READ SMARTER, NOT LONGER: THE LEARNING CENTER

Workshop Outline What do you know? Three-Step Reading Process Reading Methods and Practice Comprehension Reading Zones What did you learn? The Learning Center

BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO READ… Choose your text or reading material Figure out what you are reading and why – smart reading is based on purpose Find your “reading zone” Bring what you need to read: writing utensil, note taking material, provisions Read a textbook on your schedule

Thinking while reading Surprise, you have to think! Questions to consider: What topic are you reading about? What is the significance of this material? How does it relate to other material for the course? How could I be tested over this material?

Actively Reading Do not turn your brain off to read Take notes, highlight, annotate, underline, etc – find YOUR system Don’t skip information that doesn’t make sense Redirect yourself to the internet Find examples

After Reading Read with an ‘intended’ audience Explain the material out loud Make a study guide Discuss with a friend

PQRST Method Developed by Thomas & H.A. Robinson, Spache and Berg and R.P. Robinson This method serves to help readers retain information longer and with clarity The Five Steps: Preview – Read the intro., conclusion, bold headings, and vocab Question – pose questions to yourself about what you are reading Read – read with a deep level of processing Summarize – after reading, think back to what you’ve read. Recite it aloud or write it down. Test – Create study materials that challenge your understanding of the material Summarize

Depth of processing https://www.samford.edu/departments/academic-success- center/how-to-study Think about what you’ve read in a critical way How does this apply to my experience, to my previous knowledge Do I agree or disagree? Why?

Close reading Especially when there is an essay involved, a close reading of a text must occur As put forth by Patricia Kain (1998), Close Reading is a three-step process: “’Annotating’ means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases— anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins.” Details in language often illuminate the reader to important information that may not be apparent on a surface read. Therefore, close reading must include the seeking of patterns, which reveal repetitions, contradictions, or similarities. Asking ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, often either internal or written, help us shape our understanding of how a text resonates with us.

Online Reading Strategies Adapted from Kevin Hodgson’s LEARN NC research Follow the other strategies from this presentation, but adapt with these steps: Synthesize reading material – the web is more vast than a confined book Avoid distractions – block unwanted information Understand a Hyperlink before getting click-happy Give your eyes a break – follow the “study cycle” of 50/10 reading

Let’s Practice! Choose a reading method and let’s practice!

Comprehension Comprehension is really the goal of reading Critical comprehension questions: What is the genre? What is the thesis of this section? What definitions or explanations are presented? Commit to reading a chapter once. Yes, only once. Comprehension is dependent upon concentration Minimize worries Control emotions Find your ‘Reading Zone’

Reading Zone Activity Concentration is the number one problem for many students. Frequently, the problem is where you choose to study. Concentration is difficult when there are too many distractions present. This activity will help you to analyze the distractions in the places you study, and help find your optimal reading zone. Use the Study distraction analysis linked below this presentation on the webpage to help determine if you’re reading in the right places!

Reading Zone Discussion The location that has the most "false" responses may be the least distracting place to study. Try to plan your day so that you do as much of your reading as you can there. What kinds of places did we identify as distracting? What kinds of places did we identify as reading zones? Were you surprised by the results?

Want more help? You may want to enroll in the Learning Center’s Speed Reading class! Check-out our website for details about the class and registration.