Reading Strategy: Plan Your Reading

Good readers preview a selection to see what it is about. Then they decide why they will read the selection. This means they set a purpose for reading.

Reading Strategy: Plan Your Reading
    How to Preview and Set a Purpose

  • 1. Look at the title. Look at the photo and caption. What do you think the article is about?

  • 2. Read the introduction. Now what do you think?

  • 3. Ask yourself: What do I want to find out? Your answer is your purpose for reading.

Strategy in Action

Here’s how one student previewed the first page of the selection.

Look Into the Text

title Hitching a Ride

A remora hitches a ride on a shark. caption

A remora hitches a ride on a shark. caption

photo

PREVIEW

“ Hmm. I’m not sure what the title means. In the photo, the shark is giving the small fish a ride. Maybe this article is about sharks.”

Brightly colored fish swirled around Greg Marshall as he glided over the reef. He checked his air supply. It was almost time to end the dive. Then he saw the shark. It was swimming right toward him. The shark came closer, and closer …

Introduction

SET A PURPOSE

“I’ll read to find out ______.”

Practice Together

Reread the passage above. Follow the steps in the How-To box to do your own preview. Then set a purpose for reading “Hitching a Ride.”