READING AND STUDY SKILLS GUIDELINES

 

READING AND STUDY SKILLS

Reasons for Reading

Normally beginners are not accustomed to many types of texts and reading assignments required at college.

There are two basic reasons for reading: One reads because he enjoys reading and they feel like reading. One also reads because he has to. That is for a specific purpose.

 

Types of Reading

Reading for Pleasure

Reading is one of the most pleasurable as well as most awarding pursuits in life. One can engage in leisure reading for sheer relaxation, e.g. lunch break, in the evening, during the weekend. In this case it does not matter whether we understand what we are reading or not. Some people do leisure reading seriously to “improve themselves” i.e. they read for entertainment with a more serious purpose of widening knowledge or skills e.g. buying newspapers, magazines and journals to keep themselves updated on topical issues. We tend to skim over the whole text because our understanding will not be tested.

 

Reading for Study

When we read because we have to read. In this case whether we read individually or in groups we know that our understanding will be tested. We therefore set aside time for it. We take trouble to prepare ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. We create conducive environment for reading. We also think of the purpose for reading. We should ask ourselves, what exactly we want out of what we are reading. The answer then governs the reading strategy. 

 

Reading Strategies

Skimming/reading for general idea

Skimming, also known as survey reading is a process of looking over a text quickly to get a general idea of the text or impression of it. We do not trouble to read all the words. Reader’s eyes move fast at the titles of the materials, tables of contents, and the first and the last sentences in paragraphs. Students skim when reviewing for examinations, few moments before entering in an examination room; some people skim newspapers before buying them, getting the details during the presentation,  we also skim books to see if they are relevant for our purpose. We are advised to skim materials in libraries to see if they are relevant for our defined purposes before we start reading them or before we buy them for sale.

 

Scanning/reading for specific information

We scan when we are looking for particular information in a text. We scan over the sections, chapters, passages that are not relevant. This occurs when one knows what he wants and where to get it, so he moves eyes quickly down the page seeking for specific words and phrases. Usually, a reader has a specific information or concept in mind and he/she looks it up in the material to find its meaning and other related information. We scan in order to find the specific details we require and which we must remember completely and precisely.

Scanning is useful in: locating statements, definitions, formulas, new terms and concepts, the charts and figures.

Examples of scanning: a telephone directory, a conference guide, a train time table.

 

Intensive reading/study reading

This is a type of reading in which a reader reads and thinks about what is being read so that it is understood, remembered and contextualized. It needs to be worked at, with time for reflection, thought analysis, criticism, comparison, notes made, points highlighted and emphasized, the whole summarized. Study reading is done when one is reading for assignment, presentation and for answering examination. Students are advised to read intensively in order to be able to write meaningful assignments, reports and presentation.

 

Extensive reading

Extensive reading involves reading many and variety of books for general or universal meaning and pleasure. In extensive reading, reading is beyond reading the school books. In extensive reading, one reads large quantities of materials or long texts for global or general understanding, with the intention of obtaining pleasure from the texts. In this kind of reading people (students) are allowed to choose the books they want for reading. Students are not restricted in class to choose the same.

 

The Process of Reading

There are a number of actions readers can take in order to understand a word or passage. This are listed possible remedies in the order of increasing disruptiveness to the flow of reading. The more drastic the action taken, the more you lose the thread of what you are reading. The following steps will help a reader to read the passage carefully and get the benefit out of it.

 

1. Ignore and read on. If the word or passage is not critical to understanding, then the most effective action is to ignore it. For example, failures within descriptions and details usually can safely be ignored. If the reader fails to understand a large proportion of the text, this is evidence that the ‘ignore and read on’ strategy is not working.

 

2. Suspend judgment. These are a wait and see strategy that should be applied when the reader thinks the failure will be clarified later. For example, new words or general principles are often explained in subsequent text. The structure of the text should tell the reader when an idea is likely to be clarified later. If it is not, it may be necessary to go back and reread.

 

3. Form a tentative hypothesis. Here the reader tries to figure out from context what a word, sentence, or passage means. The hypothesis may be a partial hypothesis or a quite specific hypothesis. It acts as a pending question (Collins, Brown, Morgan, & Brewer, 1977) that the reader tests as he or she continues reading. This is a particularly useful strategy to apply if a statement is abstract or vague, or if an unknown word is fairly central and there are clues to its meaning.

 

4. Reread the current sentence (s). If the reader cannot form a tentative hypothesis, then it often helps to reread the current sentence or sentences, looking for a revised interpretation that would clarify the problem. This is especially useful if the reader perceives some contradiction or several possible interpretations. But it is a fairly disruptive remedy.

 

5. Reread the previous context. Jumping back to the previous context is even more disruptive to the flow of reading. But if there is a contradiction with some earlier piece of the text or the reader is overloaded with too many pending questions, then jumping back and rereading is the most effective strategy.

