Learn To Read More Efficiently

Understand and remember more of what you read (for better grades)

INFORMATION 

There are two basic types of reading: casual reading (such as reading a novel or newspaper) and mastery reading (where you are reading to master a subject area).  Speed reading can be used for casual reading, but not mastery reading.

Learn how to read for mastery effectively. Mastery reading requires that you read topics in depth and really relate to them.  Skimming and going through the motions do not work.  You will only make poor grades in difficult subjects. Try the following proven methods:

1-GET AN OVERVIEW.  Get an overview of what you are reading.  Concentrate on understanding the meaning the headings and the terms in them, remember, "the bigger the print, the more important the idea."  Don't read every chapter as if it were an isolated unit, but compare and contrast it to other chapters and see how they fit into the big picture of the course.  Exam questions often focus on these types of issues--which many student who read all the detail overlook. Get a brief overview before your read a chapter and then make a brief outline or map (covering only the major sections) of it afterward.

2-FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING NOT MEMORIZATION.  Don't use repetitive, rote memory methods such as flash cards  or just repeating terms over and over. Research shows that these boring techniques don't work nearly as well as reading for understanding the deeper meaning of the material.  You comprehend and remember what you get involved in, have to figure out, and relate to your own life and ideas.  (Example: Try to build your own ideas and overall theory for every course you take--mentally debate with the book's author.  Try to understand what he/she is saying and see how it compares to your ideas.)

3-CHECK YOUR EMOTIONS. If you are bored or confused, STOP READING IMMEDIATELY and try a new approach.  You are not learning much when you are bored or confused!  See Dr. Stevens article below for tips on what to do when you feel bored or confused.  If you are bored, ask yourself if it is because you really don't understand what you are reading. If so, focus on methods for overcoming confusion such as looking up terms, looking at the big picture, trying to find or invent examples, etc.  There are also many tricks to getting more involved if you are truly bored.

4-MARK YOUR TEXT.  Don't use fat highlighters.  Instead, use a pen and circle key terms, underline conservatively, put checks beside important ideas, and write your own notes for explanation in the margins or on sticky pads.

5-GO BACK OVER YOUR TEXT 2-3 TIMES BEFORE THE EXAM.  Each time you go over it mark what you are still confused about and then only cover that material the next time through. (Don't just rely on notes from the book.  Your notes will be incomplete and in many cases wrong.)

MATHEMATICS and SCIENCE CLASSES NOTE: If you are taking a math or other problem-solving course, use the same procedure, except also solve problems at the end of the chapters as a test of applying your knowledge. Top students read for mastery and then do the problems.  Don't make the same mistake of many students who skim through the reading part of the chapter and spend all their time trying to solve the problems so they can turn them in.  Many never learn the important principles and wonder why they can't solve the difficult problems on exams. Does that sound like you?

TIP: Copy or select the steps 1-5 above, print them out, then keep them handy in your notebook as a reference for studying.

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