Activating prior knowledge before reading a text greatly impacts a reader's comprehension of a book. A creative approach to activating prior knowledge before reading is to make a book box. Decorate a shoebox or any type of box and fill it with concrete items that pertain to the text. For instance, if you're going to read a book about summer, place a bathing suit, sunscreen, sunglasses and a seashell in the box. Pull out each item and ask the reader if after seeing the items, he can predict what the story will be about. If he simply predicts that it will be about the summer, ask him if he can provide more of a detailed prediction; ask him if he's had experience with the items and, if so, when and why he's used them.
Literature maps provide readers with a way to respond to literature while reading, keeping them focused on and make connections with the literature. To create a literature map, fold a piece of paper into four or more sections and label each section with a heading that relates to the book: setting, plot, imagery and themes, or the names of the main characters, for example. While the reader is engaged in the text, encourage him to jot down notes that pertain to each section on the map. This activity keeps readers actively involved in reading, increasing their comprehension of a text.
To ensure that readers understood what it is that they read, create a literary report card after reading a text. On paper, create a report card for the main characters of a story and choose traits for each of the characters to be graded on. Ask the reader to assign a grade of "A" through "F," or "Excellent" "Satisfactory" and "Needs Improvement." Upon assigning a grade to the character, the reader must provide comments that support the grade, drawing from examples in the book. This activity will get the reader thinking in a meaningful way about what he has read.
Creating a craft after reading can further increase comprehension, as it allows readers to further reflect on what has been read. To create a retelling picture, have the reader draw a picture that illustrates the setting in a story. Have him draw and cut out pictures of the characters in the book as well. Once the picture has been created, the reader can use the character cut-outs and the setting picture to retell what happened in the story, helping him recall the events that occurred in sequential order.