Having a Purpose

For a good reader, purpose dictates how he or she interacts with the text. For example, a good reader would skim if looking for a specific fact, or read carefully and take notes if preparing for a test. The goal is for the reader to identify the appropriate purpose for a particular situation and read in a way that accomplishes that purpose.

The first strategy students learn about is Having a Purpose. Although students read for a variety of purposes, in Digging Reading the emphasis is on the purpose for reading in school: to understand what they read and remember the important parts of what they read.