April 27, 29 Strategies and Metacognitive Skills

Click the first hyperlink below "Reading Strategy Checklist." Think back your L2 reading habit and mark the strategies you usually use. Write about your reading strategy patterns. Is your reading strategic? how much? why or why not?

Before Reading
I think about the cover, title, and what I know about the topic (my prior knowledge).
I skim, looking at and thinking about illustrations, photos, graphs, and charts.
I read headings and captions.
I read the back cover and/or print on the inside if the jacket.
I use the five-finger method to see if the book is just right for me.
I set a purpose or goal for my reading this text.
I ask questions.
I make predictions.

During Reading
I make mental pictures.
I identify confusing parts and reread them.
I use pictures, graphs, and charts to understand confusing parts.
I identify unfamiliar words and use context clues figure out their meanings.
I stop and retell to see what I remember. If necessary, I reread.
I predict and adjust or confirm.
I raise questions and read on to discover answers.
I jot down a tough word and the page its on and ask for help.

After Reading
I think about the characters, settings, events, or new information.
I discuss or write my reactions.
I reread parts I enjoy.
I skim to find details.
I reread to find support for questions.

According to the checklist, my reading strategies focused on 'Before Reading', and strategies got worse as it went on. I think that the reason is my curiosity. First I pick up the book, I wonder what the contents included and how the contents develops. For inferring these things, I concentrate in pre-reading strategy.

Overtly I think my reading strategy is very poor by checking my list. Actually, I forget almost plots after two weeks or three weeks when I read the book because I don't use reading strategies during while-reading and post-reading.

So, I become a good reader, I have to identify the main idea and think overall reading skill development during while-reading. And I use post-reading strategies to be task, purpose, and affect determined.