* Annotating: Highlighting key passages, underlining important vocabulary, writing notes and questions in the margins, summarizing sections. This helps solidify understanding and make the material easier to review later.
* Summarizing: Periodically stopping to summarize what you've just read in your own words. This forces you to process the information and identify the main points.
* Questioning: Asking yourself questions about the text. What's the main idea? What are the supporting arguments? What evidence is presented? What are the author's assumptions? What are the implications?
* Connecting: Making connections between the text and your prior knowledge, other texts you've read, or current events. This helps build a richer understanding and make the information more memorable.
* Visualizing: Creating mental images of what you're reading. This can be particularly helpful for descriptive passages or narratives.
* Defining Unfamiliar Words: Looking up words you don't understand. Don't just skip over them; understanding vocabulary is crucial for comprehension.
* Identifying the Author's Purpose and Audience: Considering why the author wrote the text and who the intended audience is. This helps interpret the text's meaning and tone.
* Analyzing the Text's Structure: Paying attention to how the text is organized (e.g., chronological order, compare/contrast, cause/effect). This can reveal the author's argument and enhance understanding.
The specific strategies you use will depend on the type of text you are reading and your purpose for reading it. However, active engagement, beyond simply decoding the words, is key to effective reading.