 

6. Going to an expert source. The most disruptive action the reader can take is to go to an outside source, such as a teacher, parent, dictionary, or other book. But this is sometimes required, for example when a word is repeatedly used and the reader cannot figure out what it means, or when a whole section of text does not make sense.

 

Reading Comprehension Strategies

The following strategies can ensure that students are successful on reading comprehension tests.

Finding main idea:a reader should read by looking about the main idea; what a reading passage is mostly or mainly about. One may also think about the best title for a reading passage. The title sometimes tells about the main idea of the whole passage. Students should ask themselves what the reading passage is about.

Recalling facts and details:students/readers should look for facts and details that has happened in a reading passage. Paying very close attention to the events of the story and the order in which they happened will help with this strategy.

Understanding Sequence:the reader should check the sequence of certain things and events happened within the reading passage in order. Scholars explain that words such as first, second, last, before, or after appearing in the passage may be of help to understand the sequence of the passage.

Recognizing cause and effect:a reader should be able to identify thecause and effect of something happened and why it happened. When the text uses words such as because, why, reason or what happened, this signals cause and effect.

Making Predictions-readers should also makeprediction and guess about what will happen next in a reading passage. Words like predict, probably or most likely can help a student to predict or guess something that follows.

Find Word Meaning in Context:because some words have more than one meaning, readers need to know the meaning of a word used in a reading passage. Try each answer meaning in the sentence where the word appears, and choose the one that makes the most sense in the reading passage.

Distinguishing between fact and opinion:in the reading passage one may find several facts and opinions. A reader should be able to determine which of course is a fact or opinion. Students simply need to ask themselves two questions: ‘Can this statement be proved?’ or ‘Does this statement tell what someone thinks or feels?’

Identifying author’s purpose:readers needto understand the reason an author wrote a particular passage. This should be done to the entire passage, and/or about a specific paragraph.

Making inferences:when asked to make an inference, students need to figure something out that a reading passage does not explicitly state. This often contains the words you can tell, determine or conclude.

Interpreting figurative language:in the passage one may find figurative languages such as similes, metaphors and idioms. Students will have to identify a particular type of figurative language.

Summarizing:a reader should be able to choose the best summary of a reading passage. You may not find the direct way of doing this in the reading passage. Students will need to think about the most important ideas to find the best summary.

 

Reading and Note-Taking strategies

Reading for pleasure or as a way to relax, like when reading a novel, newspaper or magazine is usually a ‘passive’ exercise.  When you are studying reading should be seen as an ‘active’ exercise, in other words you engage with your reading to maximize your learning.  One of the most effective ways of actively engaging with your reading is to make notes as you go along – linking points, taking out key points of information etc.  By writing notes, in your own words, you will be forced to think about the ideas that are presented in the text and how you can explain them coherently. The process of note-taking will, therefore, help you retain, analyse and ultimately remember and learn what you have read.

What not to do?

It is important to understand that effective note-making means writing notes on what you have read in your own words.  Copying what others have said is not note-taking and is only appropriate when you want to directly quote an author.  It can be tempting, especially if your reading material is online, to copy and paste straight into a document.  If you do this then you are unlikely to learn what you have read, as copying is not engaging with the text.  Also, and especially if you are a student, copied text that ends up in an assignment is plagiarism - a serious academic offence. Use online sources as appropriate but summarizes, re-write and/or paraphrase and always reference.

Effective Steps for Note -Taking

There is no magic formula to taking notes when reading; you have to find out what works best for you.  Your note-taking skills will develop with practice and as you realize the benefits.  The tips for effective note-taking, below, should help you get started.

Effective Note taking Skills

1. Be Selective and Systematic

As you take notes from a written source, keep in mind that not all of a text may be relevant to your needs. Think about your purpose for reading.

• Are you reading for a general understanding of a topic or concept?
• Are you reading for some specific information that may relate to the topic of an assignment?

Before you start to take notes, skim the text. Then highlight or mark the main points and any relevant information you may need to take notes from. Finally - keeping in mind your purpose for reading - read the relevant sections of the text carefully and take separate notes as you read.

A few tips about format

Set out your notebooks so that you have a similar format each time you take notes.

• Columns that distinguish the source information and your thoughts can be helpful.
• Headings that include bibliographic reference details of the sources of information are also important.
• The use of colour to highlight major sections, main points and diagrams makes notes easy to access. BUT remember it is not allowed to highlight or scribble in the public books.

2. Identify the Purpose and Function of a Text

Whether you need to make notes on a whole text or just part of it, identifying the main purpose and function of a text is invaluable for clarifying your note-taking purposes and saving time.

• Read the title and the abstract or preface (if there is one)
• Read the introduction or first paragraph
• Skim the text to read topic headings and notice how the text is organised
• Read graphic material and predict its purpose in the text

Your aim is to identify potentially useful information by getting an initial overview of the text (chapter, article, pages) that you have selected to read. Ask yourself: will this text give me the information I require and where might it be located in the text? 

