X-raying a book
Reading from Scratch TO-GO
Take this sheet with you so that you’ll always have
helpful, practical reading tips on hand.
Academic
_Support
__Center
SQ3R Study Strategy
Survey. Look through assignment. Know your textbooks. Familiarize
yourself with contents. Preview a few chapters before you start to
read. Get a sense of the author’s purpose, book’s format, structure,
design. Read table of contents, preface or introduction, etc.
Question. What is this chapter about? Turn headings into questions,
read for answers.
Read. Read to find answers. Use the background work you’ve already
done as you begin reading. Make annotated notes.
Recite. Say answers aloud. Cover up your notes or printed page and
recite aloud.
Review. Write notes to answer the questions. The best way to retain
what you have learned through your reading is by reviewing.
Reading for Purpose: How close should you
read? Why are you reading this book?
This book is my life: Read it twice.
I need to write about it: Read it in the library
this weekend.
I need to talk about this book intelligently:
Read it the night before class.
I need to drop the name of this book: Read it on
the way to class.
It’s suggested reading: Don’t read it.
Mooney, Jonathan and David Cole. Learning Outside the Lines. New
York: Fireside, 2000. Print.
The Einstein Approach
Use practice questions as reading guides. They tell
you where to focus attention and what to ignore.
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Find questions and break them down
Frame your questions by looking at syllabus
and class notes to get a sense of the subject
Limit your page search: start with the index
and table of contents, identifying main themes
Scan within a context
Answer question and think critically
Mooney, Jonathan and David Cole. Learning Outside the Lines. New
York: Fireside, 2000. Print.
Textbook Reconnaissance
Become a master student by doing a 15-minute
“textbook reconnaissance.”
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Read the table of contents in 3 minutes or less.
Look at each and every page. Move quickly.
Look at pictures. Notice forms, charts, and
diagrams.
Active Reading
Active reading requires
more than highlighting.
When you highlight you
tend to read passively
and probably won’t
remember it in five
minutes.
Active reading involves
reading in a way that
will help you remember
the information, because
your mind is engaged
and you are really
interested in the
material.
Preview Your Text
Table of Contents: Chapters, grouping,
units?
What do you already know? Jot down
ideas
Read preface/introduction. What is
author’s viewpoint? Why did
he/she write book? How is
book organized?
Examine material at end of book.
Index, glossary, appendix
Preview a couple of chapters. What is
the organization? Headings?
Summaries? Study questions?
When Reading is Tough
Sometimes ordinary reading methods
aren’t enough. You can use the
following techniques when what
you’re doing isn’t working.
1. Read it again
2. Look for essential words
3. Hold a mini self-review
4. Read it aloud.
5. Use your instructor
6. Stand up and read
7. Find a tutor
8. Ask another text
9. Try to explain it
10. Ask: what’s going on here?
Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997. Print.
What is annotation?
An active reading strategy: take notes in the text
Write key info in margins: main points, definitions, and examples
Look for and mark all info you need.
Annotating your text gives you purpose
It makes reading more interactive and helps concentration.
Studying your Annotations: When you annotate, you create a
study guide you can come back to again and again.
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A textbook reconn shows you where your course
is going by giving you the big picture. This makes
details easier to recall later.
Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company, 1997. Print.
In one sentence, what is this book
about? What is the structure of the
book? What is author’s task? What
problem is author trying to address?
Cover of the text
Read your annotations
Reread selectively
Test yourself
© 2014 Academic Support Center, Gordon College