Reading Strategies

Mary Lee Jensen

Academic AdvisorAcademic Advising CenterSeptember 2014

Objectives for Session

Identify kinds of college readings Identify strategies for active reading Apply appropriate strategies to

different types of readings. De-stress! Answer your questions.

How can you manage all of your readings and still make sense of what you have read?

Academic material is not meant to be read.

It is meant to be ransacked and pillaged for essential content.

University of Canberra – Academic Skills web page. www.canberra.edu.au

Take a deep breath…..

Even the most successful students will not be able to read ALL of the material that is assigned by all of their professors in a semester.

This is not an endorsement of opting out of reading, but does mean that you have to manage and prioritize your readings.

All readings do not have the same value!

Reading Expectations at IC

Textbooks Recommended/Supplemental

Readings Fiction – plays/novels Journal/Research Articles – for class

& papers Blogs/posts/other Web-based

readings What else?

Intentional or Active Reading

Make a connection between the readings and class content.

Avoid reading a large number of pages at once.

Read in small chunks for maximum retention and effectiveness.

If you get to the end of a paragraph or page and can’t remember what you read – STOP!

Reread with purpose – jot down main ideas.

Learning Stylewww.vark-learn.com

Visual – concept maps, diagrams, different colors for vocabulary, questions, main ideas

Auditory – read out loud

Read/write – take notes, make lists, bullet points

Kinesthetic – act of writing, move around while reading, coloring/highlighting

Textbooks Most familiar with this type of reading – more

pages.

Review the structure of the textbook – subheadings, discussion questions, vocabulary words highlighted, case studies, diagrams/charts.

Different disciplines – different structures.

For each chapter – get a sense of the topic to be covered before starting to read.

How does the chapter relate to what was discussed in class or WILL BE discussed?

Textbooks

Jot down the sections (see handout). Read and summarize the section in three

main points. Highlight or write down unfamiliar words Develop a shorthand to reduce time and

effort Write down questions you have while

reading. What is not clear? Use discussion questions to quiz yourself.

Recommended/Supplemental Readings

Usually not divided into sections like textbooks. May be a packet created by your professor; may

be a book of readings; may be an entire book. May or may not include visuals/diagrams, etc. Read the introductory paragraphs and summary

or conclusion of each chapter to get a sense of the main focus.

Then read through the chapter as time allows.

Recommended/Supplemental Readings

Find reviews of the book to give you a sense of where it fits into the discipline (scholarly journals).

Ask a librarian for help: ithacalibrary.com/services/staff.php

Do not incorporate these ideas into your own essays without attributing them to the author of the review.

Don’t panic if you get behind!

Fiction – Novels, short stories, plays Keeping up with the reading is more

critical since discussion focuses on the literature.

Assigned papers will more directly relate to the literature.

How is discussion conducted in class? Professor led? Student led?

Many resources for summaries/analysis. Ask a librarian to direct you to reference

books and critical essays. ithacalibrary.com/services/staff.php

Journal/Research Articles Introduction and conclusion provide

valuable information.

Journal in which article is published can provide clues to perspective.

Literature review provides context.

Middle section usually methodology, statistical analysis – can skim EXCEPT if articles are being read for research methods class

Managing the Reading Workload Be aware of the reading that is required – use

your syllabi to plan out reading assignments.

Set aside specific blocks of time in your weekly schedule for specific course readings.

Use subject encyclopedias or web sites to help you understand complex ideas.

If you start to get behind or get overwhelmed, focus on the ideas behind the reading – get the gist of it.

Ask your professor for guidance in prioritizing.

Test Your Recall

Match the strategy on the card with the different kinds of readings on your table.

Some readings may have the same strategy.

There are multiple copies of some cards.

If there is a missing strategy, write it on the blank card.