How To Improve Reading Comprehension

Talk Back to Reading

It’s important to talk back to what you’ve read. Talking back will not only help you get involved with the reading, it also make the reading more meaningful for you.

• Talking back will help you pick out parts of the reading that are important.
• It will help you ask questions.
• It will help you remember what you’ve read.
• It will also help you decide on the purpose (what the writer wants you to think about) of the reading

You can talk back by writing down ideas that the reading makes you think about.

• Take out a sheet of paper, or a notebook. Draw a line down the middle of the paper, like this:
  
  
  
• Pick a sentence from what you just read. Be sure to pick out a sentence that you like!
• Write down the sentence on the left side of the paper. For example, you read a paragraph:

  Victor likes playing baseball. His team is called “The Rockets.” Last weekend, his team played in the park. Victor led The Rockets. He assigned batting order. Though The Rockets won, it wasn’t by a lot! Victor felt happy that his team won, but he was delighted just to play. When the game ended, he wished he could continue playing.

  You might write down:
  
  
  
  

• On the right side of the paper, write down what that sentence makes you think about. For example, you can write something about your own life.
  
  You might write down:
  
  
  

• On the right side of the paper, you can also write questions about vocabulary or grammar. You can also write down the writer’s purpose. If you don’t agree with the reading, write that too!
  
  You might write down:
  
  

Talking back to sentences that you like—by writing your own ideas and questions—will get you involved with the reading. Talking back will improve your reading comprehension.

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