1. Schema: Think about what you already know.

2. Making Connections: Use what you already know to help you understand the text.

3. Visualizing: Use the five senses to connect to the text.

4. Decoding: Sound it out, reread, read ahead, use context clues.

5. Determining Important Ideas: Identify the main idea and identify what the author of the text considers important.

6. Inferring: Draw conclusions and make predictions about the text.  Reflect on what you have read.

7. Ask Questions: Ask questions before, during, and after you read.  "I wonder..."