1. READ SMARTER, NOT LONGER:
THE LEARNING CENTER

2. Workshop Outline What do you know? Three-Step Reading Process
Reading Methods and Practice
Comprehension
Reading Zones
What did you learn?
The Learning Center

3. BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO READ…
Choose your text or reading material
Figure out what you are reading and why – smart reading is based on purpose
Find your “reading zone”
Bring what you need to read: writing utensil, note taking material, provisions
Read a textbook on your schedule

4. Thinking while reading
Surprise, you have to think!
Questions to consider:
What topic are you reading about?
What is the significance of this material?
How does it relate to other material for the course?
How could I be tested over this material?

5. Actively Reading Do not turn your brain off to read
Take notes, highlight, annotate, underline, etc – find YOUR system
Don’t skip information that doesn’t make sense
Redirect yourself to the internet
Find examples

6. After Reading Read with an ‘intended’ audience
Explain the material out loud
Make a study guide
Discuss with a friend

7. PQRST Method
Developed by Thomas & H.A. Robinson, Spache and Berg and R.P. Robinson
This method serves to help readers retain information longer and with clarity
The Five Steps:
Preview – Read the intro., conclusion, bold headings, and vocab
Question – pose questions to yourself about what you are reading
Read – read with a deep level of processing
Summarize – after reading, think back to what you’ve read. Recite it aloud or write it down.
Test – Create study materials that challenge your understanding of the material
Summarize

8. Depth of processing
center/how-to-study
Think about what you’ve read in a critical way
How does this apply to my experience, to my previous knowledge
Do I agree or disagree? Why?

9. Close reading
Especially when there is an essay involved, a close reading of a text must occur
As put forth by Patricia Kain (1998), Close Reading is a three-step process:
“’Annotating’ means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases— anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins.”
Details in language often illuminate the reader to important information that may not be apparent on a surface read. Therefore, close reading must include the seeking of patterns, which reveal repetitions, contradictions, or similarities.
Asking ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, often either internal or written, help us shape our understanding of how a text resonates with us.

10. Online Reading Strategies
Adapted from Kevin Hodgson’s LEARN NC research
Follow the other strategies from this presentation, but adapt with these steps:
Synthesize reading material – the web is more vast than a confined book
Avoid distractions – block unwanted information
Understand a Hyperlink before getting click-happy
Give your eyes a break – follow the “study cycle” of 50/10 reading

11. Let’s Practice!
Choose a reading method and let’s practice!

12. Comprehension Comprehension is really the goal of reading
Critical comprehension questions:
What is the genre?
What is the thesis of this section?
What definitions or explanations are presented?
Commit to reading a chapter once. Yes, only once.
Comprehension is dependent upon concentration
Minimize worries
Control emotions
Find your ‘Reading Zone’

13. Reading Zone Activity
Concentration is the number one problem for many students. Frequently, the problem is where you choose to study. Concentration is difficult when there are too many distractions present. This activity will help you to analyze the distractions in the places you study, and help find your optimal reading zone.
Use the Study distraction analysis linked below this presentation on the webpage to help determine if you’re reading in the right places!

14. Reading Zone Discussion
The location that has the most "false" responses may be the least distracting place to study. Try to plan your day so that you do as much of your reading as you can there.
What kinds of places did we identify as distracting?
What kinds of places did we identify as reading zones?
Were you surprised by the results?

15. Want more help?
You may want to enroll in the Learning Center’s Speed Reading class! Check-out our website for details about the class and registration.