Passive readers let words slide by. Their eyes are moving, but their thoughts are often elsewhere. Active readers, on the other hand, keep their attention focused on what they are reading. They not only understand words and sentences, they also make constant mental connections, comments, and predictions about the selection. While it is not easy to classify thoughts, the general categories in the list below show the types of connections active readers make in order to enjoy and understand what they read.
To improve your own reading skills, try using these strategies. Although this kind of thinking and reacting may seem strange to you at first, it will soon become a natural part of your reading.
• Questioning: When a word, statement, or action is unclear, question it. It may become clear later.
• Connecting: Make connections with people, places, and things you know.
• Predicting: Try to figure out what will happen.
• Clarifying: Watch for answers to questions you had earlier.
• Evaluating: Respond to what you have read. Draw your own conclusions about characters, actions, and the whole story.
To understand how thinking and reading work together, look at the story that begins on the next page. You will see what one student was thinking as she read. Although the connections she makes with the story will be different from yours or anyone else's, they will give you an example of what it means to be an active reader.
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