It can be complex to describe how to apply active reading techniques without an example.
Actively reading involves reading the text strategically. Firstly, look for a common theme throughout the sentences to decipher the main idea/point of the passage. Something else to pay attention to is what statements imply, for inferred or implied meanings are more prevalent in high school-level texts. Take a look at this passage from an ACT Reading practice test:
"The time is overdue to admit that there is some-
thing of a vacuum in women’s poetry, and that we
abhor it. For a woman to concede this is not disloyal to
her sex; it’s the first step in the creation of an
environment in which women artists will flourish. But what
can be done about the fact that the list of beloved
women poets is not as long as the list of beloved poets
who were born male?"
The idea that a historic lack of opportunities for women's education and literary inclusion caused "a vacuum in women's poetry" is not explicitly said. However, by explaining that the method to close the historic gap between male and female poets is by creating an environment to empower women, readers can reasonably infer this cause and effect. Readers should pay attention to connections between topic statements/hooks and explanatory or analytical statements, as implied meaning typically emerges through such connections.
Understanding inferences is important for keeping track of the passage's or narrative's overall idea. Implied meaning usually predicts an analysis or argument that develops later on.
In this essay, the narrator argues that while we can't go back in time to create those environments, considering the work of neglected women writers may be an appropriate solution. The narrator points out that Emily Dickinson intentionally kept herself from the limelight, and it was only out of dedicated post-mortem publicity she became a famous writer today. Later on, the narrator explains the conundrum between wanting to discover prodigious woman writers, and women being denied educational opportunities. This analysis directly addresses the cause and effect between historic inequality and the lack of canon women poets, displaying how inferred meanings can become relevant throughout a text. This analysis leads to a larger idea for readers to think about at the end of the essay: the caution required to avoid unnecessarily devaluing prodigious male poets in an attempt to do justice to neglected female poets.
Indeed, active reading helps students understand the text, which is necessary to successfully and meaningfully summarize a text. You can assess a student's active reading skills by asking them to summarize a text. Summarization will push them to search for the main idea, inferred meanings, analytical arguments, and conclusive points (or key story elements like setting, mood, tone, characterization, and plot) and concisely string those components together. Active reading and summarization skills are required to eventually engage with a text through reflective or persuasive essay writing.
