Purposes for Reading: Access Tools
Cris Tovani · 2023
A reader’s purpose affects everything about reading. It determines what’s important in the text, what is remembered, and what comprehension strategy a reader uses to enhance meaning. Thinking aloud shows students how an expert reader makes sense of text. Some reading experts even suggested that teachers should occasionally laugh out loud or make a comment in response to the book so students could see a reader interacting with the text. Mental modeling is an even better way to help students understand how good readers comprehend text. When teachers make invisible mental processes visible, they arm young readers with powerful weapons. Good readers engage in mental processes before, during, and after they read in order to comprehend text. Access tools help teachers make text understandable without spending hours of class time teaching reading. They encourage students to participate in their reading instead of relying on teachers to deliver the information.