Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Pump Up Your Reading
Do you know that reading is a form of exercise? That is, exercise for your mind. When you exercise your body, you go through certain steps. You warm up, you exercise actively, and then you cool down. If you perform these steps when you read, you will exercise your mind. No, you won't burn a lot of calories, but you will be better able to understand and remember what you've read.
First, warm up. Prepare yourself for your reading session. Make sure you have all your gear. You will need the material you are reading, paper, pencil, a dictionary, and some highlighters. Make sure there is good lighting and comfortable seating in the room. You may want to listen to some soft music or eat something while you read. Prepare these things before you begin. That way, you won't be interrupted, and your distractions will be eliminated.
Another part of your warm up should be to survey what you are about to read. How long is the piece? How large is the font; is it comfortable to your eyes? Notice any vocabulary words, charts, and diagrams. Read the headings and subheadings. Determine your purpose for reading this selection. If the assignment is long, break it into manageable chunks. Doing all these things will help you decide at what rate to read the material. This will help prepare your mind to read and remember.
Now it's time to rev up your mind as you read. Find the main ideas. Continue to relate these ideas to information you already know. This helps you to understand the concepts you are reading about. Form questions as you read, and then try to find the answers. If you are reading fiction, try to predict what will happen next. Then read to find out if you are right.
