1. How to make your
reading skills work for
you

2.  Use it to avoid empty reading—
reading, then realizing that no
information has come across.
 Identify yourself completely in
what the author is trying to say:
throw yourself into his mind!
 Focus on identifying the main
ideas and on understanding how
supporting points reinforce those
ideas.
 Review the material from each
chapter at least once a week.

3.  Scan the material to see
what lies ahead.
 Consider the context for the
assignment.
 Consider the length of the
reading assignment and
estimate how long it will
take.
 Consider the structure and
features of the reading to
help you digest the material.
 Consider the difficulty and
plan your time accordingly.

4.  Visual guide
 Skimming first helps you
see how the chapters fit
together
 The “wheel structure”
 Branching map
 Outline format
 Lists, or chunking
 Flash cards

5.  Skimming covers the content
at a general level.
 It involves reading at about
twice your normal rate.
 Focuses on introductory statements,
topic sentences and boldface terms.
 Provides the chance for you to see
what kind of information the
assignment contains
 Enables you to gather the surface
ideas if you don’t have enough time
to read deeply.

7.  Review to remember the main points of the
material.
 Test yourself on your comprehension.
 Some ways to review:
 notes
 study questions
 flash cards
 visual maps
 outlines
 Make reviewing ever y week a study goal.

8.  Read the preface, for ward, and introduction to
the book
 It will tell you why they wrote it and what
material it covers
 Some books have questions at the end of each
chapter
 Use these in your study guide
 If the book doesn’t provide enough detail, go
to the primar y source

9. Primary
Secondary Source
Source

10.  College reading takes a great deal of
concentration.
 Schedule time to read in a place
where you won’t be interrupted.
 Find an environment in which you
can concentrate best.
 If you must read in a noisy
environment, consider wearing
headphones with familiar
instrumental music just loud enough
to block distractions.

11.  Find a quiet study location.
 Read in 50-minute blocks with
breaks in between.
 Take notes, recite key ideas or
jot down questions in the
margins.
 Experiment with your reading
rate.
 Focus on key issues in the text.

12.  Consider the context around
new and challenging words.
 Jot down unfamiliar terms and
find the meaning using a
dictionary.
 Analyze terms to discover the
most meaningful part of the
word.
 Take the opportunity to use
new terms in your writing and
speaking.

13.  Read slowly
 Read things more than once
 Have two good dictionaries
 One in English
 One that links English to your
primary language
 Look up every word you don’t
know
 Practice thinking, writing, and
speaking in English

14.  Instructors do NOT always cover the reading
material in lecture.
 You are expected to read the material and
understand it on your own.
 Successful students complete assigned readings
before class to help them understand the lecture.
 Connections and overlaps between lecture and
reading reinforce learning.
 Also, reading ahead prevents you from being
embarrassed when you are called on to discuss
what you’ve read!

15.  Practice a positive
attitude.
 Make the author
your companion.
 Pace yourself
according to
difficulty level.
 Take breaks to
restore
concentration.