1. Taking Charge of Your Reading!
Textbook Reading
Lecture 1
Taking Charge of Your Reading!

2. Introduction Reading college textbooks requires
you to comprehend & learn large
amounts of information.
To survive…you MUST use effective reading
techniques that will improve your reading
comprehension and your ability to remember
numerous facts.
The main purpose of this class is to
provide you with an “arsenal” of
reading strategies!

3. Why it is Crucial for You to Read all Readings You are Assigned:
*Successful students complete assigned
readings BEFORE each class.
*One other reason
to do the readings
…the instructor
might just call on
you to report your
impressions to the
rest of the class!!
*Connections &
overlaps between
readings & lecture
will reinforce your
learning.

4. Before you begin to read…
Schedule blocks of reading time in a
place where you won’t be interrupted.
The key is to find a setting & time that
allows you to maximize your concentration.
Single parent…
Plan around children’s naptimes.
Provide activities kids can do at the table
with you.
Use a timer to let kids know at end of 20
min., for ex., everyone will take a play
break.
Pool your resources with other students who are
single parents and trade babysitting services.

5. Capture and Connect How you approach a reading depends on:
Your interest level
If it’s a magazine article about your favorite
movie star, then you probably won’t have to
work too hard at reading it.
Difficulty of the material
If it’s an explanation of how to do neuro-
surgery, then you’re most likely going to have
to devote a lot of time to reading it.
Time available…do you have 15 min. or 2 hours?
Your reading skill…are you a fast reader or do you
often struggle with the words?

6. Elements of Your Reading Plan
*When you deal with challenging reading
material (and most college reading IS
challenging!), you need a 5-part plan of
action:
1.Preview
2.Skim
3.Read actively
4.Read analytically
5.Review

7. PREVIEWING Why is previewing necessary??
Means to look at chapt. objectives,
headings, subheadings, etc.
Preview ALL reading
assignments.
Why is previewing necessary??
It helps you decide what types of reading
strategies you’re going to need.
It allows you to see how the reading assignment
fits into the overall framework of the course.
It helps you estimate how much time you’re going
to need to do the reading.

8. (means quick reading=twice your average reading rate)
SKIMMING
(means quick reading=twice
your average reading rate)
*Covers content at general level—focuses on
introductory statements, topic sentences, & bold-
faced terms
*Slow down when you get to any kind of summary!
*You don’t read every single word on page—you only
target main ideas and key passages.
*Your ability to read selectively will improve as you
gain awareness as to how readings relate to a
course and how a teacher chooses test material.

9. READING ACTIVELY…next step after
skimming
This is where you begin reading word for word
and taking notes on important concepts.
READING ANALYTICALLY…necessary for
very difficult articles about which you need
to give your own opinion
This is where you dig under the surface of the
reading.
You compare the reading to other ones you’ve
read.
You decide whether the info. presented is
persuasive enough to change your viewpoint.

10. Good analytic readers question both the author and themselves.
What is the
author’s bias?
How do the
author’s values &
background influence
the writing?
Do I
believe the
evidence?
What are the
strengths &
weaknesses of the
argument?
Are arguments
logically
developed?

11. Pyramid of Study Intensity
of Effort
Preview
Skim
Read Actively
Review
Read Analytically