©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Study Skills Topic 10 Reading College Textbooks PowerPoint by JoAnn Yaworski

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Finding Thought Patterns  Enables you to anticipate the author’s or speaker’s thought development.  Provides a strategy or framework for understanding a message.  Makes storage and retrieval of information from memory easier.  Provides a way to structure your ideas.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Patterns & What They Emphasize Pattern: Chronology Process Importance Spatial Comparison Contrast Cause and effect Consequences, motives Classification Problem-solution Definition What is Important: Dates and events Steps or procedures Priorities Physical location Similarities Differences Sequence, actions, relationships Characteristics and distinguishing features Causes, effects, solutions, outcomes Terminology, examples

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Academic Thought Patterns  Order or sequence.  Comparison and contrast.  Cause and effect.  Classification.  Problem and solution  Definitions.  Listing.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Order or Sequence Examples:  Films present key events in the order in which they occur.  Math problems present a process step-by- step.  Newspapers present information according to order of importance.  Descriptions present information in a particular sequence or space order.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Comparison & Contrast  Comparison discusses similarities while Contrast discusses differences between or among ideas, theories, concepts, or events.  Disciplines that use comparison and contrast  Social sciences – difference between cultures  Literature courses – comparisons of poets  Business courses – contrast retailing plans

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Cause & Effect  Expresses the relationship between two or more actions, events, or occurrences that are connected in time.  One event leads to another by causing it.  Cause and effect patterns:  Explain causes, sources, reasons, motives, and actions.  Explain the effects, results, or consequences of a particular action.  Explain both causes and effects.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Classification  A classification pattern divides a topic and discusses each of its components.  Examples of topics and their classifications:  Cars: sports, luxury, economy  Energy: kinetic, potential  Disease: communicable, non-communicable

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Problem & Solution  Problems are identified and research is conducted to test possible solutions.  Involves cause and effect (the problem is often a cause, while the solution creates an effect).  Involves process (problem solving involves a step- by-step analysis of the problem).  A problem may have one or more solutions.  Several problems may have the same solution.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Definitions  Most commonly used pattern found in introductory level textbooks.  Authors emphasize new terms in italics, boldface, or color print.  The definition generally follows the term.  One or more examples usually follow the definition.

©2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Listing  Listing is the presentation of information on a given topic by stating one item after another.  Different types of lists:  List of items (factors that influence light emission).  Step-by-step procedures (following the steps in a recipe or the steps taken in a laboratory experiment.  Listing to explain or support evidence.

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