even after the ‘reading’ itself has commenced. Comprehension is a consuming and complex activity, but one that, for good readers, is typically both satisfying and productive.