The ability to interpret and comprehend text material is a basic and essential skill. To insure a successful experience for students, reading specialists have produced various techniques and strategies. Many of their approaches are congruous with activities used in the science classroom.

There are three main purposes for reading. Students learn to read to be informed, to perform a task, and for literary experience. A piece of literature developed around a science topic can be used to engage and motivate students to explore the topic. During the exploration, students read to perform hands-on investigation and/or read to be informed.

The reading strategies help students focus their thinking and construct meaning. Many of these strategies are a natural part of the science lesson. The science content area provides students with the opportunity to use reading skills in an authentic environment. The authentic application of these skills is a critical experience for students as they learn to read.

Science provides a context for reading. Because the topics in the science curriculum stimulate a student's natural curiosity and sense of wonder, they motivate the student to read. Science texts give teachers the informational material the students can summarize and can explore for details that can be organized. The information students collect can be connected to their prior experiences.

Science investigations give students the opportunity to read to perform a task. The investigation challenges them and they are motivated to explore and discover. Students can analyze and evaluate before, during, and after they conduct the investigation.

Science provides lessons that build proficient readers. A science educator who understands the natural connections between reading and science strategies is equipped to produce powerful lessons.

The following information explains the reading stances, shows the natural connections to science assessment indicators, and demonstrates the integration of reading and science strategies in the context of a lesson.

1. GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING

The reader constructs meaning based on an overall understanding of the text. This stance represents an initial, holistic understanding of a reading selection and often determines which stance the reader will consider next. Oral and written responses addressing global understanding may not require the reader to revisit the text. Readers should consider such things as the main idea or topic and the author’s overall purpose or point of view.

• Summarize the information presented
• Recall key information in the text
• Identify the most important point
• State the main idea when appropriate

2. DEVELOPING INTERPRETATION

To develop interpretation, readers must examine the initial, holistic understandings they have constructed by revisiting the text to clarify, verify, revise, and extend these global ideas. Oral and written responses addressing interpretation should require specific textual references. Readers should base their responses on specific information in the text.

• Use pictures, graphs, and charts to gain information
• Predict what will happen in a given situation
• Locate specific information in the text
• Draw inferences from information provided
• Describe cause and effect relationships
• Explain information and concepts clearly
• Compare ideas within and across texts

3. PERSONAL REFLECTION/RESPONSE

To develop a personal response the reader will utilize prior knowledge and personal experience in interacting with the text in order to extend meaning. Oral and written responses addressing this stance should elicit personal experience and/or knowledge and links between the personal experience and the text. Readers will compare the author’s point of view with their own or new information from the text with their own background knowledge.

• Recall prior knowledge and personal experiences related to the information in the text
• Compare information in the passage with prior knowledge
• Identify new information in the text that was not part of their prior knowledge
• Identify additional information to learn about the topic
• Describe a course of action based on information from the text
• Use textual proof and personal experience to support ideas

4. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

To develop critical analysis, the reader must “step away” from the text and examine the author’s perspective and craft. This stance requires evaluation and judgement skills. Critical analysis is essential if the reader is to extend the meaning of the text into an understanding of the author’s purpose, perspective, or point of view. Oral and written responses addressing critical analysis should focus on the author’s craft and require specific examples from the text to support the reader’s conclusions.

• Use textual proof to support ideas

Now you will be reading to be informed. When you read to be informed, be sure to

•	Read the material carefully
•	Underline, highlight, or take notes to help you recall important information.
•	Pause during your reading to organize new information and link it to what you know.

When you have completed the reading answer the following questions. Be sure to use information from the text when writing your response.

1. What was the purpose for this article?
    
2. In your journal, summarize the information from the article.
    
3. Develop a graphic organizer to display the important ideas in the article.
    
4. What information from this article supports what you read from ...?
    
5. What ideas about the topic are made clearer by the illustrations in this article?
    
6. Use information from the article to explain how someone could use this information in a practical way.
    
7. How did reading this article help you better understand the topic?
    
8. What other information that you did not find in this article do you need to better understand this topic?
    
9. Look back at the article you just read. Write a new title that would give someone a clearer idea about the information in the selection.

1. GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING

The reader constructs meaning based on an overall understanding of the text. This stance represents an initial, holistic understanding of a reading selection and often determines which stance the reader will consider next. Oral and written responses addressing global understanding may not require the reader to revisit the text. Readers should consider such things as the main idea or topic and the author’s overall purpose or point of view.

• Identify the overall purpose of the text
• Summarize general information from the text
• Tell how the information would be useful

2. DEVELOPING INTERPRETATION

To develop interpretation, readers must examine the initial, holistic understandings they have constructed by revisiting the text to clarify, verify, revise, and extend these global ideas. Oral and written responses addressing interpretation should require specific textual references. Readers should base their responses on specific information in the text.

• Use pictures, graphs, and charts to gain information
• Locate specific information in the text
• Paraphrase directions, information, and concepts related to the topic
• Explain information and concepts clearly
• Identify cause and effect relationships

3. PERSONAL REFLECTION/RESPONSE

To develop a personal response the reader will utilize prior knowledge and personal experience in interacting with the text in order to extend meaning. Oral and written responses addressing this stance should elicit personal experience and/or knowledge and links between the personal experience and the text. Readers will compare the author’s point of view with their own or new information from the text with their own background knowledge.

• Recall prior knowledge and experiences related to the information in the text
• Compare information in the passage with prior knowledge
• Tell how the information in the text relates to their own experience
• Compare the form, task, or product to something similar in their own experience, when appropriate

4. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

To develop critical analysis, the reader must “step away” from the text and examine the author’s perspective and craft. This stance requires evaluation and judgment skills. Critical analysis is essential if the reader is to extend the meaning of the text into an understanding of the author’s purpose, perspective, or point of view. Oral and written responses addressing critical analysis should focus on the author’s craft and require specific examples from the text to support the reader’s conclusions.

• Evaluate the usefulness of the text
• Generate recommendations to improve clarity or effectiveness
• Use textual proof to support ideas