© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Efficient and Flexible Reading, 8/e by Kathleen T. McWhorter Chapter 7: Techniques for Learning Textbook Material

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers In this chapter you will learn: 1.To use highlighting effectively. 2.To make marginal annotations. 3.To paraphrase text. 4.To use outlining to organize ideas. 5.To draw concept maps. 6.To summarize information.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Writing as a Learning Tool 1.Writing focuses your attention. 2.Writing forces you to think. 3.Writing tests your understanding. 4.Writing facilitates recall.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Highlighting Techniques 1.Read a paragraph or section first and then go back and highlight what is important. 2.Use knowledge of paragraph structure. 3.Use headings to guide your highlighting. 4.Use a highlighting system. 5.Highlight just enough words to make the meaning clear. 6.Be sure that the highlighting reflects the content of the passage.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Annotations Write questions about the material. Condense important points. Identify ideas with which you disagree. Mark good or poor examples of supporting data. Locate key terms or definitions. Consider contrasting points of view. Summarize arguments. Identify the author’s point of view.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Annotating and Marginal Notations Use symbols. Condense Information. Record Reactions. # & ? +

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Paraphrasing 1.Record information from reference sources in note form. 2.Paraphrase information that requires detailed and precise comprehension. 3.Paraphrase extremely difficult or complicated passages. 4.Paraphrase complex descriptive material.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers How to Paraphrase 1.Read the entire selection before writing anything. 2.Focus on exact meanings and on relationships between ideas. 3.Read each sentence and identify its core meaning. 4.Don’t try to paraphrase word by word. 5.Combine original sentences into a concise paragraph. 6.Compare with the original for completeness and accuracy.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers When to Outline When reading is difficult or confusing. When writing an evaluation or critical interpretation. When order or process is important. When classifications are important. I. First Major Topic A.First Major Idea 1. First Important Detail 2. Second Important Detail

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Suggestions for Effective Outlines Read a section completely before writing. Be brief and concise; do not write in complete sentences. Use your own words. Check that all information beneath a heading supports or explains it. Check that all headings are of equal importance.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Concept Maps Identify the overall subject and write it in the center or top of the page. Identify the major supporting information that relates to the topic. Draw a new line branching from the idea to the details. Active Reading and Learning Reading and Thinking Actively Improving Your Concentration Monitoring Your Comprehension

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Summarizing Information 1.Read the entire original work first. 2.Reread and highlight key points. 3.Review your highlighting. 4.Write sentences to include all remaining highlighted information. 5.Present ideas in the same order as the original. 6.Revise your summary.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Critical Thinking Tip #7: Annotating and Critical Thinking Jot down questions. Highlight emotionally charged words. Note opposing ideas. Mark ideas you question or disagree with. Note places where you feel further information is needed. Mark sections you feel are particularly strong or weak.

2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers Summary 1.Why is writing during and after reading an effective learning strategy? 2.How can you highlight more effectively? 3.Why should you annotate and make marginal notations in conjunction with your highlighting? 4.Why is paraphrasing a useful study strategy? 5.What is an outline and what are its advantages? 6.What is mapping? 7.What is involved in summarizing?

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