© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Guide to College Reading, 8/e Kathleen T. McWhorter Chapter 1 Successful Attitudes Toward Reading and Learning PowerPoint by Gretchen Starks-Martin St. Cloud State University, MN

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers THIS CHAPTER WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO: 1. Understand what is expected in college 2. Start with a positive attitude 3. Build your concentration 4. Analyze your learning style 5. Strengthen your comprehension

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED IN COLLEGE  The rule of thumb is two hours of study for each class hour.  Expect to read about 80 textbook pages per week in each course.  There will be many new words and specialized words you will need to know.  College instructors expect you to decide what is important to know and to learn that information.  Learning a large number of facts is no guarantee of a high grade.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED IN COLLEGE  Instructors often assign readings from a variety of sources besides the textbook.  Re-reading is one of the poorest ways to review. Highlighting and marking, outlining, mapping, and summarizing are better.  College instructors expect students to react to, evaluate, and criticize what they read.  There are numerous ways to read a textbook assignment.  As you read, it is important to keep track of and evaluate your level of understanding.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers START WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Becoming a Successful Student 1. Be confident: Send yourself positive messages. 2. Accept responsibility for your own learning. 3. Visualize success. 4. Set long-term goals for yourself.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers START WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Becoming a Successful Reader 1. Stick with a reading assignment. 2. Plan on spending time on reading. 3. Actively search for key ideas as you read. 4. Think of reading as a way of unlocking the writer’s message to you, the reader.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers BUILD YOUR CONCENTRATION: Controlling Your Surroundings 1. Choose a place to read where you will not be interrupted. 2. Find a place that is relatively free of distractions and temptations. 3. Read in the same place each day. 4. Do not read where you are too comfortable. 5. Choose a time of day when you are mentally alert.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers BUILD YOUR CONCENTRATION: Focusing Your Attention 1. Set goals and time limits for yourself. 2. Choose and reserve blocks of time each day for reading and study. 3. Vary your reading. 4. Reward yourself for accomplishing things as planned. 5. Plan frequent breaks. 6. Keep physically as well as mentally active.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers ANALYZE YOUR LEARNING STYLE  Part One: Auditory or Visual Learners  Part Two: Applied or Conceptual Learners  Part Three: Spatial or Verbal (Nonspatial) Learners  Part Four: Social or Independent Learners  Part Five: Creative or Pragmatic Learners

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Developing a Learning Action Plan 1. Circle the five aspects of your learning style in which you received higher scores. 2. Read through the suggestions that apply to you. 3. Place a checkmark in front of suggestions that you think will work for you. 4. List the suggestions that you chose in the box labeled Action Plan for Learning in this chapter.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Auditory  Discuss/study with friends.  Talk aloud when studying.  Tape-record self-testing questions and answers.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Visual  Draw diagrams, charts, tables.  Try to visualize events.  Use films and videos, when available.  Use computer-assisted instruction, if available.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Applied  Think of practical situations to which learning applies.  Associate ideas with their application.  Use case studies, examples, and applications to cue your learning.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Conceptual  Organize materials that lack order.  Use outlining.  Focus on organizational patterns.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Spatial  Use mapping.  Use outlining.  Draw diagrams, make charts and sketches.  Use visualization.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Verbal (Non-spatial)  Translate diagrams and drawings into language.  Record steps, processes, procedures in words.  Write summaries.  Write your interpretation next to textbook drawings, maps, or graphics.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Social  Form study groups.  Find a study partner.  Interact with the instructor.  Work with a tutor.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Independent  Use computer-assisted instruction, if available.  Purchase review workbooks or study guides, if available.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Creative  Ask and answer questions.  Record your own ideas in the margins of textbooks.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Pragmatic  Study in an organized environment.  Write lists of steps, procedures, and processes.  Paraphrase difficult material.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers PAY ATTENTION TO COMPREHENSION SIGNALS  How do you feel when you read the material?  Does everything fit and make sense?  Can you understand what the author is saying?  Can you read at a regular comfortable pace?  Can you recognize most words or can you figure them out from context? See Table 1-2 on Comprehension Signals.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  For poor concentration: 1. Take limited breaks. 2. Tackle difficult material when your mind is fresh and alert. 3. Choose an appropriate place to study. 4. Focus your attention.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  For words that are difficult or unfamiliar: 1. Use context and analyze word parts. 2. Skim through material before reading and mark difficult words. Jot their meanings in the margin. 3. Refer to the vocabulary preview list, footnotes, or glossary.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  When sentences are long or confusing: 1. Read aloud. 2. Locate the key idea(s). 3. Check difficult words. 4. Express each sentence in your own words.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  When ideas are hard to understand or complicated: 1. Rephrase or explain each in your own words. 2. Make notes. 3. Locate a more basic text that explains ideas in simpler form. 4. Study with a classmate; discuss difficult ideas.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  When ideas are new and unfamiliar: 1. Make sure you didn’t miss or skip introductory information. 2. Get background information by referring to 1. An earlier section or chapter in the book. 2. An encyclopedia. 3. A more basic text.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  When the material seems disorganized: 1. Pay more attention to headings. 2. Read the summary, if available. 3. Try to discover the organization by writing an outline or drawing a map as you read.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR COMPREHENSION  When you don’t know what is and is not important: 1. Preview. 2. Ask and answer guide questions. 3. Locate and underline topic sentences.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers LEARNING STYLE TIPS  Auditory learner: Reading aloud  Visual learner: Visualizing paragraph organization  Applied learner: Thinking of real-life situations that illustrate ideas in the passage.  Conceptual learner: Asking questions Are you an auditory learner or a visual learner? Are you an applied learner or a conceptual learner?

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers SELF-TEST SUMMARY  How can you develop a positive attitude toward reading?  What can you do to control your concentration?  What is learning style?  How can knowing your learning style make you a better student?  What can you do to be sure that you understand your reading assignments?

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers Visit the Companion Website For additional readings, exercises, and Internet activities, visit this book’s Companion Website at: If you need a user name and password, please see your instructor.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers My Reading Lab For more practice on concentration, visit MyReadingLab, click on the Reading Skills tab, and then click on Memorization and Concentration—Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers TEST-TAKING TIPS: Starting with the Right Attitude  Remind yourself that you have worked hard and deserve to pass.  Think of the test as a chance to show what you have learned.  Do not panic if you cannot answer a question. Make a guess and move on to items you can answer.  If you do not immediately know an answer, think! You may be able to reason it out.