Reading Strategies
STAY FOCUSED: READING STRATEGIES
·
This stands for what
you Know, what
you Want to know, and
what you Learned.
·
What you Know:
o
Write what
you know, what
you think you know, and what you sort of know. Make
an outline, list, or a concept
map.
o This is a form of recalling, which
connects new and old information in your brain.
·
What you Want to know:
o List your questions, starting with ones from class.
o Add questions about
things you find interesting.
o Leave space for answers to your questions!
·
What have you Learned?
o After you’ve finished reading, write a summary of what you just learned.
o Do this after
lecture, and after
each chapter.
o
If you can’t describe what you just
read, heard, or took notes
on, you didn’t
learn anything!
SURVEYING THE BOOK AND CHAPTER
1.
As you survey, take
notes that you
can reference before
you begin reading.
2.
Read the title, and write it in your notes.
a.
What do you anticipate learning?
3.
Write the names of the authors
and the date
the book was published.
4.
Skim the index and glossary in the back of the book.
a. Check the bibliography to see when their references were published to make sure it’s
current research.
5.
Read the table of contents, and take note
of how information is divided.
6.
Organize the main
ideas in the
chapters as you read. Introductions, summaries, and headings can help.
7.
Stop and reflect on your initial
notes. Have you learned enough?
IN-DEPTH READING STRATEGY
1.
Approach reading
with a positive attitude.
2.
Create a Distributed Reading Schedule
a. Break the reading
up into pieces
within the chapter,
taking breaks between
finishing each piece and reviewing what you learned.
b. You can organize by sections, pages,
paragraphs, etc.
3.
Read when you are the most alert.
a.
Are you an early bird or a night
owl?
4.
Read where you can concentrate.
a. Pick a location
that’s comfortable, has
good lighting, a good temperature, and no
distractions.
5.
Review past readings.
6.
Preview before
reading! The previous section, Surveying the Book and
Chapter, details how.
a.
Look for special formatting, like bold, italics, and color.
b.
Look for visual elements.
c. Keep an eye out for chapter summaries.
8. Do a quick read—aka skim!
9. Identify the purpose
of what you’re
reading.
10.
Break sentences into chunks.
a.
EX: ~when you~ read
in~ smaller chunks~
you can~ read
faster.~
b.
~When you
read in smaller
chunks~ you can
read faster.~
11.
Concentrate on reading faster!
a.
If you will it, your brain will find a way.
12. Pause after paragraphs to recall what
you’ve just learned.
13.
As you read, see if you can answer
any questions from
earlier sections, or draw connections.
14. Avoid simply highlighting or underlining in your book.
a.
Taking notes
keeps you engaged
with the reading.
b.
Students also
tend to over-highlight when reading the
first time through.
15. End with a summary of information you just read.
SET READING GOALS
1.
What do you want to learn
from this assignment or reading?
2.
What grade do you
want to make in this
class?
3.
What kind of material will help you
achieve that grade?
Is what you want to learn correlated to making the grade,
or do you need to know more
about terms, facts,
main ideas, etc.
4.
How much time do you need to complete
this assignment? Can
you do it all at once or does it need
divided into smaller
portions?
5.
What strategies will you use to finish the assignment?
o Example: In the next minutes, I will [read,
study, write, etc.]
pages to learn
by
using strategies.
6.
After you finish reading, evaluate how you did. Did you accomplish your goal or do you need to do
more?
MASTER VOCABULARY
· Look for unfamiliar vocabulary when you’re surveying the chapter. Learn these words before you begin reading.
·
Set aside a page
in your notes
specifically for vocabulary.
·
List the new words
and write their
definitions in your own words.
·
Never memorize
definitions you don’t
understand!
·
Don’t be afraid to include examples
to further explain
the term.
·
Common ways to learn
new terms include:
o Read the definition multiple times.
o Categorize similar words together and learn them as a group.
o Use flashcards. Keep these until the end of the semester so you can review them for finals.
o Review the terms right before bed and when you wake up.
QUESTION-SKIM-ANSWER-EXPLAIN
·
Start with
K-W-L and set goals.
·
Write questions and leave space
for answers.
·
Skim one section at a time,
looking for answers
to your questions. Don’t forget to use your own
words!
·
If you still have
unanswered questions, check
the index. Still no luck?
Try online or the library.
·
After your questions
are answered, are there still things you don’t understand? Go back and read those sections in depth.
·
Last, write
the L of K-W-L and see what’s
you’ve learned.
SQ4R
Survey—Question—Read—Recite—Record—Review
1.
Survey the book.
Read the table
of contents, and introductions.
2.
Question: Turn the chapter titles,
headings, and subheadings into questions.
a.
Ex: Chapter Title—Water Molecules
b. Potential Questions: What are water molecules? What are the primary components of water molecules?
3.
Read the chapter
to answer those
questions as you go.
4.
Recall the new information mentally.
a.
Ex: I know water
molecules are x, y, and z. I remember x and y, but what
was z?
b.
Reread until
you can fill
in the blanks for that
section.
5.
Record: Take down
notes based on your recall
from that section.
6.
Review! Make sure
to continuously engage
with the material
to keep it fresh in your mind.
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