CONNECTING WITH THE BOOK

The process of reading is when a person reads text and their inner voice makes
connections between the words, and their life and prior knowledge. The more closely the
reader connects to the text, the higher the level of comprehension.
FICTION BOOKS
1) Visualize. Picture yourself in the story and think about how the setting and characters
look.
2) Put yourself in the story and think about how you would react when you were in a
similar situation.
3) Look at problems. How do they compare to problems you have faced?
4) Focus on the characters. Compare them to yourself and people you know.
5) Ask yourself questions as you read. Think about how the story relates to your life, and
things that you know.
6) Predict. As you read, wondering what will happen next is what makes you part of the
book. This is what makes reading exciting.
TEXT-TO-SELF:
This is similar to my life . . .
This is different from my life . . .
Something like this happened to me when . . .
This reminds me of . . .
This relates to me . . .
When I read this I felt . . .
TEXT-TO-TEXT:
This reminds me of another book Ive read . . .
This is similar to another thing I read . . .
This different from another book I read . . .
This character is similar/different to another character . . .
This setting is similar/different to another setting . . .
This problem is similar/different to the problem in . . .

TEXT-TO-WORLD:
This reminds me of the real world . . .
This book is similar to things that happen in the real world . . .
This book is different from things that happen in the real world . . .
PREDICT:
This problem . . .
In the end, she will. . .
I wonder what will happen when . . .
He has to . . .
That character will . . .
She will solve the problem by . . .
They are going to . . .
I think __________ will be the one to . . .
Surely they are going to . . .
Next, the author will . . .
If I was there I wonder what . . .

NON-FICTION BOOKS
1. Skim the entire article FIRST
2. Look at the title, headings, subheadings, and bold print
3. Does the introduction give facts or just get the reader engaged?
4. Visualize and make connections
5. Stop and think. Ask yourself, does this make sense?
6. Reread sentences, paragraphs, or the whole article to help you understand
7. Focus, know when you dont know
8. Wonder, ask questions, predict and confirm
9. Look for capitalization of names and other proper nouns
10. Find the Ws (who, what, when, where, why, and how)
11. Mark out and substitute hard words
12. Cross out words that don't matter
13. Highlight only the important parts (BIKINIS ONLY)