Chapter 1: Active Reading & Thinking Strategies

In this chapter you will learn how to: • Read actively. • Preview. • Activate your background knowledge. • Check your comprehension. • Strengthen your comprehension. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Tailor their reading to suit each assignment. Analyze the purpose of assignments. Adjust speed according to purpose. Compare and connect textbook material with lectures. Skim and preview before reading. Make sure they understand what they are reading as they go along. Read with pencil in hand, highlighting, jotting notes, and marking key vocabulary. Develop personalized strategies that are effective for them. Active Readers... © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Passive Readers... • Read all assignments the same way. • Read an assignment because it was assigned. • Read everything at the same speed. • Accept whatever is in print as true. • Study lecture notes and textbook separately. • Check the length of an assignment before reading. • Read until the assignment is completed. • Just read, not taking notes or highlighting. • Follow routine, standard methods. Read all assignments the same way. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

How to Preview Reading Assignments • Read the title. • Check the author and source. • Read the introduction or the first paragraph. • Read boldfaced headings. • Read the first sentence after each major heading. • Note any typographical aids (letters, numbers). • Note graphic aids. • Read the summary or last paragraph. • Read the end-of-chapter material. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Why Previewing Is Effective • Previewing helps you to make decisions about how you will approach the material. • Previewing puts your mind in gear and helps you start thinking about the subject. • Previewing gives you a mental outline of the chapter’s content. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Positive Comprehension Signals • You have some knowledge of the topic. • You can recognize most words or can figure them out from context. • You can express the main idea. • You understand why the material was assigned. • You read at a regular pace. • You are able to make connections between ideas. • You are able to see where the author is heading. • You know which points are important. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Negative Comprehension Signals • The topic is unfamiliar, yet the author assumes you understand it. • Many words are unfamiliar. • You must reread the main ideas. • You don’t know why the material was assigned. • You often slow down or reread. • You are unable to detect relationships. • You are unable to predict what will follow as you read. • Nothing (or everything) seems important. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Strengthening Your Comprehension • Analyze the time and place in which you are reading. Check for distractions. • Paraphrase each paragraph in your own words. • Read difficult sentences or sections aloud. • Reread complicated sections. • Slow down your reading rate. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Strengthening Your Comprehension 6. Write guide questions next to headings. 7. Outline the major points. • Highlight key ideas. • Write notes in the margin. • Determine if you lack background knowledge. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Activating Background Knowledge • Ask questions and try to answer them. • Draw on your own experience. • Brainstorm. Write down what comes to mind about the topic. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

When You Lack Background Knowledge • Use the glossary and index to consult other sections of your text. • Obtain a more basic textbook to review the unknown concepts. • Consult reference materials such as dictionaries, and encyclopedias. • Ask your instructor to recommend additional sources. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

Chapter 1: Active Reading & Thinking Strategies