Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 1 By Mona J Casady Chapter Five Enhancing Your Reading, Listening, and Note Taking By Mona J Casady Chapter Five Enhancing Your Reading, Listening, and Note Taking

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 2 This chapter give suggestions on how to: Control your study environment Get the most from your textbook Become a better listener Take and review notes efficiently Prepare assignments for maximum learning

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 3 Control Your Study Environment Adjust your environment to support comfort and efficiency in studying. The quality of studying is affected by: –Noise –Interruptions –Lighting –Furniture –Position of Computer –Temperature –Humidity

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 4 Get the Most from Your Textbook Get your money’s worth by marking in your textbooks. To maximize your potential in a course consider these tips in using your textbook…

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 5 Get the Most from Your Textbook (cont’d) Read the textbook before class Develop a system of reading and marking the content for easy review - using pens and/or highlighters Read the introduction and summary of a chapter for an overview Outline the chapter - using headings and subheadings Compose exam questions

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 6 Get the Most from Your Textbook (cont’d) Use two levels or types of marking techniques: One for main points on the first reading Another for critical points to remember in the review of main points

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 7 Cornell System of Note-Taking 1.Record Write meaningful facts and ideas 2.Reduce Reduce and summarize notes for clarity and continuity 3.Recite State the facts and ideas in your own words

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 8 Cornell System of Note-taking (cont’d) 4.Reflect Separate opinions and reflections from the notes 5.Review Review notes each week

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 9 Importance of Listening Skills In daily communication we spend our time as follows: Writing 9 percent Reading16 percent Speaking30 percent Listening45 percent By improving our listening skills, we are able to take better class notes and communicate better with others.

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 10 Improve Listening Skills For each of the following challenges in listening to a lecture or presentation, note the suggestion for improving listening skills…

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 11 Improve Listening Skills Challenge: Calling the subject uninteresting Criticizing the speaker’s delivery Disagreeing with the message Suggestion: Sift for practical information Concentrate on the Message Hear the person out before judging

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 12 Improve Listening Skills (cont’d) Challenge: Listening only for facts Trying to outline a disorganized talk Suggestion: Listen for main ideas Be flexible in note taking

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 13 To take notes and review them most efficiently Be present in class Sit up front Listen for verbal clues Watch for visual clues Use different colors of ink Label and organize notes

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 14 To take notes and review them most efficiently (cont’d) Adapt note-taking method to lecture style Review notes soon after class Compose likely exam questions Keep related materials together and arrange by topic

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 15 To prepare assignments for maximum learning & best evaluations Label your papers Type - rather than handwrite - your papers prepared out of class Use word processing software and a laser printer Use a pen rather than a pencil for in-class writing

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 16 To prepare assignments for maximum learning & best evaluations (cont’d) Make a copy for your own files Staple together two or more pages Cut off ragged edges if tearing pages out of a spiral-bound notebook Complete assignments on time Be on time for class to turn in work

Chapter 5Copyright 2002 Houghton Mifflin Company - All Rights Reserved 17 Final Thoughts As you enhance your reading, listening, and note taking efforts, keep in mind these ideas: –Good habits are keys to success –There is no substitution for hard work –Real motivation comes from within