How to Read Efficiently ?

2.02 Reading techniques

The ability to read is as important today as it ever was. Some people
believe that the need for good basic skills has lessened as technology
has improved, that television, with all its power and indeed its role
in providing information, has reduced the need for reading. Certainly
there are many people who don't buy books for pleasure and enjoyment,
and some who rarely read a newspaper or visit a library.

In some ways this may not really matter. Being able to read fluently
is very different from wanting to read at all. In so many aspects of
our life we still need to read, a need technology cannot replace.
Indeed, in some ways it makes it more essential. As more everyday
activities become automated, so reading becomes more important.

How to Read Your Textbook More Efficiently

PREVIEW - READ - RECALL at first glance seems to be an intricate and
time consuming process. However, it gets easier and faster with
practice, ensures thorough learning and facilitates later
"re-learning" when you revise for exams. Give it a try!

PREVIEW

WHY?
If you give your mind a general framework of main ideas and structure,
you will be better able to comprehend and retain the details you will
read later.

HOW?
1. Look quickly (10 minutes) over the following key parts of your
textbook to see what it's all about and how it is organized:

Title
Front and back cover info.
Author's biographical data
Publication date
Table of Contents
Introduction or Preface
Index
Glossary

2. Before you read each chapter, look over:

Title
Introduction
Sub-headings
First sentences of each paragraph (should give main idea).
Any diagrams, charts, etc.
Conclusions or summaries

3. Then answer the following questions:

What is this mainly about?
How is it organized?
How difficult is it?
About how long will it take to read?

READ ACTIVELY

WHY?
Being an active reader will involve you in understanding the material,
combat boredom, and will increase retention.

HOW?
1. Set realistic time goals and number of pages to be read.
2. Divide your chapter into small (1/2 page? 1 column?) sections,
rather than try to read the whole chapter non-stop.
3. Ask yourself a question before each paragraph or section, then look
for its answer. This will give you a definite purpose for your
reading. Try turning the sub-heading or first sentence into question
form, using "who," "what," "when," or "how" if necessary.
4. Take breaks when you feel unable to stay with the material due to
day-dreaming, drowsiness, boredom, hunger, etc. After a short break,
you can return to your reading with more energy and alertness.

RECALL

WHY?
Research shows that 40 - 50% of the material we read is forgotten very
shortly (about 15 minutes) after we read it. Immediate recall is an
essential first step toward continued retention of the material.

HOW?
After reading each small section of material, choose one (or more) of
the following methods:
1. Recall mentally or recite orally the highlights of what you have read.

2. Ask yourself questions (maybe the same ones you used before you
read the section) and answer them in your own words.

3. Underline and make notes in the margin of the key words or phrases
in the section. Underlining after you read is the best way to decide
what's the most important information to remember.

4. Make separate notes or outlines of what you have read. This
technique often works for more technical material which you need to
put into your own words.

5. Recall with a friend. What you don't recall, he/she might.

(adapted from The UT Learning Center, University of Texas at Austin,
How to read your textbook more efficiently, available from
www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/handouts/1422.html)

Other techniques

As you become more confident in your reading, you can learn to apply a
range of techniques in order to extract from texts the information you
need.

You need to understand that it is not necessary to read every word to
obtain meaning from a text or to locate information. You need to
practise the following techniques:

1. Skimming - reading quickly in order to find out what the text is
about. Skimming can also take in features such as headings,
subheadings and illustrations to obtain an overview of the subject
matter.

2. Scanning - to locate specific information, making use of key words.

3. Detailed reading - reading carefully to aid understanding. When
reading for information, detailed reading usually follows scanning.
Some texts, such as instructions, need to be read in detail
throughout.

Think about the following questions as you read:

• What is it for?
• Where is it coming from?
• Who is it aimed at?
• What can I infer that isn't explicitly stated?
• Do I believe it?

An understanding of the concept of person and the writer's voice can
be developed alongside decoding and in relation to different text
types:

• Do I know who the writer is?
• Does it matter?
• Is the writer the same person as the narrator?
• Is the writer a named individual or a representative of an
organisation/body/authority?
• Is the writer assuming a 'voice' for the occasion?

In continuous texts, you can try to distinguish:

• main points from supporting detail
• facts from opinions
• conflicting viewpoints
• evidence of simplification, generalisation, manipulation, bias.

(Adapted from: www.dfes.gov.uk/curriculum_literacy/tree/reading/readingcomp/guidance/2/)