Reading Inventory

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Reading Inventory

Preparing to Read

Title

What can you infer from the title of the article about the author's attitude toward the subject or the general tone of the essay?

Who do you think is the author's audience? What is the principal purpose of the essay?

Synopsis

What is the general subject of the article?

What is the author's approach to the subject?

Biography

What do you know about the author's age, political stance, and general beliefs?

How qualified is the author to write on this subject?

When did the author write the essay? Under what conditions? In what context?

Content

Where was the essay first published?

What would you like to learn about this topic?

What are some of your opinions on this subject?

Reading

What are your initial reactions, comments, and personal associations in reference to the ideas in this article?

What are the essay's main ideas?

What words do you need to look up in the dictionary?

Rereading

How does the author achieve his or her purpose in this article?

What assumptions underlie the author's reasoning?

Do you have a solid interpretive understanding of this article? Do you understand the relationship among ideas? What conclusions can you draw from this essay?

Do you have an accurate analytical understanding of this article? Which ideas can you take apart, examine, and put back together again? What is your evaluation of this material?

Do you understand the rhetorical strategies the writer uses and the way they work? Can you explain the effects of these strategies?