3. Highlighting and Emphasizing: a quick and easy way to be active when reading is to highlight and/or underline parts of the text.  Although the process of highlighting is not ‘note-taking’ it is often an important first step.  Of course, this is not a good idea if the book or journal does not belong to you!

Highlighting key words or phrases in text will help you:

• Focus your attention on what you are reading – and make it easy to see key points when re-reading.
• Think more carefully about what the key concepts and ideas in the text are, the bits that are worth highlighting.
• At a glance you will be able to see that you have already read pages or sections on text.

When you come across words or phrases that you are not familiar with it may be useful to add them to a personal glossary of terms. Make a glossary on a separate sheet (or document) of notes, so you can easily refer and update it as necessary. Write descriptions of the terms in your own

4. Making Written notes: although highlighting is a quick way of emphasizing key points, it is no substitute for taking proper notes.

Remember your main purpose for note-taking is to learn, and probably to prepare for some form of writing.  When you first start out note-taking you may find that you take too many notes, or not enough, or that when you revisit them they are unclear, or which is your opinion and which is the opinion of the author.  You will need to work on these areas - like all life skills, taking effective notes improve with practice.

Tips for making effective written notes

The following guidelines may be of help:

i. It is important to keep your notes organised and well-structured, so you can easily find them later.  Use a notebook or set up folders on your computer - keep your notes in good order.

ii. Use headings or different sheets (or documents) to separate different themes and ideas.

iii. Use bright colours to highlight important points in your notes.  You may find it useful to have a simple system of colour coding, using different colours for related areas.

iv. Always keep a record of your information source, this is generally good practice – so you can easily find information again in the future.  In academia it is essential to reference your work.

• When referring to a book, record the author’s name, the date of publication, the title of the book, the relevant page number, the name of the publisher and the place of publication. 
• When referring to a magazine or newspaper, record the name of the author of the article, the date of publication, the name of the article, the name of the publication, the publication number and page number. 
• When referring to internet sources, record (at least) the full URL or web address and the date you accessed the information.

5. Identify how Information is Organised

Most texts use a range of organising principles to develop ideas. While most good writing will have a logical order, not all writers will use an organising principle. Organising principles tend to sequence information into a logical hierarchy, some of which are: past ideas to present ideas, the steps or stages of a process or event, most important point to least important point, well known ideas to least known ideas, simple ideas to complex ideas, general ideas to specific ideas, the largest parts to the smallest parts of something, problems and solutions, causes and results.

6. Page by page notes: The simplest and most direct way of taking notes, but also the most detailed, is to write page-by-page notes. At the start of your notes write the full reference of the book/journal etc. that you are taking notes from. Write the page number in the margin of your notebook and jot down, in concise phrases, the points that strike you as relevant from each paragraph. If a particular point reminds you of a personal experience or of something similar that you have read, jot this down too.

If a particular sentence or quotation appeals to you or seems to encapsulate the essence of a point made by the author or highlights the subject you are studying, transcribe it completely inside quotation marks. Remember to record exactly where the quote came from. As you work through the text, highlight and make notes on things with which you disagree, stating the reasons why.

7. Summaries: As well as page by page notes, you should compile a summary at the end of each section or chapter.  A summary is, by definition, precise. Its aim is to bring together the essential points and to simplify the main argument or viewpoint of the author. The author will usually expand on their ideas, putting them into context and aiding understanding. You should be able to use your summary in the future to refer to the points raised and use your own explanations and examples of how they may apply to your subject area.

8. Organising your notes: Depending on your circumstance you may find you accumulate a lot of notes.  Notes are of no use to you if you cannot find them when you need to, and spending a lot of time sifting through piles of papers is a waste of time.  How you organise your notes will depend on whether they are ‘physical’, written on paper or ‘digital’ stored on a computer – or a combination.  Some quick ideas for organising and storing notes include:

• Folders:  Either in the traditional sense - the type you may find in a filing cabinet - or on a computer, folders are an easy way of keeping related documents together.  Folders are particularly good for assembling information and material for written assignments.  Keep all relevant items in a folder – either hard copies or digitally.  It’s sometimes useful to include notes to yourself in your folder as you plan a written assignment.
• Binders:  Loose-leaf ring binders can enable you to assemble all your page notes, chapter summaries, mind maps and a lot of other printed materials in one location.  Binders can be used, like folders, to store additional notes and information.
• Cards:  These come in various sizes and types and enable you to keep a sketch of what you have read.  Cards can be particularly useful when planning a writing assignment - try re-ordering them or arranging them on the floor like a large mind map, a low-tech way of linking together your ideas and thoughts.

9. Include your thoughts

When taking notes for an assignment it is also helpful to record your thoughts at the time. Record your thoughts in a separate column or margin and in a different colour to the notes you took from the text. For instance, what ideas did you have about your assignment when you read that information? How do you think you could use this information in your assignment?

 

 

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