In the course of a day, it is amazing how often we use our reading skills. Sure, a lot of the reading you do is in school, but there are many situations outside the classroom that force you to use your reading skills. Maybe you want to check the newspaper for last night's baseball scores, or you're going out to dinner with friends and need to order from the menu. Or maybe you want to read up on colleges you are interested in applying for, or you are looking through the classified ads for an afterschool job. In these and many others situations, it is important to make sure that you really get what you read. The strategies and tips below will help you.

Before you read anything, you should take a minute to check out what it looks like. Ask yourself such questions as:

	What can I learn from the title?

	Have I read anything else by this author?

	How many pages are there?

	How are the important terms marked?

	Are there any pictures or other visual aids that can give me clues about the text?

	Are there any specific text features (bold or italic words, headings or subheadings, chapter titles) that can help me think about this text?

	Is there a glossary or dictionary? Where?

	Are there any other special sections in the back of the book?

These types of questions clue you in to what the text is about and how it is organized. If you take a few seconds before you read to get in the right mindset, your reading will be more effective.

Have you ever finished reading something and said, Huh? ! I didn't get it. Chances are, you didn't stop along the way to make sure you were getting the gist if what you were reading. It is important to ask yourself questions while you read, so that you are not lost at the end. Here are several tips to help you while you read:

	Make marks — There are several ways to mark a text to help you remember key ideas. You can highlight, underline, or use sticky notes to mark important information. If you know that there are questions to answer or an essay to write after reading, mark information that will help you accomplish your task.

Make an outline — Outlining is an excellent way to organize information while you read. This strategy requires you to put information in order from most to least important. Main topics, subtopics, and details are the parts of an outline. The following guideline will help you create a basic outline: Use a title that tells you the topic. Use Roman numerals (I, II, III) for each main topic. A main topic is a very important idea, like headings in textbooks. Use a capital letter (A, B, C) before each subtopic. Subtopics give more information about each main topic. Use a numeral (1, 2, 3) for each detail of the subtopics. A detail is an extra piece of information that makes the subtopic clearer or provides evidence for the central idea or argument presented.

Stop and summarize — Sometimes, especially when you have to read a long text, it is easy to forget what is going on. Keep yourself focused by stopping along the way and writing quick summaries. You might stop at the end of a chapter or section, and jot down the Five W's. The Five W's are a quick and easy way to keep track of what you read. 5 W's Title of Reading: Who?   What?   Where?   When?   Why?

After you read, it's important to put the new information you have gained into context. To help you reflect on the experience, ask yourself such questions as:

	What did I know about this topic before the reading, and what new information did I learn?

	Does this information change how I feel or what I think about this topic?

	Can I connect this information to anything in my own life? Does a character, event, or situation remind me of someone or something?

	What did I like or dislike about the text?

	What would I change about the text, if I were the author?

You can also reflect on a text by talking about it with others, making a drawing, or creating a graphic organizer.