Reading comprehension means understanding what you read — not just the words, but the meaning behind them. Strong readers actively engage with text by asking questions, making predictions, and connecting what they read to what they already know.

The main idea is what the text is mostly about. Supporting details are the facts, examples, and descriptions that explain or prove the main idea. To find the main idea, ask: "What is the author mostly telling me?"

Making inferences means reading between the lines. Authors do not always state everything directly. Use clues from the text plus your own knowledge to draw conclusions. For example, if a character puts on a coat and grabs an umbrella, you can infer it is cold and rainy outside.

When you encounter unfamiliar words, use context clues — the surrounding words and sentences — to figure out the meaning. Look for definitions, examples, synonyms, or antonyms nearby.