Good readers are one with the book. They know the characters, strive to understand them and relate to them. They picture the setting, comparing it to places they know. They smell the aromas, living them like passing a bakery in the early morning. They hear sounds, from the softest whispers to the loudest screeches.
Thinking, wondering, questioning, disbelieving, and doubting occur continually as good readers go page to page. Why did that happen? What is coming next? Question after question drives an interaction that controls comprehension. Connections with the story build with the plot. Interest in the story grows with each question, both the answered and the unanswered.
The bottom line--get your brain involved. Think about what you are reading. Get your senses involved. See, hear, and smell. Live the book and get all you can get out it, and it will give you back a great story.
So Reading Workshop students, as you read today, were you involved?