Reading at the Study Level

Were your speed reading skills mistakenly overlooked during the new year? Here are some reminders for Reading at the Study Level to get you back on track:

Your own textbook will be very useful for practicing your Advanced Reading skills. If you do not have a textbook you can borrow one from a library or, for a minimal cost, you can pick one up at a thrift store, used bookstore or garage sale. For practice, choose a textbook that has a subject that interests you.

Textbooks are normally divided into manageable sections and usually have questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are good to measure your comprehension.

Since studying and comprehension are inseparable you need to learn to enhance your study skills along with enhancing your comprehension.

1. When you study, especially when you review previously read material, it is wise to concentrate on the information that you will most likely be tested on. Most examinations do not cover 100% of the textbook. Think about the areas your instructor or professor stressed. Will the examination be similar to ones administered before? Were you advised that the examination would be in multiple choice or essay format? Can you talk to the instructor or professor and find out what specific areas the examination will cover? This is streamlining or defining your purpose.

2. Survey and preview the textbook or appropriate sections. At your fastest pacing or previewing speed go through the whole text to identify the structure and organization of your study material so that you can identify manageable pieces for reading and reviewing. Break the sections down into easy to remember sections. Previewing a 350-page text should take about fifteen minutes.

3. When reading use pencil pacing to mark the margins of important points for later review or clarification of facts.

4. Study one section at a time. Again using pencil pacing and at your fastest comprehension speed go through the section and pay close attention to the primary ideas or principles. Mark additional concepts or definitions for later review.

5. Remember to think about what you have read and ask yourself questions. Make notes, list questions you need answers for, indicate specific areas that interest you, or list the definitions and formulas that you wish to memorize. Thinking about the information makes it easier to recall it later.

6. Take a five to ten-minute break after each section to stretch and refresh yourself.

7. Perform a final review. Concentrate on the areas that you pencil marked in previous readings.