Reading for Knowledge There are things that successful readers do. As a successful reader …

I Read with an Open Mind I set my opinions aside for the moment. I know I am safe to do this. If I want to, I can easily pick them up later.

I Read with an Open Mind I accept and appreciate that there are many different ideas about how the world works. I know life would be dull if this were not true.

I Read with an Open Mind To become wise, I review my beliefs and the reasons for them. Sometimes I outgrow my attitudes and opinions. I know that to ask myself questions about my own beliefs means I am mature and intelligent.

I Read with an Open Mind I don’t expect to be entertained when reading for an academic purpose. I read to be informed. I prepare myself to read to broaden my understanding of the world and of writing.

I Read with an Open Mind My mind is open, but not un-critical! I know that writers have biases. Sometimes they want to convince a reader of their points of view. I am interested in figuring out if a writer has a bias. Therefore, I want to know about their background.

I Prepare to Read and Remember I ask myself what I already know about a subject because this will help me get interested. I ask myself what I already know about a subject because this will help me get interested. It will also help me remember what I read.

I Ask Myself Questions to Get Answered If I can figure out some questions I think will be answered, I can look for the answers as I read. Looking for answers will make me want to keep reading. The more involved I am, the more I will remember.

I Read at My Own Pace I read as slowly as the reading requires me to read. I read as slowly as the reading requires me to read. This is now everyone reads-- and it is normal! I know that I read things faster if I already know something about the subject. If I don’t know much about a topic, I must go more slowly.

I Plan for Reading I plan to complete an entire chapter, story, or article in one sitting, so that I can more easily remember it. I plan to complete an entire chapter, story, or article in one sitting, so that I can more easily remember it. I know that I need my own space to do this, and arrange to have as few interruptions as possible.

I Preview the Reading I “skim” to get ideas about the writing and the subject. I “skim” to get ideas about the writing and the subject. Skimming means that I read headings and first sentences of paragraphs. When I skim, I can estimate how long I need to read to complete in one sitting.

I Read Twice After I skim, I read the material once—quickly. Then I read it a second time, more carefully, so I can write notes– highlight or underline.

I Write Notes to Myself to Remember I can write in a book that I own. If I don’t own it, I can take notes on paper. My notes are for me—not for a teacher. I can write in a book that I own. If I don’t own it, I can take notes on paper. My notes are for me—not for a teacher. I mark or write down the main ideas and important details. I also write questions I have, and circle words I might need to look up.

I Review the Reading and Notes To increase memory, I review what I have just read. If I don’t, I will probably forget a lot of it.To increase memory, I review what I have just read. If I don’t, I will probably forget a lot of it. I review my notes, highlights, and underlining. I look up words if they are ones need to know to understand.

I Contemplate and Compare I think about what I have read.I think about what I have read. I think about the ways it relates to my life, my beliefs, and things I have learned. I talk to people about what I read because this helps me remember (and grow dendrites!).

I Recognize that Reading Is a Process I understand that I will get better at understanding what I read. I know that I will increase my comprehension and memory through reading strategies and practice.