Collins 144
Make your textbooks talk to you.

You are lucky if you have learned to read well and you like reading. Usually, these things go together. What is certain is that if you are a poor reader you will regard reading with all the enthusiasm you have for carrying out the garbage. In college you must do more reading than you have ever done before, and if you don't read well, you need to work at improving your skills in reading. Even if you are a good reader, the chances are that you can be even better at it. When you are better at it, you will like it more.

In many college courses, the textbook is your primary source of information. Each term you will spend hours reading, reviewing, and studying textbooks. Class lectures are often coordinated with reading assignments in the course text, written assignments require you to apply or evaluate ideas and concepts presented in the textbook, and term papers explore topics introduced in the text. The following strategy can be used successfully during the textbook reading process.

A TEXTBOOK CHAPTER APPROACH

S (SURVEY)

1. Study the title of the chapter. Do you know
   anything about the subject?
2. If there is an outline or a list of objectives at the beginning
   of the chapter, read it over carefully.
3. If the textbook chapter is divided up into divisions and
   subdivisions, read through those. If there are no divisions,
   read through the first paragraph, the first sentence of the
   following paragraphs, and the last paragraph of the chapter.
   
4. Study any illustrations, graphs, or charts in the chapter
   understanding how this material relates to the chapter
   divisions and subdivisions.
   
5. If there are any discussion or study questions at the end of
   the chapter, read those to help determine what topics the
   author considers to be most important.

Q (QUESTION)

1. If the author has already provided study questions at the
   end of the chapter, use these since they are the
   questions the author thinks are most important for you to
   answer.
   
2. BE A HUMAN QUESTION MARK - Go into each section
   with a question in your mind. Do this by turning headings,
   subheadings, and sometimes topic sentences into questions.
   These should guide you to the main points.

R1 (READ)

1. Only after surveying and questioning are you ready to
   STUDY READ.
   
2. Read to find the answers to your questions and other
   important information.
   
3. Unknown terms say, STOP! LOOK UP! LEARN!
   
4. Pictorial aides often clear up something important. Shift
   your eyes and thoughts back and forth as needed from the
   printed words to the pictorial aid.

R2 (RECORD)

1. Jot down or mark important ideas. Make the key ideas
   stand out in some way so that they will be clear to you later.

R3 (RECITE)

1. As you complete a section or a paragraph, ask yourself,
   "What have I just learned here?"
   
2. Look away from the book while you self-recite, or cover
   the passage with your hand or a notecard. Can you
   recite the important points to yourself in your own words?
   
3. Look back at the printed page to check your accuracy.
   
4. Knowing that you are going to self-recite when you
   finish a section forces you to concentrate while you read.
   
5. Use VAC learning (VISUAL + AUDITORY +
   KINESTHETIC). See it, say it, hear it, and jot it down.
   This will change half learned to more fully learned material.

R4 (REVIEW)

1. Add a last quick run through. Can you recall the broad
   chapter plan? Quickly run through the chapter section
   by section, checking yourself once more on the main points
   and the important subpoints.
   
2. Make some quick reviews later on from time to time.

R5 (REFLECT)

1. As you read a passage, turn on your critical thinking.
   Ask yourself, "What does this all mean? Is it true? How
   can I apply it?" Reading and reflecting should be
   simultaneous and inseparable.

If you have questions about any of the classes or services offered by the Learning Enhancement Center, please call Sandy Kolkay at (630) 466-7900, ext. 2576, or e-mail the Learning Enhancement Center.

You may receive online assistance by contacting the Learning Enhancement Center. Responses should be received during the next available open hours for the area you are contacting.

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