Summer Reading Brush-Up Class: Reading Comprehension Strategies

During each class I will present a topic needed to be a great reader. We will then read short passages and practice using that technique. A variety of sources will be used to practice reading comprehension - informational texts, workplace and community-based documents, general fiction, opinion based texts, and non-fiction aligned with science and social studies curriculums for this age group. Students will be assessed on their comprehension of the reading passages by answering questions about the main idea, making inferences, the author’s purpose, summary, mood, characterization, character’s point of view, sequence of events, theme, and supporting details. A solid understand of these concepts will also greatly improve one's writing. 

These classes are designed for learners who have mastered the decoding skills needed for reading sentences and paragraphs fluently, and are now ready to focus on interpreting the meaning of what they are reading and making observations about it. We will practice the critical thinking skills needed to separate fact from opinion and recognize claims that are supported by evidence. 

The reading passages we do in class will have questions that practice the following topics:

Finding the Main Idea
Locating and Understanding Supporting Details
Making Inferences
Sequence of Events
Comparing and Contrasting
Cause and Effect
Drawing Conclusions
Determining Author's Evidence and Purpose
Setting
Character Traits
Application (apply recently learned information to a new situation)
Synthesis 
Finding the Theme
Analyzing Story Structure (Inciting Incident, Conflict, Climax, Resolution)

Here are some sample questions:

Which sentence best expresses the main idea of paragraph 2?
The photograph and caption below paragraph 1 help the reader understand that —
Which sentence from the selection best highlights that the author is impressed with Brown?
In paragraph 3, what does the word diminished mean?
Which sentence from the selection best establishes how the author’s mother approaches her situation?