ACTIVE READING:
The term "metacognition" means "big thinking." It means thinking about the way your brain takes in information, uses it to make meaning, and learns. When you become aware of the processes needed to comprehend, you become a more strategic thinker. You also can become more efficient at learning how to understand and remember what you read.
Questioning, allowing time for brain-work, and making links to the outside world are part of metacognition. By completing the Active Reader Checklist, you examine your thinking process to help you improve your reading.
Reading tasks include decoding, vocabulary development, speed (fluency), and comprehension. Readers run into challenges with each of these tasks. These skills are not learned in a specific order; we continue to gain skills in all these areas throughout our lives.
Below this photo of a brain model (here to emphasize that we truly make brain changes as we increase our reading skills) is a file for readers at your level who want to go on to college level courses. You will rate your reading strengths a copy of this form, provided by the instructor, at both the beginning of the quarter and at the end. Following this file is the same general checklist of criteria for classroom discussion.
abe_4-5_active_reader_checklist.doc | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Active Reading Checklist for Discussion--How You Can Become a Better Reader
Answer Yes or No to the following questions.
____1. I become part of a writer's audience by learning about the writer, the era, the anticipated audience.
____2. I prepare to read with an open mind, not expecting to be entertained but wanting to understand.
____3. I pre-read by skimming to getting ideas about the subject, ask myself what I already know about the subject, and form questions I hope might be answered as I read (preview).
____4. I concentrate on reading, completing an entire chapter or piece in one sitting without distractions--reading as slowly as the difficulty of the reading demands.
____5. I use strategies for understanding words apart from using the dictionary--searching for 'context clues' or taking the words apart to understand the pieces.
____6. I stop periodically as I read to review portions of what I have read (summary and paraphrase).
____7. I make notes in the margins as I read and underline important information (annotation), and review these notes soon after I complete the reading and before tests.
____8. I look for the writer's purpose for writing a given piece and try to become aware of strategies he/she uses as part of this purpose.
____9. I keep a reading journal to record my personal responses, knowing this will increases my comprehension and writing skills (record: Reading Logs-Personal Response).
____10. To help me remember, I immediately review what I have read and then go back and review it periodically (review and reflection).
____11. I reflect on what I have read to improve my comprehension and to connect it to other parts of my life because I know this is how I learn. (reflection: Reading Logs-Personal Response)
How did you do? Your "yes" responses show your strengths. If you answered yes to 9 out of 11 of these, you have a little brush-up to do. However, having a number of "no" responses is not a bad thing--since each "no" gives you an opportunity to get better at comprehension and retention.
Here are two other sites that will help you with with both metacognition and understanding/remembering what you read: