SHARPEN YOUR READING SKILLS

PREVIEWING AND PREDICTING

Previewing and predicting are skills that are important for readers to learn. Before you read something, you will often be able to predict what it is going to be about. One way to make good predictions is to look for clues about the topic by looking over the whole reading first. This is called previewing.
Previewing means surveying a text quickly before you read it carefully. When you preview a text, look at the title and subtitles, pictures and graphics, words in bold print or italics, and introductions.
Predicting is making an educated guess about what you are going to read. One of the goals of previewing is to help you make a prediction. You can also use what you already know about the topic to help you make a predictions. Then, as you read, you can continue to make predictions about what will come next in the passage. Predictions is important because it keeps you actively involved in reading, and therefore, helps you understand and remember more of what you read.