What process involves making connections, predictions, and inferences while reading?

The process that involves making connections, predictions, and inferences while reading is best described by metacognitive strategies. Metacognition refers to the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes. It involves not just the act of reading but also reflecting on how one understands the text, which includes evaluating comprehension and employing strategies to enhance understanding.

When readers use metacognitive strategies, they consciously think about their thinking. For example, they may pause to predict what will happen next in a story based on evidence from the text or relate the material to their own experiences. This active engagement helps deepen comprehension and facilitates better retention of information.

While comprehension skills involve understanding the meaning of the text, and cognitive processes pertain to the overall mental activities involved in reading, metacognitive strategies specifically target self-regulation and awareness in reading that enhances the reader's ability to interact meaningfully with a text. Reading skills could refer more broadly to mechanics such as decoding and fluency rather than the deeper comprehension processes represented by metacognitive strategies.