READINGREADING YOUR TEXTBOOKYOUR TEXTBOOK

A Study Skills Series Presented A Study Skills Series Presented by Student Success Programsby Student Success Programs

Reading Leads to SuccessReading Leads to Success

Successful students learn how to read Successful students learn how to read effectively and REMEMBER what they have effectively and REMEMBER what they have read.read.

Part of becoming a good reader is finding a Part of becoming a good reader is finding a strategy that works for YOU.strategy that works for YOU.

Remember don’t give up, keep Remember don’t give up, keep

looking until you find a strategy looking until you find a strategy

that best suits YOU.that best suits YOU.

Reading TextbooksReading Textbooks

Is not like reading for pleasureIs not like reading for pleasure Unless notes are taken, most information Unless notes are taken, most information

will be forgottenwill be forgotten Make sure you are understanding the Make sure you are understanding the

information, rather than just looking at itinformation, rather than just looking at it

Why are College Textbooks more Why are College Textbooks more Difficult to Read ?Difficult to Read ?

Many new technical termsMany new technical terms More abstract conceptsMore abstract concepts More idea denseMore idea dense More words per pageMore words per page Longer chaptersLonger chapters Higher reading levelHigher reading level Lower interest levelLower interest level Lack of background about the topicsLack of background about the topics

General Strategies for Reading General Strategies for Reading College TextbooksCollege Textbooks

Buy your textbooks earlyBuy your textbooks early Preview your textbooksPreview your textbooks Read the chapter before the lecture (or, if Read the chapter before the lecture (or, if

you find that listening to the lecture first you find that listening to the lecture first helps, at least skim the chapter)helps, at least skim the chapter)

Read ten pages at a timeRead ten pages at a time Monitor your comprehensionMonitor your comprehension

3- Phase Technique3- Phase Technique

Before You Read:Before You Read:

Preview, Outline, QuestionPreview, Outline, QuestionWhile You Read:While You Read:

Reflect, Underline, AnswerReflect, Underline, AnswerAfter You Read:After You Read:

Recite, Review, Review AgainRecite, Review, Review Again

Before you Read: PreviewBefore you Read: Preview

PREVIEW – the entire PREVIEW – the entire assignmentassignment

Look over:Look over: SummariesSummaries IntroductionIntroduction ObjectivesObjectives Headings and Headings and

SubheadingsSubheadings Charts and GraphsCharts and Graphs

Think of possible test Think of possible test questionsquestions

Identify Main PointsIdentify Main Points

This will familiarize you This will familiarize you with the chapterwith the chapter

Before you Read: OutlineBefore you Read: Outline

OUTLINE material to OUTLINE material to organize your thoughtsorganize your thoughts

Use the text headings Use the text headings in your outlinein your outline

Rewrite headings if Rewrite headings if you need toyou need to

As you read, fill in As you read, fill in your outline with key your outline with key pointspoints

Using an outline helps Using an outline helps keep information keep information organizedorganized

Before you Read: QuestionBefore you Read: Question

QUESTION- what you QUESTION- what you hope to learnhope to learn

Turn heading and Turn heading and subheadings into subheadings into questionsquestions

Ask who, what, when, Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how where, why, and how questionsquestions

Make list of questions Make list of questions based on the purpose based on the purpose for that readingfor that reading

While you Read: ReflectWhile you Read: Reflect

o REFLECT on what you REFLECT on what you already know about already know about the subjectthe subject

o Turn content into Turn content into mental picturesmental pictures

o Be conscious of what Be conscious of what you are doingyou are doing

o Reflecting helps your Reflecting helps your brain get prepared to brain get prepared to accept information that accept information that followsfollows

While you Read: UnderlineWhile you Read: Underline

UNDERLINE- UNDERLINE- important conceptsimportant concepts

Highlighting can be Highlighting can be substituted for substituted for underliningunderlining

Avoid underlining too Avoid underlining too soonsoon

Underline Underline afterafter you you have read each have read each paragraphparagraph

While you Read: AnswerWhile you Read: Answer

ANSWER- the ANSWER- the questions you came up questions you came up withwith

Fill in your outlineFill in your outline

Jot down new Jot down new questions & answersquestions & answers

Note when you don’t Note when you don’t find answersfind answers

After you Read: ReciteAfter you Read: Recite

RECITE when you are RECITE when you are done readingdone reading

Read each question Read each question and answer it out loudand answer it out loud

Talking about what you Talking about what you read, helps you read, helps you summarizesummarize

After you Read: Review & Review After you Read: Review & Review againagain

Review within one dayReview within one day

Helps move Helps move information from short-information from short-term to long-term term to long-term memorymemory

Go over your notesGo over your notes

Read the highlighted Read the highlighted parts of your textparts of your text

4 Different Reading Levels4 Different Reading Levels

PreviewingPreviewing SkimmingSkimming Active ReadingActive Reading Analytical ReadingAnalytical Reading

SkimmingSkimming

Covers the content at a general levelCovers the content at a general level

Involves reading at about twice your normal Involves reading at about twice your normal raterate

Gives a chance to see what the Gives a chance to see what the chapter/assignment containschapter/assignment contains

Active ReadingActive Reading

Use to avoid empty readingUse to avoid empty reading

Absorb yourself in what the author is trying Absorb yourself in what the author is trying to sayto say

Focus on identifying the main points and Focus on identifying the main points and how the supporting points reinforce themhow the supporting points reinforce them

Analytic ReadingAnalytic Reading

Reading at a more intense levelReading at a more intense level Involves breaking ideas open and digging Involves breaking ideas open and digging

beneath the surfacebeneath the surface Promotes a comparison of the work to other Promotes a comparison of the work to other

worksworks Should involve questioning the author and Should involve questioning the author and

yourselfyourself

ReviewingReviewing

Makes the main points stand out so they Makes the main points stand out so they are easier to remember are easier to remember

Is an opportunity to test yourself on Is an opportunity to test yourself on comprehensioncomprehension

Consolidates learningConsolidates learning

Elements of Your Reading Elements of Your Reading PlanPlan

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ReviewReview Analytic ReadingAnalytic Reading

Active ReadingActive Reading

SkimSkim

PreviewPreview

Reading StrategiesReading Strategies

P2RP2R preview, read actively, reviewpreview, read actively, review

SQ3RSQ3R survey, question, read, recite, reviewsurvey, question, read, recite, review

S-RUN-RS-RUN-R survey, read, underline, note take, reviewsurvey, read, underline, note take, review

A Summary of Strategies to A Summary of Strategies to Improve ReadingImprove Reading

Practice a positive Practice a positive attitudeattitude

Pace yourself Pace yourself according to difficulty according to difficulty levellevel

Take breaks to restore Take breaks to restore concentrationconcentration

Shift gears when you Shift gears when you don’t make progressdon’t make progress

Build your vocabularyBuild your vocabulary

Work on reading fasterWork on reading faster

Read other sources if Read other sources if reading is confusingreading is confusing

Reading Tough MaterialReading Tough Material

When you don’t understand, slow down and When you don’t understand, slow down and rereadreread

Break long assignments into segments: read Break long assignments into segments: read 10 pages, do something else, and so on10 pages, do something else, and so on

Translate difficult materials into your own Translate difficult materials into your own wordswords

Tips to RememberTips to Remember

Read in a quiet environmentRead in a quiet environment

Stay focusedStay focused

Take short breaksTake short breaks

Turn the content into mental pictures (visualize it)Turn the content into mental pictures (visualize it)

Avoid reading in bedAvoid reading in bed