Transforming Reading: Strategies to Master Exam Prep and Comprehension

Preparing for exams that involve reading comprehension requires more than simply answering questions at face value. To truly excel, our students need to develop reading skills that allow them to interact deeply with the text, extracting valuable information before even glancing at the questions. In this blog post I will outline the step-by-step approach I use to help my students navigate reading texts with confidence, ensuring they are fully prepared for any comprehension challenge.

Rationale: Why spend time with the text?

The temptation for students to jump straight to the questions is often overwhelming, especially under exam pressure. However, investing time in thoroughly engaging with the text first, helps them build a better understanding, which ultimately leads to faster and more accurate responses. While this post focuses more specifically on strategies for KS4, the process should begin much earlier - well before students face high-stakes assessments or their GCSE exams. I believe, developing strong reading skills should start at KS3, laying the groundwork for success in later years.

These are the steps I live model and instruct my students to apply and to follow:

Step 1: Focus on the question’s topic

Before diving into the text, take a moment to carefully read the topic of the question, you will find it highlighted in bold at the top of the page. This gives you a clear indication of what content or theme the question will assess.

• Why It Matters:

  Knowing the topic helps you approach the text with a purpose. Whether the focus is on environmental issues, a literary theme, or a cultural perspective, understanding the topic allows you to zero in on relevant details as you read.

• Pro Tip:

  Jot down the topic in your own words. This will serve as a reminder to stay on track while reading.

  
  

Step 2: Note the context of the question

Every text comes with a context - whether it’s a blog post, a forum extract, a poem, a literary extract, or an article. Identifying this early on helps you anticipate the structure and style of the text.

• Key considerations for context:

  • A poem might include figurative language, imagery, and a focus on emotions or themes.

  • A literary extract may include dialogue (direct speech) descriptive passages, or a narrative.

  • A blog post or article might have headings, subheadings, and a more conversational tone.

    
    

• Why it is important:

  Recognising the context equips you to adjust your reading strategy. For example, you’ll pay close attention to certain types of tenses used in literary texts, such as imperfect (prererite) tense to aid your comprehension, in an article, you might focus on facts and opinions etc.

  
  

Step 3: First read the text through – Highlight key words

Start by reading the entire text once, focusing on identifying words and phrases that relate to the topic or context of the question.

• What to highlight:

  • Words you recognise or find familiar (cognates, near cognates).

  • Words or phrases that seem to link back to the topic or context.

    
    

• Why it works:

  Highlighting key words during the first read-through helps you establish a general understanding (gist) of the text. It’s the first step in decoding the message or narrative.

  
  

  An example - task from Pearson Edxecel GCSE German 2023 series

  

Step 4: Second read-through – Annotate for deeper understanding

Once you’ve read the text first time, go back and read the text a second time, this time making notes in the margins. Writing annotations in English or your native language helps you process the text and break it down into manageable chunks.

• What to write:

  • Paraphrase key ideas in your own words.

  • Note the meaning of unfamiliar words based on context.

  • Number and summarise each sentence, paragraph or section briefly.

    An example - summary

    

• Why annotating helps:

  By actively engaging with the text and putting your thoughts on paper, you build a deeper understanding. Marginal notes act as a quick reference when answering questions.

  An example - task from Pearson Edxecel GCSE 2016 German Sample materials , pg.141

  

Step 5: Break down the text and answer the question

Once you’ve analysed the text, you’re ready to tackle the question itself. Start by rereading the question, then revisit the parts of the text you highlighted or annotated. Use your notes to guide your response. Remember, questions follow the order of the text, so the answer to the first question will typically be near the beginning. Look for the key words you've identified in both the question and the text to locate the relevant information efficiently.

• Steps to answering the question:

  • Refer back to the topic and context: Ensure your response aligns with the focus of the question. This is effective for your multiple choice questions.

  • Gap fill questions: Look at the 'gapped' sentences carefully. Based on the structure of the sentence, determine what type of word is required - is it a noun, verb, adjective, time phrase, etc.? Then, review the options provided in the box. Identifying the type of word needed will help narrow down your choices. Use your knowledge of grammar and syntax to guide you. For example, in German, nouns always start with a capital letter, making them easier to spot.

  • Use evidence from the text: Use key words, phrases, or examples from your highlights and annotations to support your answers. This is particularly helpful when responding to questions in the target language. For further guidance, refer to my recorded 'walk-through' on how to approach this type of task, even if you don’t fully understand everything yet. Link to where I model this type of task under the visualiser is here: Live modelling - reading task in TL (Please, note, this would be typically set via HWK or my Padlet link that is shared with my students.)

  • Structure your answer: Keep your response clear and organised, whether it’s a short answer or an extended response.

    
    

• Why this strategy is effective:

  By this stage, you’ve already done the hard work of decoding the text or most of it. Answering the question becomes a straightforward process of applying what you’ve learnt.

So next time you face a reading comprehension task, take a deep breath, follow these steps, and let the text guide you to the answers.

Why this approach works

This systematic process - focusing on the question topic, identifying the context, highlighting key words, annotating for understanding, and finally answering the question - ensures that students are engaging with the text at a deep level. It turns what might seem like an overwhelming task into a series of manageable steps, giving them the confidence to succeed.

Other ideas

When working with a text, you can help students develop their decoding and parsing skills through a range of targeted activities, such as:

1. Using prior knowledge:

   • Underline/highlight words and phrases that you recognise.

   • Based on the words you recognise, predict the general topic of the text. What kind of text do you think it is?

     
     

2. Highlighting parts of speech:

   • Identify and highlight key elements, such as:

     • Nouns

     • Verbs

     • Adjectives

     • Connectives

     • Opinion phrases

     • Frequency phrases

     • Time phrases

       
       

3. Decoding vocabulary: This could be done individually or as part of 'think-pair-share' to scaffold the task if/when appropriate.

   • Using the words you recognise and the overall gist of the text, infer the meaning of at least 3-5 new words.

     
     

4. Decoding sentences: This could be done individually or as part of 'think-pair-share' to scaffold the task if/when appropriate.

   • Use recognised words and reading strategies to decode the meaning of 2-3 full sentences within the text.

   • Translate 1-3 full sentences into English for deeper understanding.

     
     

5. Rewriting for practice:

   • Using your broader knowledge of German, rewrite a portion of the text with:

     • Different tenses

     • Synonyms/antonyms

     • Change the word order - verb 2nd idea rule applies

     • Different pronouns and verbs or register

       
       

The ideas described in point 5 offer both stretch and challenge for higher-achieving students while being low-prep and low-effort for you, the teacher. They also have a high impact, enabling students to demonstrate their ability to manipulate the language effectively.

6. Creating questions:

   • Design a comprehension question, such as multiple choice questions, P/N/PN or questions in English, to test understanding.

   
   

These activities not only enhance reading comprehension but also encourage active engagement with the text and build essential language skills.

Final thoughts

Reading comprehension isn’t just about understanding a text; it’s about interacting with it. By applying these steps, our students will not only improve their reading skills but also develop reliable strategies for tackling exam questions. Preparation and active engagement are the keys to success.

What strategies do you use to prepare for reading exams? Share your tips in the comments!

*For the GCSE exam practice papers, click on the highlighted text above the example.