Fix-Up Strategies When Meaning Breaks Down

Notice when you've lost the meaning and use specific strategies to repair it.

Fluent readers are not readers who never get confused; they are readers who notice confusion quickly and fix it. Warning signs: you reach the end of a page and can't recall it, a pronoun's meaning is unclear, or a sentence contradicts what you thought was happening. When this happens, choose a fix-up strategy. Reread the last sentence or paragraph. Read ahead a little, since the next sentence may explain. Check a key word's meaning using context or word parts. Ask who 'they' or 'it' refers to. Slow your rate.

Visualize the scene or process. For example, you read: 'When the sensor detects moisture, it signals the pump, which then shuts off. ' If you lose track, ask what 'it' and 'which' refer to: 'it' is the sensor, 'which' is the pump. Now the chain is clear: sensor detects, sensor signals, pump shuts off. Repairing meaning in seconds keeps your reading both smooth and accurate.

• 1Notice warning signs that understanding has slipped
• 2Reread, read ahead, check a word, or slow down
• 3Track what pronouns like it, they, and which refer to