Review the assignment in the syllabus and any
handouts (1-2 minutes) Maybe you are not required
to read some sections
Survey the chapter (5-10 minutes) for how the
content is organized; get the "big picture" This
is not to fully understand, rather develop preliminary
associations of bits of information that later will help
you understand Quickly page through the introduction,
the summary, vocabulary list, self-test questions,
headings, boldfaced material, major graphics, etc.
Notice the major concepts, definitions, descriptions,
causes, effects and arguments.
Check out the media, the CD and website (if
available) to see what they contain
Take no notes, and mark no text in this phase
First reading
Make the main purpose of your first reading simply to
read and get a good idea of the material: what you
understand, and what you do not A science text
presents new and complex material which may be difficult to
understand. One piece builds on another to help you build
your understanding. The text can provide the foundation
for understanding, and bring together information in
lectures, labs and hands-on experiments, field trips, and
media.
Read sentences, paragraphs and
short passages with 1-second pauses. Read and
pause, read and pause. Let your mind assemble the parts
you just read to give you the meaning of the whole unit.
This assembly of meaning happens fairly automatically as
long as you are intentionally looking for meaning and
paying attention to the meanings
Look back and forth between
words and related graphics until you can see/tell
yourself how they are showing/saying similar things.
A set of text passages that is related to graphics is
very useful to understanding. There are many kinds of
graphics: pictures, diagrams, maps, charts, tables,
graphs
From time to time, ask yourself
if you are "on track" to understanding If you
find yourself reading without understanding, stop and
ask why. Is it a question of complexity or
distraction? of preparation or terminology? If you
think it is serious, ask your tutor, teacher or academic
advisor for help
When you notice that the author
is using comparisons and examples, link them to
their descriptions and explanations
If you are tired and meanings
come very slowly into your mind, take a beak
If a break is not possible, vary your study activity.
For example, draw a picture rather than write, walk
instead of sit, read aloud rather than silently
If you return to reading after
an absence, scan the text and your notes again
before reading to cue associations
Review of first reading
Return to what you do
not understand, or want to reinforce This is not the stage for memorization, but understanding
Mark or highlight what you
think is important In the margin, use or develop a
system; use letters as "D" for a definition, "F"
for a descriptive fact, "C" for a cause-and-effect
statement, "A" for a scientific argument "?" for what
you do not understand Other codes you invent for
yourself.
New vocabulary Write new
vocabulary and concepts down along with a short
meanings and/or cues Keep a list close by or in your
notebook
Create your own visual pictures
or images, or concept maps
Create sensory cues as
heat, brightness, movements
Read a passage aloud to
yourself with normal conversational intonation. Your
translation of printed text into spoken words may
activate meanings. If you can't read aloud, imagine
reading aloud and hearing your own voice
Work out your own explanations of
hard-to-understand passages Go in short units (a few words at a
time), translate their meaning, think of associations,
relate them to other parts of the passage, make
inferences and try to make your mental model of the
meaning match the writer’s mental model.
Mark passages with a
question mark that you still do not understand
A second reading
Only read the material again to
understand it. If you are comfortable with what
you understand, proceed to other tasks, like solving
problems, exercises, material on the CD or website, and
so on
In this second reading, if you
find you are still having difficulty try The CD,
video, or website The library and find other texts
that may explain it better Ask the tutoring service
or teacher for help Ask a study group about the
material and their experience with it