Reading Strategy: Determine Importance

We all respond to a text in different ways. If a text relates to our lives and experiences, it will be more important to us.

Reading Strategy Determine Importance
    How to Determine What’s Important to You

  • 1. Use a Personal Reading Journal to note what each part is about.

  • 2. Write down ideas you think are most important to remember.

  • 3. Write down what has personal meaning to you and why.

Strategy in Action

Here’s how one student determined what was important to her.

Look Into the Text

The teens in Burnsville, Minnesota, had no place to skateboard. They were getting in trouble for skateboarding in public places, and they thought that was unfair. So they met with the mayor and suggested that the city build a skateboarding park. Because the mayor liked the idea, she told the teens they needed to go to the City Council to get it approved and funded.

These are important ideas to me.

Practice Together

Reread the passage and start your own Personal Reading Journal.

Personal Reading Journal

This part is mostly about …The important details include …
Taking action to change something in our community

  • • The teens had no place to skateboard.

  • • They talked to the mayor about buiding a skateboarding park.

The most important idea to me is …
Kids like me can take positive action in our communities.