Comprehension Skills
Sometimes, reading new texts, whether they are informational or literary, can be overwhelming. Information that is complex may be confusing to readers, and they may not be able to understand everything clearly. Engaging with the texts that they are reading can help readers improve their comprehension of the topics being discussed.
Asking Questions
Asking questions can be a good way to improve readers' comprehension of a text.
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When Should Questions Be Asked?
- Before — Before you even begin reading, you can ask questions about the text. This will help you better prepare for the topics that will come up.
- During — As you read, it can be helpful to ask questions to clarify any topics you may be unsure about or want to find out more about.
- After — After you are done reading, it can be helpful to see if you have any remaining questions about a text. It will help you check your understanding of the information.
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Making Predictions
Making, confirming, and/or correcting predictions about what will come next in a text allows students to engage more actively with what they are reading.
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What Can Be Used to Make Predictions?
- Organizational Patterns — Knowing how an author has organized a text will help readers more accurately predict what will be discussed next.
- Text Features — Different text features can help readers preview the contents of a text, as well as provide extra information on a topic.
- Genre Characteristics — Different genres of writing will have recognizable characteristics that are specific to each of them; readers can use the patterns present in different genres to make predictions.
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Making Inferences
Making inferences requires students to think more deeply about the text that they are reading so that they can come up with information that is supported but not directly stated by the text.
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What Should Readers Use to Support Their Inferences?
- The Text Itself — Inferences should be supported by details presented in the original text.
- Knowledge from Other Texts — Information learned from other texts can often give readers important background information on a topic.
- Personal Experience — Readers can use their own experiences that connect to or are related to a topic in a text to make inferences.
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It is important to actively engage with the texts that you are reading. Doing so, by asking questions, making predictions, or making inferences, will help you understand what you are reading more easily. This will also help you analyze texts more deeply.
8th Grade Reading - Predictions, Questions & Inferences Lesson