Reading for Meaning
Comprehension is an active process, not a test of whether a student has understood. Skilled readers predict, question, picture, connect, summarise and repair their understanding as they go.
Before reading
- Preview: read the title, headings, first sentence and any images. What kind of text is this?
- Predict: what do you expect to find? What might surprise you?
- Activate prior knowledge: what do you already know about the topic, form or context?
- Set a purpose: are you reading for information, atmosphere, argument or pleasure?
During reading
| Strategy | Prompt | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What is unclear? What do I want to know? | Keeps the reader active. |
| Visualise | What do I see, hear or feel in this scene? | Turns words into sensory detail. |
| Connect | What does this remind me of? | Links new material to prior knowledge. |
| Infer | What is suggested but not stated? | Builds meaning beyond the literal. |
| Monitor | Does this make sense? Where did I lose the thread? | Triggers repair strategies. |
| Summarise | What is the main idea so far? | Compresses and checks understanding. |
After reading
Ask students to write a one-sentence summary, then a one-paragraph summary, then identify the most important word in the text and justify it. The sequence forces selection: a summary is not a list of everything, but a judgement about what matters most.
Repair strategies
- Reread the sentence before the confusion.
- Read ahead for context.
- Break a long sentence into clauses.
- Look up a word only after trying context.
- Say the idea aloud in your own words.
- Ask a question that can be answered by the text.
Classroom routine: think-aloud
Read a short passage aloud and narrate your own thinking. Stop and say: “I expected this, because ...” or “This word is doing something odd; let me reread.” Students hear that comprehension is a set of moves, not a fixed ability. Then pairs take turns thinking aloud with a second passage.
Confusion is information. When students notice where they lost meaning, they have found the exact place to teach a reading strategy.