1. Ten Steps to Advancing College Reading Skills
Based on the textbook by John Langan, 6th Edition

2. Vocabulary in context
Examples (for example, for instance, including, such as)
Synonyms (words that mean the same as the unknown word)
Antonyms (words that mean the opposite of the unknown word)
General sense (other clues in the sentence or paragraph)

3. Main ideas
Look for a general idea rather than specific ideas or details
Use the topic to guide you to the main idea or central point
Identify key words and details that point to the main idea

4. Supporting details
List words ( several kinds of, four steps, three factors, five reasons )
and addition words (first/second/third, also, next, further, other, in addition, etc.) help you find major & minor supporting details
Outlining, mapping, and summarizing are useful strategies which show the relationship between the main idea, major details, and minor details of a paragraph

5. Implied main ideas
Sometimes a main idea is not stated clearly in one sentence; you must consider the supporting details and infer (figure out) the main idea

6. Relationships 1
addition /transition words (for one thing, second, also, in addition, finally)
time relationship words (first, next, then, after, last) – must come in order

7. Relationships 2
Definitions, signaled by transition words (for example, for instance, such as, to illustrate)
Compare & contrast (alike, similar; but, however, in contrast)
Cause & effect (reason, because, therefore, consequently, as a result)

8. inferences
Many important ideas are not stated but must be inferred (deduced, reasoned, logically followed out)
Similes & metaphors can help (direct or implied comparisons)

9. Purpose & tone Common purposes are to inform, persuade, or entertain.
Tone reveals the attitude and emotion in a piece of writing (hopeful, angry, happy, sarcastic, respectful, etc.)
Irony is a tone that indicates the opposite meaning of what is said.