 Effective
Reading
For
some, reading is a pleasure, for others it's hard work.
One thing is for sure:
you are expected to read quantities and subject
areas that someone else has prescribed.
'Blocks'
to effective reading may occur as follows:
Unfamiliar
material
Lack
of concentration
Not
being able to understand the vocabulary
Wasteful
or slow eye movements
Physical
tiredness
Prejudices
against content of text
Lack
of basic knowledge of subject
Reading
passively rather than a questioning sense of purpose
The following strategies may help you read more effectively.
Think
of reading as a process:
SURVEY
the information and
see what it is about
QUESTION
it - be critical, but appreciate it as well
READ
it at the right pace and be thorough
RECALL
the main ideas, read parts of it aloud, ask yourself - What
does it means?
REVIEW
- go over it, jot down additional notes/ideas, make connections to your
class notes and other reference material
Try the following:
-
Pace
yourself - give yourself enough time.
-
Know
what you are looking for.
-
Read
headings and chapter titles first.
-
Read
it at least twice, SLOWLY.
-
Read
opening and concluding chapters/paragraphs very carefully.
-
Take
notes - to run alongside your class notes.
-
Build up your notes as you progress on the course.
-
Check
your effectiveness
as you go along, adjust as necessary.
-
Don't
allow yourself to be distracted.
-
Set
yourself a realistic target of the number of pages or chapters to be
read
and stick to it.
-
Prioritize
your reading.
These
strategies may seem to make reading take a longer time, however, reading
effectively does take
time. However, these methods do
dramatically raise the level of
understanding and
retention of material.
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Introduction
Glossary
of Essay Terms