Strategic Engagement
Readers use strategies before, during, and after they read to comprehend and, thus, learn from text. For example, before reading, readers set purposes for reading. These purposes can vary from reading for entertainment to reading to prepare for a test to reading to gain information for writing a research paper. Readers also consider the reading task. Since tasks such as answering questions, writing a personal response, and outlining differ considerably, readers need to consider their task as they read text in order to construct the information needed to complete the task. Further, readers access and build knowledge before, during, and after they read the text. We know that good readers do not approach a reading task with a blank slate (Anderson, Reynolds, Schallert, & Goetz, 1977). Readers connect what they already know to the information they are about to read. As they read, they infer meaning from the text by connecting their prior knowledge with the text information.
Strategic readers apply a variety of strategies as they read to fix reading problems that occur and to gain deep meaning from the text. These strategies include clarifying words, sentences, and paragraphs that seem confusing, summarizing content, predicting future events and information, and asking questions. They also monitor their progress as they read by determining whether they are understanding the content. Strategic readers also distinguish important from unimportant information as they read.
Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted July 2001