Reading & Notetaking
Virtually every class offered on the college level involves reading
textbooks. But many of us read a textbook like we read a newspaper
article or a novel--we just start at the beginning and go sentence by
sentence until we've finished. This strategy is appropriate for
newspapers and novels but not for most college reading assignments.
Answer each of the questions below to find out if your approach to using
textbooks is likely to result in real learning. After
each statement, click 'T' for "true" or 'F' for
"not true for me."
|
|
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1. I start reading
without any personal interest in the material.
|
T |
F |
|
2. I read without
considering how to approach the content.
|
T |
F |
|
3.
I read mostly
to get finished.
|
T |
F |
|
4. I am easily
distracted while I'm reading.
|
T |
F |
|
5. I don't know what
to do if I don't understand the material.
|
T |
F |
|
6. I don't look for
any organization or pattern in what I'm reading.
|
T |
F |
|
7. I try to
memorize what the textbook is saying.
|
T |
F |
|
8. I highlight or
underline over half the sentences on each page.
|
T |
F |
|
9. I take notes by
copying down parts of sentences from the book.
|
T |
F |
|
10. I seldom write
notes or my personal thoughts in the margins of my book.
|
T |
F |
|
11. I usually read
assigned material only once.
|
T |
F |
|
12.
I never stop at the end of a section and summarize out
loud what I read. |
T |
F |
|
13.
I never discuss ideas in the textbook outside of class. |
T |
F |
|
14.
I always agree with a textbook author's point of view. |
T |
F |
Well, what did you find out? If you answered 'T' to more than four of the above statements, your
relationship with your textbooks can probably be more productive and
satisfying.
Clicking on a T in the table above will
lead to a brief assessment of reading techniques and suggestions
for making your reading skills more efficient.
A number of other sites on the Internet offer help to students wanting
to improve their reading skills. Each link below provides useful suggestions about how to handle reading
assignments at the college level. The links are not listed in any
particular order, so click around and explore different approaches
toward working with your reading assignments.
http://www.mindtools.com/rdstratg.html
http://www.arc.sbc.edu/sq3r.html
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/study/focus.html
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/readbook.html
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/read.html
http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/handouts/1422.html
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