Instructor: Denise Davis

MYTH 1: I HAVE TO READ EVERY WORD – If, in reading, you exert as much effort in comprehending meaningless words as you do important ones, you limit not only your reading speed but your comprehension as well. MYTH 2: READING ONCE IS ENOUGH – Skim once as rapidly as possible to determine the main idea and to identify those parts that need careful reading. Reread more carefully to plug the gaps in your knowledge.

MYTH 3: IT IS SINFUL TO SKIP PASSAGES IN READING – Today proliferation of books and printed matter brought about by the information explosion creates a reading problem for everyone. You must, of course, make daily decisions as to what is worth spending your time on, what can be glanced at or put aside for future perusal, and what can be relegated to the wastebasket.

MYTH 4: MACHINES ARE NECESSARY TO IMPROVE MY READING SPEED – The best and most effective way to increase your reading rate is to consciously force yourself to read faster. Machines are useful as motivators, but only because they show you that you can read faster without losing understanding.

MYTH 5: IF I SKIM OR READ TOO RAPIDLY MY COMPREHENSION WILL DROP – research shows that there is little relationship between reading rate and comprehension MYTH 6: THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT MY EYES THAT KEEPS ME FROM READING FAST – Usually it is your brain, not your eyes, that slows you down in reading. Your eyes are capable of taking in more words than your brain is used to processing. If you sound out words as you read, you will probably read very slowly and have difficulty in skimming and scanning until you break this habit.

No words are as helpful while reading as the prepositions and conjunctions that guide your mind along the pathways of the author's ideas. A word like furthermore says, "Keep going!" Words such as “in conclusion” indicates a summary!" Master these words and phrases and you will almost immediately become a better reader, for they will whisper directions in your inner ear.

Reading affects writing and writing affects reading. According to recommendations from the major English/Language Arts professional organizations, one’s reading ability can be enhanced by intertwining writing and vice versa. Core Curriculum Example

– Write one paragraph that summarizes your thoughts on Chapter 1 of the Last Lecture. May take a 1-2 minute glace back at chapter 1. – Who, What, When, & Where and sometime how

Remember that authors of college textbooks want you to recognize the important concepts. They use: – Major headings and subheadings to convey major points. – Italicized words and phrases so that crucial new terms and definitions will stand out. – Lists of points set off by numbers or paragraphs that begin with the phrases such as "The three most important factors... " etc. – Redundancy or repetition. By stating and restating the facts and ideas, the author ensures that you will be exposed in different ways to the concepts he/she feels are the most crucial for you to understand. He/she hopes that on at least one of these exposures you will absorb the idea. Therefore, it is vital that you recognize when an important concept is being restated in slightly different words and when you have completely mastered the idea.

Do you think some majors should pay higher tuition? Should some majors pay reduced tuition? Is there anything else that you can tell me about this? What else were you expecting me to ask?

Effective Reading Strategies – Please take notes on vital information presented in the video.

Read during day light hours Read for short periods of time Set reading goals Read in a quiet place

Your rate of reading should be determined by the following: – Your purpose. What do you want to get from the material? – The nature and difficulty of the material. – The amount of previous experience you have had with this subject.

Train your eyes to make fewer stop or fixate on one word. Be flexible in your reading rate. – Your Overall adjustment is the basic rate at which the total material is read. – Internal adjustment is concerned with the necessary variations in rate that take place as each part of the material is read. – General reading which is difficult for you will require a slower rate; simpler material will permit a faster rate.

What is your Reading Rate Reading is a process of retrieving and comprending some from of stored information or ideas. These ideas are usually some sort of representation of language, such as symbols to be examined by sight, or by touch (for example Braille). Other types of reading may not be language based, such as music notation or pictograms. By analogy, in computer science, reading is acquired of data from some sort of computer storage.

SQ3R Technique includes: Survey Question Read Recite Review

Before you read, Survey the chapter: the title, headings, and subheadings captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps review questions or teacher-made study guides introductory and concluding paragraphs summary

Question while you are surveying: Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheading Ask yourself, "What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject when it was assigned?" Ask yourself, "What do I already know about this subject?" Note: If it is helpful to you, write out these questions for consideration.

When you begin to Read: Look for answers to the questions you first raised Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters or study guides Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc. Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases Study graphic aids Reduce your speed for difficult passages Stop and reread parts which are not clear Read only a section at a time and recite after each section

Recite after you've read a section: Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read, or summarize, in your own words, what you read Take notes from the text but write the information in your own words Underline or highlight important points you've just read Reciting: The more senses you use the more likely you are to remember what you read. Triple strength learning: Seeing, saying, hearing Quadruple strength learning: Seeing, saying, hearing, writing!!!

Review: an ongoing process After you have read and recited the entire chapter, write questions in the margins for those points you have highlighted or underlined. If you took notes while reciting, write questions for the notes you have taken in the left hand margins of your notebook.