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SPLASH Info Sheet
Smarter not Harder Reading
Feeling Overwhelmed?
STOP! Don’t open a book until you know why you are
reading it, and what information you are trying to find
out?
Decide on your specific purpose
• Be selective
• Survey texts before you read
• Skim read – for gist
• Is it really relevant?
• If yes, read more carefully
I read too slowly and, therefore, run out of time to get
through the volume of reading there is.
Work out why you are slow?
• You are probably trying to read too much.
• Slow reading is sometimes necessary.
• Reading takes practice – read for pleasure!
I struggle with difficult words/phrases in the text and so I
can’t understand every word.
Do you need to know every word?
Not usually
However, careful reading requires thorough understanding
• Expand your vocabulary
•Read, read and read more and ensure you have a good
dictionary
• Make time to read novels, newspapers etc.. It all helps!
I get bored/tired easily when I have to read all evening/all
day/all morning.
What can you do about it?
• Read in short bursts – take breaks
• Alternate reading with other tasks
• Have a clear purpose / small achievable task
• Change locations
• Be an active reader
oActive reading involves really getting to grips with what
you are reading.
o
Ask questions, make notes, compare to other sources
I’m never quite sure whether what I’m reading is actually
going to be useful in my assignment.
Best solution?
•Make a list of questions that you need to answer in your
assignment
• Look only for answers to these questions
Despite reading some sections again and again, I don’t
seem to be able to remember anything I read!
Some tips
• Read actively – highlight or mark the text
• Make key notes
• Review notes and make into oral summary
• Check nothing’s been missed
READ, RECALL, REVIEW RETAIN!!!!
I’m not sure really how to make effective notes – I end up
writing it all down in case I miss something which might be
important.
Are you writing far more than you need?
Decide what you need to note down:
• Remember your purpose
• Don’t write what you already know
• Don’t write in full sentences:
o
Use abbreviations / symbols
• Look for linguistic cues
Help! All the articles I find are way too difficult for me!
They shouldn’t be!
•Articles / chapters on reading lists have been specially selected
for your level
•Try starting with introductory texts to get familiar with the
language
• Remember – there is no quick fix.
• Reading is an art which takes practice
Need more advice on how to improve your reading?
Go the SPLASH website for information about workshops, appointments and online resources:
www.surrey.ac.uk/library/splash
1793-0109
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