How can you read better Strategies for success

How can you read better? Strategies for success It is important to follow some basic principles when reading course material Reading word for word is not the most effective strategy Difficulty staying connected to the material is always a problem (e. g. , does your mind wander? Do you find that you have read the material but afterward have no idea what you read? )

Important Tips: Know your purpose Know why you are reading the material and what you should be getting out of the reading. In this most courses in the Social Sciences, you should be reading for main ideas, key arguments, concept definitions, and applications/examples

Important tips: Survey the material Look quickly (i. e. , skim) through the entire item you are reading and find out how it is organized (e. g. title, topic and chapter headings, lead and summary paragraphs, etc. ). This allows you to understand the author's purpose, and what material is relevant to what you are studying. By doing this you isolate the key areas of importance, which will save you time

Important tips: Read Selectively Look for the ideas, information, evidence, etc. , that will meet your purpose. By reading the first and last sentence of each paragraph you may well get the answers. Sometimes the text will "list" the answers by saying "The first point. . Secondly. . " and so on. Scan material between the first and last sentence of the paragraph

Important Tips: Write and Recite Once you have isolated the key points of paragraphs/readings, write them in the margins of your books (1 -2 key words to remind you of the key points) Then recite (out loud) what the key points/findings were. Remember we often learn best when we talk to ourselves

Important Tips: Outline Once you have finished the readings and have isolated the main points, write up an outline of the reading. In the outline use key words or phrases, not long sentences

Important tips: Reflect on the reading Comprehension and retention are increased when you "elaborate" on new information by comparing and categorizing it, relating one part with another, connecting it to your prior knowledge and experience, and in general organizing and reorganizing it. In other words, be able to tie the pieces together with a common theme for the section Know how the readings relate to that common theme

Important tips: Review the material within 24 hours to ensure that you remember what you have learned. The review should not be a re-reading of the article but rather a review of your "reduced" notes of the paper or chapter to see them as a whole. You can also review by discussing the material with someone else.

Important tips: Don’t do it all at once Active reading is meant to be done over time You cannot successfully master this technique by cramming readings in during a few days Follow the syllabus schedule. It is meant to help you pace your reading

If you use these tools… You will increase your reading speed You will increase your retention of the material You will perform better on the exams