Learning as a Process - Part 3 of 7

Just like being an effective note-taker, being an effective academic reader is a process.  You can do things before you start, while you are reading and after you are done that will enhance your comprehension and retention of the material.  Here are some ideas:

Before reading -

• Be sure you know your purpose - that will direct which strategies you use during and after reading.
• Be sure you have some background knowledge about what you are going to read.
• Preview the assignment - this will also help  you gain background knowledge.
• Look at the topic of the selection and how it is organized.
• Read the learning objectives, headings and subheadings.
• Look at any information in bold print.
• Look at the pictures.
• See how long it is.
• Make a reading plan - if the assignment is too long to read in one sitting, divide it into a manageable part and read that.  Do NOT just stop in the middle of the sentence when your time is up!  Use any extra time to review what you read.

While you are reading -

• Strive to understand (I know this sounds obvious, but your mindset is important!)
• Monitor your comprehension and reread if it breaks down.
• Look for the overall organization.
• Look for signals from the author - context clues, signal words, bold print, spacing, etc.
• Use recitation - after reading a section stop and see if you can restate the information in your own words.  If you cannot, reread.
• Highlight - combine with recitation and only 25% to 30% of the page.
• Annotate or take margin notes - four steps: read, think about what you read, put into your own words, write key terms or phrases in the margin.  This has you interacting with the information in fours ways and strengthens your learning.

The next blog will look at the importance of review, both after reading an assignment and after taking lecture notes.
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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.