Peak Performance:
Success In College And Beyond
Chapter
6: Actively Read
Chapter Objectives
n
List the benefits
of active reading
n
Determine a
preferred reading system, such as the Five-Part Reading System and SQ3R
n
Adopt active
reading strategies
n
Build a better
vocabulary
n
Manage language
courses
n
Read technical
material and manuals and complete forms
n
Address reading
challenges
Success Principle 6
Focus on the MEANING, not the words.
Comprehension is the ability
to understand the main ideas and details as they are written.
Interpreting
what you read means developing ideas of your own and being able to summarize
the material in your own words.
The Importance Of Active Reading
n
Previewing
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Taking notes
n
Outlining main points
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Digging out ideas
n
Jotting down key words
n
Finding definitions
The Importance Of Active Reading
n
Asking and answering questions
n
Underlining important points
n
Looking for patterns and themes
n
Summarizing in your own words
n
Reviewing for recall
Reading Systems
The Five-Part Reading System
–
Prepare
–
Preview
–
Predict questions
–
Process
information
–
Paraphrase and
review
Reading Systems
The SQ3R Reading System
–
S = Survey
–
Q = Question
–
R = Read
–
R = Recite
–
R = Review
n
Do you like to read?
n
What is the title of the last book you
read?
n
How long has it been since you read an entire
book?
n
How well do you retain the information you have
read?
n
Is it difficult to concentrate when reading a
homework assignment?
Reading Style
Your
reading style and your attention span affect your ability to read and retain
information.
Discovering Your Reading Style
n
How does your reading style affect the way you
learn textbook material?
n
Are you an analytical, detailed reader or very
non-critical reader?
The
key to good reading is understanding—not speed.
Prepare: Approach the Written Word
Organize: Gather the Tools of the Trade
Work: Get the Most out of Your Reading
Evaluate: Consider What it Means and What You Know
Rethink: Get it the Second Time
Advance Organizers
n
Outlines
n
Overviews
n
Section Objectives
n
Looking Ahead Section
Advance Organizers help tie
information that you already know to the new material
What’s the Point?
n
Are you reading background information that will
not be on a test?
n
Is the goal to highlight information in a
chapter that will be used for future study guides?
n
Know the author’s purpose for writing the
material.
Reading Tips
n
Read the front matter
n
Preface
n
Introduction
n
Table of Contents
Organizing Tools for Reading
n
Pencils/pens to
write notes in margin
n
Highlighters to
indicate key passages
n
Copy of
assignment
n
Paper or computer
to take more extensive notes if needed
n
Dictionary
How Long is Your
Attention Span?
n
Does your mind wander during a class?
n
How long does it take after class begins before
you start tuning out the instructor?
n
Are you tapping your foot or rocking in your
chair?
n
Do you keep checking the time?
n
What distracts you during class?
Attention Exercise
Close your eyes and concentrate on the sounds that you hear. In 2 minutes you will be asked to write down
any sounds you heard.
Getting the Most out of Reading
n
Stay focused by reading in small bites
n
Take a break when needed
n
Deal with mental distractions
n
Manage interruptions
n
Write while you read-jot down notes
Textbook Tips
n
Make sure you have bought the correct
textbook-check your syllabus
n
Write your name, phone number in the book
n
Examine the front matter of each book
n
Get online if the book contains a website or
online access learning center
Writing While You Read
n
Rephrase key points
n
Summarize a key point
n
Kinesthetic learning means using movement or
motion to help you learn
n
Highlight or underline important concepts
n
Use arrows, diagrams, outlines
Dealing with Learning Disabilities
Learning
disabilities are defined as difficulties in processing information when
listening, speaking, reading, or writing.
Types of Disabilities
n
Dyslexia
n
Reading disability that produces misperception
of letters during reading and writing
n
Unusual difficulty in sounding out letters
n
Spelling difficulties
n
Confusion between right and left
Attention-Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
n
Inability to concentrate
n
Inattention
n
Low tolerance for frustration
n
Trouble staying on task
n
Difficulty sitting still
There
is no relationship between learning disabilities and I.Q.
Evaluate Your Reading Skills
n
Identify the main ideas and themes and their
value to you personally
n
Prioritize the ideas
n
Think critically about the arguments presented
in the reading
n
Summarize the material out loud as if you were
teaching it to someone
Evaluate Your Reading Skills
n
Reread the passage if you drift away
n
Reward yourself when you have completed the
passage
n
Rethink what you have read
Rethink Your Reading Skills
n
Rethinking transfers the material from your
short-term memory to your long-term memory
n
Use concept mapping to rethink the material you
have read
“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is
thinking makes what we read ours.”
John
Locke, Of the Conduct of the Understanding (1706), p. 20
Reading Strategies
•
Determine your purpose
•
Set reading goals
•
Concentrate
•
Outline the main points
•
Identify key words and key concepts
•
Make connections
Build Your Vocabulary
n
Observe your words and habits
n
Be creative and articulate
n
Associate with articulate
people
n
Be aware and alert
Build Your Vocabulary
n
Look up words you don’t know
n
Write down new words
n
Practice mentally
n
Practice in conversation
Build Your Vocabulary
n
Look for contextual clues
n
Learn common word parts
n
Review great speeches
n
Invest in a vocabulary book
n
Read
Manage Language Courses
•
Do practice exercises
•
Keep up with your reading
•
Carry note cards with you
•
Recite out loud
•
Form study teams
Manage Language Courses
•
Listen to CDs and tapes
•
Visualize
•
Model and tutor
•
Focus on key words
•
Have fun
Specialized Reading
Comprehending Technical
Material
n
Identify the type
of graphic
n
Read the…
–
Graphic title
–
Accompanying captions
–
Column titles
–
Labels or symbols and their interpretations
–
Data (percentages, totals, figures, etc.)
Technical Reading
n
Identify the
purpose of the graphic
n
See a connection
between the topic of the graphic and the chapter or section topic in which it
appears
n
Explain the
information depicted on the graphic
n
Share your
interpretation of the graphic
Reading Manuals
n
Compare the
description to what you have received
n
Follow
step-by-step instructions
n
Go to the index
and look up key words
n
Look online at
the company’s website or do an online search
n
Read the
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of the manual
n
Record access
codes and other important information in the manual
Completing Forms
n
Scan the entire form before filling it out
n
If you are unsure about anything, ask for
clarification
n
Read the small print carefully
n
Fill in all questions that pertain to you
Reading Forms
n
Write clearly
n
Take with you any information that may be needed
n
Reread your responses before submitting the form