The Three-Step Method for Reading Comprehension

What do we know so far?

Step 1: Read (adverb).

Step 1: Read actively.

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the _______ and determine the following information:

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Content area (____________, _______________, __________, ________________)

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Content area (humanities, social sciences, prose fiction, natural sciences)

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Content area (humanities, social sciences, prose fiction, natural sciences)

Genre (__________ or ______________)

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Content area (humanities, social sciences, prose fiction, natural sciences)

Genre (fiction or nonfiction)

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Content area (humanities, social sciences, prose fiction, natural sciences)

Genre (fiction or nonfiction)

Purpose (_________, __________, ______________)

Step 1: Read actively.

A. Examine the heading and determine the following information:

Content area (humanities, social sciences, prose fiction, natural sciences)

Genre (fiction or nonfiction)

Purpose (to inform, to persuade, to entertain)

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important ________________ and _________________ each paragraph.

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

C. Question the _______________ with following two questions:

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

C. Question the Author with the following two questions:

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

C. Question the Author with the following two questions:

Main ____: _____ does the author want me to know?

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

C. Question the Author with the following two questions:

Main idea: What does the author want me to know?

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

C. Question the Author with the following two questions:

Main idea: What does the author want me to know?

________ Purpose: ____ does the author want me to know this?

Step 1: Read actively.

B. Read the passage, highlighting the important details and summarizing each paragraph.

C. Question the Author with the following two questions:

Main idea: What does the author want me to know?

Author’s Purpose: Why does the author want me to know this?

Step 2: Examine the _______ stems.

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question ____ from among the following:

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

_____ (broad inference, main idea, author’s purpose, writer’s view)

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

Broad (broad inference, main idea, author’s purpose, writer’s view)

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

Broad (broad inference, main idea, author’s purpose, writer’s view)

_______ (function, narrow inference, detail, vocabulary-in-context)

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

Broad (broad inference, main idea, author’s purpose, writer’s view)

Narrow (function, narrow inference, detail, vocabulary-in-context)

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

Broad (broad inference, main idea, author’s purpose, writer’s view)

Narrow (function, narrow inference, detail, vocabulary-in-context)

B. Determine the correct ________.

Step 2: Examine the question stems.

A. Identify the question type from among the following:

Broad (broad inference, main idea, author’s purpose, writer’s view)

Narrow (function, narrow inference, detail, vocabulary-in-context)

B. Determine the correct strategy.

Step 3: ______ the Questions.

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

A. Find the important information.

Rely on your ___________ _______________ to quickly find the important information.

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

A. Find the important information.

Rely on your summary statements to quickly find the important information.

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

Rely on your summary statements that you wrote for each paragraph to locate the information you need to answer the question.

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

Here’s a sample question for the Sweet Track article.

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

What TYPE of question is it? Broad or Narrow?

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

It’s a NARROW question. Which of the narrow question types is it? (Look back on your PowerPoint noteguide if your memory needs refreshing.)

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

It’s a NARROW question. Which of the narrow question types is it?

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

It’s a NARROW question. Which of the narrow question types is it?

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

It’s a FUNCTION question (which describes why the author does something in a specific part of the passage).

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

Rely on your summary statements that you wrote for each paragraph to locate the information you need to answer the question.

“The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:”

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

Which paragraph deals with that topic?

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

Which paragraph deals with that topic?

Paragraph 4

Step 3: Answer the Questions.

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that

The author notes the use of tree-ring analysis in order to illustrate that:

a) tree-ring analysis techniques have improved drastically in the past 20 years

b) the Sweet Track was constructed quickly

c) Sweet’s reconstruction of the Sweet Track was inaccurate

d) the builders of the Sweet Track used sophisticated tools