Which reading strategy is most effective in most contexts?

• A. Reading word for word
• B. Making predictions about the text
• C. Looking up the meaning of unfamiliar words prior to reading
• D. Viewing the table of contents

Answer: (B)

Predicting what you will read before and during a text helps you stay active and give your reading a purpose. When you make a prediction, you connect what you already know with clues from the title, headings, or opening sentences. As you read, you test your guess against the details and adjust your understanding if the text goes a different direction. This habit supports comprehension across many kinds of texts because it keeps you engaged, strengthens your ability to infer meaning, and helps you notice when something doesn’t fit so you can reread or rethink a part.

Reading every word aloud or focusing only on decoding stops you from grasping bigger ideas, and looking up every unfamiliar word can interrupt flow and hinder seeing how ideas fit together. Looking at the table of contents can help you know what’s included, but it doesn’t guide you through understanding the content as you read.