1. Active Reading Strategies (pages 43-48)

2. Reading in College Assume Responsibility for Reading Assignments
Know your reading level/style
Make a plan
Think and Read Critically
What does the reading mean?
How can I connect it to my own life?

3. Reading in College (Part 2)
Adapt your reading skills to the material:
Narrative
Organized Chronologically
Can be Visualized
Elements of Story Analysis:
Setting (where)
Characters (who)
Conflict (What)
Plot (How)
Climax (Then What)
Resolution (So What)
Non-Narrative
90% of what we read
Informative or Persuasive
Can contain elements of narrative

4. Reading in College (Part 3)
Determine how to find your main idea:
Informative
Identify the topic
Identify the purpose
5 Ws
How
Use Topic Sentences to find main idea clues
Persuasive
Identify the topic
Determine what the author thinks about the topic (main idea)
Use ‘why’ and ‘how’ to determine the main ideas

5. Read Actively Preview your text Read the title, subtitle, and author
Read the introduction or first paragraph
Read any headings and the first sentence following each one
Read topic sentences
Look at images, charts and drawings
Read the conclusion or summary
Read any questions at the end

6. Read with a Purpose
Use the title of the essay to determine the type of writing and to devise questions:
Title: “Part-time Employment Undermines Students’ Commitment to School”
Title: “Human Cloning: Don’t Just Say ‘No’”
Title: “Abolish the Penny”
Use headings and topic sentences to devise questions:
Heading: “Guide to Active Reading”
Heading: “Read with a Purpose”

7. Finding the Topic and Main Idea
Topic: a 1-3 word statement of the thing/event the essay is about
Main Idea: a complete sentence expressing what the author thinks about the topic, written in your own words

8. Drafting a Summary Outline
Susie Student
Erin Herrmann
Fundamentals 0960
7 December 2011
Topic Sentence: In “Abolish the Penny” by William Safire, he argues that pennies should no longer be in circulation in America.
Reason #1
Reason #2
Reason #3
Reason #4
Reason #5
Reason #6

9. Summary Topic Sentences
Topic Sentence: In “Abolish the Penny” by William Safire, he argues that pennies should no longer be in circulation in America.
Title of article
Title Case
Author’s Name
Main idea

10. Major Details vs. Minor Details
General ideas that support the stated main idea of text.
Reasons
Points in an argument
Points of a comparison
Further elaboration of main idea
Minor Details
Specifics that illustrate or support the major details of a text.
Examples
Specific Details
Specific Instances
Statistics

11. Signal Words for Major and Minor Details
Major Details
First, Second, Third
One
Another
Furthermore
Moreover
Next
Also
Finally Not all major and minor details have signal words.
Minor Details
For example
An example is
For instance
To be specific
That is
This means
Case in point
To illustrate

12. Example Paragraph
Dogs benefit humans in many ways. First, dogs often act as companions, giving their owners love and attention. This is why they are called “Man’s Best Friend.” Next, they protect their owner’s property. For example, they protect homes, work sites, and junk yards. They also work as seeing eye dogs, assisting the blind. For instance, they can assist the blind person with crossing the street safely or maneuvering through a crowded store. Moreover, they assist paraplegics by fetching their owners needed item. A case in point is my friend Bob, who has a golden retriever that trails him all day long, picking up dropped items, such as his pens, and fetching things, such as the newspaper, that Bob needs.

13. Stated Main Idea: Dogs benefit humans in many ways.
Major Details
First, dogs often act as companions, giving their owners love and attention.
Next, they protect their owner’s property.
They also work as seeing eye dogs, assisting the blind.
Moreover, they assist paraplegics by fetching their owners needed items.
Minor Details
This is why they are called “Man’s Best Friend.”
For example, they protect homes, work sites, and junk yards.
For instance, they can assist the blind person with crossing the street safely or maneuvering through a crowded store.
A case in point is my friend, Bob, who has a golden retriever that trails him all day long, picking up dropped items, such as his pens, and fetching things, such as the newspaper, that Bob needs.