What is an important outcome of teaching reading strategies to students?

Teaching reading strategies to students significantly enhances their ability to engage with various texts. By equipping students with these tools, they learn how to analyze, interpret, and understand diverse materials—including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and informational texts. This engagement fosters critical thinking, allowing students to draw connections, make inferences, and reflect on the content more deeply.

As students become adept at employing reading strategies, they develop skills such as summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting, which contribute to greater comprehension and retention. This empowerment not only aids in academic success but also cultivates a more enriching experience with texts, sparking curiosity and encouraging exploration beyond assigned readings.

While increased reading speed may benefit some contexts, it does not necessarily equate to better comprehension or engagement. Solely focusing on standardized tests can limit the breadth of reading instruction and learning, while fostering a love for reading without critical thinking can lead to superficial engagement with the material, hindering students' overall development as readers.