High School | Language Arts | Reading

Reading is essential. It is the process by which people gain information and ideas from books, newspapers, manuals, letters, contracts, advertisements and a host of other materials. Using strategies for constructing meaning before, during and after reading will help students connect what they read now with what they have learned in the past. Students who read well and widely build a strong foundation for learning in all areas of life.

Learning Objectives

Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections:

• Expand knowledge of word origins and derivations and use idioms, analogies, metaphors and similes to extend vocabulary development.
• Compare the meaning of words and phrases and use analogies to explain the relationships among them.

Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency:

• Preview reading materials, clarify meaning, analyze overall themes and coherence, and relate reading with information from other sources.
• Analyze, interpret and compare a variety of texts for purpose, structure, content, detail and effect.
• Read age-appropriate material with fluency and accuracy.

Comprehend a broad range of reading materials:

• Use questions and predictions to guide reading.
• Explain and justify an interpretation of a text.
• Interpret, evaluate and apply information from a variety of sources to other situations (e.g., academic, vocational, technical, personal).
• Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material.
• Analyze how authors and illustrators use text and art to express and emphasize their ideas (e.g., imagery, multiple points of view).
• Interpret tables, graphs and maps in conjunction with related text.