Reading informational texts
Reading: Be an Active Reader
-Become an active reader by learning to think about the meanings of new terms, main ideas and the details that support the main ideas. Use the strategies listed here as you read. They will help you interact with your text.
After Reading
Take time to be sure you understand and can remember what you have read. Use the strategies listed here to help you review and recall main ideas and details.
Increase Vocabulary
Good readers try to increase their vocabulary. Using strategies that help you learn new words as you read will help you become a better reader.
Context
When you come across an unfamiliar word, you can sometimes determine its meaning from the text. The context is the surrounding words and sentences. Look for clues in the surrounding words, sentences, and paragraphs to help you understand the meaning of the unfamiliar word.
Word Analysis
Word analysis refers to strategies you can use to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words by breaking them into parts. Many words have a root and a prefix or a suffix. A root is the base of a word. It may be a word that has a meaning by itself. A prefix is placed at the beginning of a root and changes the meaning of the root.. Think about the word “justice” if you ad in- as a prefix to justice, the word becomes “injustice.” Justice means, “to be fair, right or correct” while injustice is “the quality of being unfair.”
A suffix is placed at the end of a root and changes the word’s part of speech. If you add –ment to the root “amend,” it becomes “amendment.” Amend is a verb, amendment is a noun.
Analyze Informational Text
Here are several reading strategies to help you think about and analyze informational text. They include analyzing the author’s purpose, distinguishing between facts and opinions, identifying evidence, and evaluating credibility.
Analyze the Author’s Purpose
Different types of materials are written with different purposes in mind. For example, a textbook is written to teach students information about a subject. The purpose of a technical manual is to teach somehow to use something, such a computer. A newspaper editorial might be written to persuade the reader to a particular point of view. A writer’s purpose influences how the material is presented.
Distinguish Between Facts and Opinions
It is important to distinguish between fact and opinion. A fact can be proved or disproved. An opinion reveals someone’s personal viewpoint or evaluation. For example, the editorial in a newspaper offer opinions on current events. You need to read newspaper editorials with an eye for bias and faulty logic.
Identify Evidence
Before you accept a writer’s conclusions, you need to make sure that the writer has based the conclusion on enough evidence and on an accurate portrayal of the evidence. A writer may present a whole series of facts to support a claim, but the facts may not tell the whole story.
Evaluate Credibility
Whenever you read informational texts, you need to assess the credibility of the writer. This is especially true of Websites you may visit on the Internet. Here are some questions to ask yourself when evaluating the credibility of a Web site:
>> Did a respected organization, a discussion group, or an individual create the website?
>> Does the website creator include his or her name and the credentials, as well as the sources he or she used to write the content?
>> Is the information on the site objective or biased?
>> Can you verify the information using two other sources?
>> Is there a date on Web site?
-Become an active reader by learning to think about the meanings of new terms, main ideas and the details that support the main ideas. Use the strategies listed here as you read. They will help you interact with your text.
After Reading
Take time to be sure you understand and can remember what you have read. Use the strategies listed here to help you review and recall main ideas and details.
Increase Vocabulary
Good readers try to increase their vocabulary. Using strategies that help you learn new words as you read will help you become a better reader.
Context
When you come across an unfamiliar word, you can sometimes determine its meaning from the text. The context is the surrounding words and sentences. Look for clues in the surrounding words, sentences, and paragraphs to help you understand the meaning of the unfamiliar word.
Word Analysis
Word analysis refers to strategies you can use to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words by breaking them into parts. Many words have a root and a prefix or a suffix. A root is the base of a word. It may be a word that has a meaning by itself. A prefix is placed at the beginning of a root and changes the meaning of the root.. Think about the word “justice” if you ad in- as a prefix to justice, the word becomes “injustice.” Justice means, “to be fair, right or correct” while injustice is “the quality of being unfair.”
A suffix is placed at the end of a root and changes the word’s part of speech. If you add –ment to the root “amend,” it becomes “amendment.” Amend is a verb, amendment is a noun.
Analyze Informational Text
Here are several reading strategies to help you think about and analyze informational text. They include analyzing the author’s purpose, distinguishing between facts and opinions, identifying evidence, and evaluating credibility.
Analyze the Author’s Purpose
Different types of materials are written with different purposes in mind. For example, a textbook is written to teach students information about a subject. The purpose of a technical manual is to teach somehow to use something, such a computer. A newspaper editorial might be written to persuade the reader to a particular point of view. A writer’s purpose influences how the material is presented.
Distinguish Between Facts and Opinions
It is important to distinguish between fact and opinion. A fact can be proved or disproved. An opinion reveals someone’s personal viewpoint or evaluation. For example, the editorial in a newspaper offer opinions on current events. You need to read newspaper editorials with an eye for bias and faulty logic.
Identify Evidence
Before you accept a writer’s conclusions, you need to make sure that the writer has based the conclusion on enough evidence and on an accurate portrayal of the evidence. A writer may present a whole series of facts to support a claim, but the facts may not tell the whole story.
Evaluate Credibility
Whenever you read informational texts, you need to assess the credibility of the writer. This is especially true of Websites you may visit on the Internet. Here are some questions to ask yourself when evaluating the credibility of a Web site:
>> Did a respected organization, a discussion group, or an individual create the website?
>> Does the website creator include his or her name and the credentials, as well as the sources he or she used to write the content?
>> Is the information on the site objective or biased?
>> Can you verify the information using two other sources?
>> Is there a date on Web site?
