2. Reading Strategies Covered
(So Far)
Look at the words around the word you don’t
know.
Look for words with similar meanings
(synonyms).
Look for words with opposite meanings
(antonyms).
Look at the meanings of words in a list.
3. Reading Strategies Covered
(So Far)
Look for hidden clues in a passage to find out
what a word means.
Look out for words that are like other words
(homonyms & homophones)
5. Reading Strategy #8
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms
for words.
A thesaurus is a book that can help you find
words that are similar or different for the
words that you want to use.
7. Thesaurus
You have to make sure that when you pick a
synonym or antonym from the thesaurus, that
you pick one that goes with how you are using the
original word.
The word that you pick needs to say what you are
trying to say.
8. Reading Strategy #9
Use the glossary!
A glossary is like having a mini-dictionary in
the back of your book. They are often in the
back of textbooks and define words that you
may not know.
Usually, the words that are going to be in the
glossary are in bold in the text that you are
reading.
9. Reading Strategy #10
Figurative language shows how unusual things
are alike.
Have you ever heard or read the saying “It’s
raining cats and dogs!”?
10. Figurative Language
Writers often describe things in interesting ways
by showing how they are like something else.
Figurative language shows how unusual things
are alike.
11. Idioms
Figurative language that becomes a common
saying.
Idiom Meaning
I cried my eyes out. I cried a lot.
I wish you’d get out of my hair. Stop bothering me.
Are you pulling my leg? Are you joking?
Sitting still is a pain in the neck. Sitting still is not any fun.
Arnie swims like a rock. Arnie can’t swim.
12. Idioms
When you come across an idiom in a passage, it
may not make sense to you if you’ve never heard
it before.
If you’ve never heard it before, look for clues in
the sentences in and around the idiom to help
you figure it out.
13. Reading Strategy #11
Plug in the answer choices.
If you have multiple-choice questions, you can
say the different choices in the sentence in place
of the word you don’t know. The one that makes
the most sense is probably going to be the correct
answer.
14. Question...
Read the following passage...
Frank’s heart ached with sadness. His best
friend Joe was leaving Wann to move to
Oklahoma City. How would he ever get over this
pain of leaving?
15. Question...
Read this sentence from the passage...
Frank’s heart ached with sadness.
What does the word ached mean?
A. hurt
B. pounded
C. beat
D. thumped
16. Question...
Read this sentence from the passage...
Frank’s heart ached with sadness.
What does the word ached mean?
A. hurt
B. pounded
C. beat
D. thumped
17. Next Week
Review the 11 reading strategies we’ve covered
the past two weeks and do a worksheet over
them.