Strategic Reading Step 2 SCAN

Review from yesterday Preview- practice with Hamlet Oedipal Complex

Scan After you have previewed the text and decided that it is worth reading, you will proceed to scan the text. Scanning means that you are reading only those parts of the text that are most relevant to your needs. You do not have to read the entire text if only one section applies to your topic. However, if a text is short and relevant, you should read the entire text.

How to Scan Use text features and text structures to identify only the most relevant sections of the text Read only those sections carefully, paying attention to your comprehension of the text

Text Features Text features often give clues about importance. Look for: Headings Font changes and effects (bold or italicized words or phrases) Illustrations, photographs, diagrams or other visual aides

Text structure While not always as obvious as some text features, text structure can also help you determine importance. Look for the main ideas. Reading the first and last sentences in a paragraph can sometimes give you enough information so you don’t have to read the entire paragraph. Locate additional important ideas. When you come across one idea that directly addresses your topic or question, read around it for supporting ideas and details. Outline, diagram, list, or highlight those important ideas. Make sure you understand the relationships between the ideas and make note of it.

Text Comprehension Strategies Once you have narrowed down the reading to only the most important and relevant sections, it’s time to slow down and read those targeted sections carefully, making sure you understand them. Here are 6 strategies to use while you are reading: Monitor your comprehension Metacogition Annotate and take notes Focus on your purpose Generate questions Summarize

1. Monitor your Comprehension Know when you understand what you read and when you do not. There are strategies to "fix" problems in your understanding as the problems arise. Comprehension monitoring means: Be aware of what you do understand Identify what you do not understand Use appropriate strategies to resolve problems in comprehension

2. Metacognition Metacognition means thinking about thinking. While you read: Identify where the difficulty occurs (I don’t understand the 2 nd paragraph on this page) Identify what the difficulty is (vocabulary, wording, lack of background knowledge) Restate the difficult passage in your own words Look back through the text (re-read looking for hints about the difficult part) Look forward to see if your question will be answered (it might be in the next section) Adjust reading rate (slow down and re-read)

2. Metacognition continued Think of these steps as questions: Where is this hard for me to understand? What is making this difficult to understand? How can I say this differently? (Explain it like I’m 5) Did the author talk about this before? What did he say then? Is the author going to talk about this again? Did I try to read this too fast? Do I need to read it again?

3. Annotate and/or take notes When you mark the text you are actively engaging with it. Find main ideas, unknown words, mark where you are struggling to understand an idea. Highlight sections that directly answer your questions or address your purpose for reading.

4. Focus on your Purpose What are you hoping to find in this text? (You should have a rough idea of what you might find here based on your preview.) Are you looking for evidence to support a claim? Trying to understand a counter-claim? Getting a deeper understanding on an expert’s opinion? Keep your purpose in mind while you read.

5. Generate Questions Ask questions to check your understanding of the text. Questions that require you to combine information from different segments of text, or to consider other texts on the subject may be especially helpful. “This seems to be a very different interpretation from the last article I read. I wonder what this author would have to say to the last author? Does this author address this concern?”

6. Summarize Summarizing requires you to determine what is important in what you are reading and to put it into your own words. When you summarize: Identify or generate main ideas Connect the main or central ideas Eliminate unnecessary information Remember what you read

Scanning Review You don’t have to read everything, only the most relevant and important things Once you’ve decided what’s important, take your time and read for understanding. If you’ve done your job well, you should have cut it down to a reasonable amount of reading, so it’s important to read that little bit very well.

Scanning Practice #1 With a partner, go back to Possibility #4 on page 13 of your packet. Underline main ideas Circle important points or evidence Highlight the 3 most useful sentences for our topic Be prepared to explain why you choose to underline, circle or highlight something.

Scanning practice #2 Go to possibility #5 on page 15 of your packet. By yourself: Underline main ideas Circle important points or evidence Highlight the 3 most useful sentences for our topic Make a brief margin note every time you underline, circle or highlight something.