Reading Strategies – Math, Social Studies, and Literature

By Stuart Ackerman

      Not all reading comprehension skills are the same.  What does that mean?  Well, different subjects require different reading strategies.  
 
Reading Math Text
 
     Math textbooks have unique features not found in other texts.  For example, math textbooks contain many illustrations, charts, and theorems.  It is important for students to read math texts and become active by taking notes while reading.  As students read their math textbooks, they should consider writing notes that summarize key points, calculations to be aware of, formulae, definitions and proof.  Math literacy is becoming very popular in the education system.  Students should pay considerable attention to math-specific vocabulary in order to correctly answer questions on tests.
 
Social Studies Text
 
     Social studies generally refers to geography and history.  These texts contain, like math, illustrations, pictures, maps, timelines, and sometimes statistics.  It is important that students focus on these features when reading because the job of these features is to emphasize key points.  Students should also use, when reading history, cause and effect reading strategies, inferring, and definitely making connections.  Quite often, history tests are based on a student's ability to make text to self and text to text connections.
 
Literature
 
     When reading literature, students should consider universal story elements such as:
 

·         Character

·         Plot

·         Setting

·         Sequence

·         Problem/Solution

Students should incorporate such reading strategies as:
 

·         Inferring

·         Questioning

·         Making Connections

·         Synthesizing

·         Determining Important Information

     Students should remember to approach subject-specific texts with subject-specific reading strategies in order to better comprehend what they are reading.

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