Reading Strategies for Nonfiction Texts

Nonfiction texts are texts that are factual. Make a list of all of the nonfiction texts that you've read in the last week.

In your list, include your purpose for reading that thing. For example:

• bus schedule--so I know what time the bus is coming;
• driving instruction manual--so I can pass the written part of the driver's test.

Many of the reading strategies you learned about in the previous activity can also be used for nonfiction texts. Let's take a moment to review those strategies. 

Before reading, strong readers:	During reading, strong readers:	After reading, strong readers:
Set a purpose for their reading (are you reading for information? for fun? for a specific detail?); Preview the text (read the title and any headings, read captions, look at pictures); Make predictions (what do you think this text will be about?).	Read things in order, sometimes skimming sections while focusing on others depending on the purpose; Reread sections when something doesn't make sense or seems important; Identify the main idea and supporting details; Check and change predictions; Monitor comprehension and use fix-up strategies; Visualize what they're reading; Make connections to other texts, their own lives, and the world; Make inferences; Paraphrase and summarize passages; Respond to and evaluate the text.	Reread sections if they need to; Summarize what they read; Think about how they could use this information.

Which of the strategies above do you think would be more useful for reading nonfiction texts?

Here are some additional strategies (in bold) that might be helpful for nonfiction texts:

Before reading, strong readers:	During reading, strong readers:	After reading, strong readers:
Set a purpose for their reading (are you reading for information? for fun? for a specific detail?); Preview the text (read the title and any headings, read captions, look at pictures); Identify what they already know about the topic of the text; Brainstorm some questions they think the text might answer; Make predictions (what do you think this text will be about?).	Read things in order, sometimes skimming sections while focusing on others depending on the purpose; Reread sections when something doesn't make sense or seems important; Identify the main idea and supporting details; Check and change predictions; Check and see if the information confirms what they knew about the topic; Look for answers to their questions or ask more questions; Look for signal words/phrases (first, second, however, in addition); Look for the five Ws + H (who, what, when, where, why, how); Monitor comprehension and use fix-up strategies; Look for context clues if they don't understand a word; Visualize what they're reading; Make connections to other texts, their own lives, and the world; Make inferences; Look for different points of view and bias (prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair); Paraphrase and summarize passages; Respond to and evaluate the text; Look for evidence that the author uses to support ideas.	Reread sections if they need to; Summarize what they read; Think about how they could use this information; Think about what new questions this text might raise.

How many of these strategies are ones that you already use?

Think-Aloud

In the following two videos, you'll watch and listen to a teacher demonstrate his thinking as he reads a review of a video game.

In the first video, pay attention to the reading strategies the teacher identifies that he's using and then listen for how he uses those strategies to understand what he's reading. Write down the names of the four reading strategies the teacher uses.

Because this is a review of a video game, the author assumes the reader has some knowledge of video game terminology. For example, the acronym RPG stands for "role-playing game."  

If you take a look at our reading strategies chart above, you'll notice that the teacher used the following strategies:

• Using context clues to help him understand a word he didn't know: e.g., "deviate;"
• Making connections: The teacher calls this using previous knowledge, which is a text-to-self connection where he used his knowledge about other video games;
• Looking for signal words: The teacher calls this analyzing structure. He uses the words first, secondly, thirdly to help identify three main points;
• Making predictions and asking questions: although this is suggested as a pre-reading strategy, it's something you can do during reading as well.

In the second video, the teacher will continue to use the same reading strategies but he won't name the strategies he's using--that will be your task. See if you can identify what strategies he used and where.

IdentifyingStrategies

Long Description

Demonstrating your Understanding

Now it's your turn. You will read a third paragraph of the same video game review and demonstrate your understanding of at least three of the four strategies the teacher modeled in the videos you watched. 

 

But What's in it for Me?

At the beginning of this activity, you made a list of your "reading reasons" - things that you read in real life for real purposes. Then you learned some more strategies you could use to help you understand nonfiction texts.

How could one or more of the strategies you used in this activity help you with one of your reading reasons?