In general, people are more likely to recall information about a topic that interests them. You might want to know what it takes to climb Mount Everest, and someone else might want to make the perfect cheesecake. Someone else may be keen to understand how tornadoes form. If a topic intrigues you, you're much more likely to remember what you read.
Unfortunately, you won't always be reading informational texts that fascinate you. For this reason, it can be helpful to know some strategies for tackling texts that you're required to read versus texts you choose yourself.
As you read, stop and recall what you already know about the topic of a section or paragraph. Your brain will store new information more easily if it can connect new facts to information that's already there.
Try this strategy with this paragraph from "A Garden Together." After reading the first sentence, stop and think about what you know about the topic.
Besides being created and maintained by local citizens, today's community gardens share another trait with earlier efforts: Extra produce is often used to feed the community. Since well-tended gardens may produce much more food than one family can eat or store, the excess is generally shared among families, donated to food pantries, or sold in farmers' markets. This tendency to distribute the food produced by the community within the community helps support the local economy.
Question
What do you know about gardens in general that can help you remember the other information in this paragraph?
Some details in an informational article may remind you of your own life. Even if you haven't had the exact same experience, perhaps you've gone through something similar. As you read, consider how your life experiences relate to the new information you're learning.
Read this paragraph from "A Garden Together" and see if you can identify a connection to your own life.
Like gardens past, today's community gardens often serve multiple purposes. They allow like-minded people to get together, make friends, and enjoy each other's company. They also help the residents of towns and cities protect the local environment. Community gardens often try to use water wisely, recycle plants through composting, and rotate crops―all practices that help improve the natural environment. Likewise, many of today's school gardens are designed not only to teach science but also how to care for the planet.
Question
What life experience could nearly any reader connect to this part of "A Garden Together"?
After reading a paragraph that introduces a new topic, think of questions that the rest of the article might answer. Focus on questions that begin with who, what, when, where, how, and why. Then, continue reading to see if you can find the answers to your questions.
What questions could you ask after reading this paragraph?
The shared gardens of today―both in schools and in communities―have much in common with past gardens in America's history. Usually, a small group of volunteers sets up the garden plots, prepares the soil, and installs a watering system. Then, the community is invited to participate. While some gardens, such as those at schools and churches, are free, others may charge a small fee. Garden plots are then assigned or rented out to participants, who take responsibility for weeding, watering, and tending their little section of the garden. In this sense, today's community gardens are similar to the gardens of the past.
Question
This paragraph introduces a new topic―the history of community gardens. What questions would most readers have after reading this paragraph?
