Textbook Reading Strategies
General Guidelines
- Know Your Purpose for Reading Assigned Pages
Instructors assign textbook chapters and other reading assignments
for a variety of reasons.The most common ones are listed below.
- To test on the information at a later date.
- To provide background information for the lecture.
- To prepare for a class discussion.
- To complete written assignments.
(Note: Know your purpose(s) for reading assigned
pages before you begin reading as it will determine
the amount of time you will need to spend on the reading assignment
as well as the strategies you will use.)
- Allow Adequate Time
Often students don’t allow enough time to complete reading assignments. To
determine how long it will take you to read a chapter, read one
page (with minimal visual aids) and time yourself. Then multiply
the time by the number of pages in the chapter. This will
give you an idea as to how long it will take. Remember that the
amount of time needed to read a chapter for one course will differ
for other courses.
- Keep Up With the Reading
Reading assignments should be completed before the lecture. If
your instructor lectures from the text it may be tempting to use
the lecture to replace the reading of the text. Although
instructors may not lecture on all of the topics in a chapter,
you may still be responsible for all of them on an exam. If
you get behind in your reading it becomes very difficult to catch
up.
- Read a Section at a Time.
It can seem overwhelming to read a 30-page chapter at one time.Therefore,
don’t try to read an entire chapter in one sitting. Instead,
break it up into sections, and read only one or two sections at
a time.
- Know What You Need to
Know
Textbook chapters contain a great deal of information, and students
often think they have to “know it all.” This, however, is usually
not the case. Be selective about what you need to know and
what you will focus on. For example, textbooks often include details
such as anecdotes, examples, and descriptions that help clarify
the main points, but it is information that will not necessarily
be tested on.
- Be an Active Reader
Reading is more than pronouncing words on a page; it involves
thinking about the meaning of the words you’re reading.
You can question the author’s ideas, make predictions about what
the author will discuss next, and think of questions you would
like to have answered as you read. In addition, you can try to
connect the information you’re reading to previous information
you learned and attempt to apply it to your own life whenever
possible.
Susan Ziegert, University
of Wisconsin – Waukesha, Textbook Reading Strategy: General Guidelines
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