Thinking about thinking

Thinking about thinking is called 'Metacognition'. Good readers use metacognitive strategies to think about and have control over their reading. Before reading, they might clarify their purpose for reading and preview the text.

During reading, they might monitor their understanding, adjusting their reading speed to fit the difficulty of the text and "fixing" any comprehension problems they have. After reading, they check their understanding of what they have read.

You may use several comprehension monitoring strategies: Identify where the difficulty occurs. For example, "I don't understand the second paragraph on page 33." Identify what the difficulty is: "I don't get what the author means when she says, 'Arriving in London was a milestone in my mother's life.'

Restate the difficult sentence or passage in their own words: "Oh, so the author means that coming to London was a very important event in her mother's life." Then, look back through the text: "The author talked about Mr. Bennet in Chapter 1, but I don't remember much about him. Maybe if I reread that chapter, I can figure out why he's acting this way now.

Look forward in the text for information that might help them to resolve the difficulty: "The text says, 'The groundwater may form a stream or pond or create a wetland. People can also bring groundwater to the surface.'

Hmm, I don't understand how people can do that… Oh, the next section is called 'Wells.' I'll read this section to see if it tells how they do it."

Small Talk:I'll carry you piggyback !

Giri: Do you want to go for a swim ?
Sridhar: All right. Oh ! The sand is burning my feet !
Giri: I'll carry you piggyback. Jump on my back.
Sridhar:Okay. A high wave is coming in. Don't let me get wet.
Giri: Since you mention it, let's go bodysurfing.
Sridhar: Please doooon't ! Hey ! I'll get you !

Notes:Piggyback - a ride on someone's back with your arms round their neck and your legs round their waist
Example : I gave the child a piggyback ride.

Know Your Vocabulary: Choose the closest meaning and tick it.

1. Destitution

a extreme poverty

b payment for injury

c written law

2. Extortion

a nasty reply

b getting by force

c taking out

3. Quagmire

a puzzle b) marsh

c deep hole

4. Defunct

a lively b) dangerous

c dead

5. Bequeath

a take by force b) leave by will

c buy with money

6. Wan

a blotchy b) soft

c pale

7. Amass

a pile up b) tear down

c) share among many

8. Thwart

a hinder b. help

c hope

9. Divulge

a make double b. make known

c make tall

10. Breadth

adepth b. width

c) height

Key: 1-a; 2-b; 3-b; 4-c; 5-b; 6-c; 7-a; 8-a; 9-b; 10-b

Communication is everyone's panacea for everything.- Tom Peters[Thomas J. "Tom" Peters, November 7, 1942, is an American writer on business management practices, best known for In Search of Excellence, co-authored with Robert H. Waterman, Jr.](The writer is an Assistant Professor at Palamuru University and can be reached at: vschary@gmail.com)

By:Dr Vangeepuram Sreenathachary