1. What Am I Reading?
Presented by Garine Palandjian

2. Not understanding… Reading for a purpose
Identifying themes or concepts
At the end of this workshop you will:
Identify strategies to use while reading
Develop an understanding of how information is organized on a textbook page

4. Effectiveness of Reading Strategies for College Students
“Reading was viewed as the simple process of decoding text, with the student or reader receiving the information presented by the text.
Today, it is seen as a “dynamic process in which the reader works actively to construct meaning” (Barton, 1997; Pelech & Hibbard, 2011, p. 101).”
Pelech, J. & Hibbard, S. T. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of reading strategies for college students: an action research approach. Journal of Research in Education. (21)1, pp

5. Reading Strategies
Making connections between prior knowledge and the text
Asking questions
Visualizing
Drawing inferences
Determining important ideas
Synthesizing information
Repairing Understanding
Pelech, J. & Hibbard, S. T. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of reading strategies for college students: an action research approach. Journal of Research in Education. (21)1, pp

6. The Process… Content Knowledge Structural Knowledge Process Knowledge
Connecting prior knowledge
Construct + integrate
Structural Knowledge
Organization or arrangement of text (Cook & Meyer, 1983)
Story -> Setting -> theme -> Plot -> resolution
Process Knowledge
How brain stores information

7. One strategy: SQ3R* Survey
Looking through the pages, titles, section titles, etc.
Question
Write questions to help guide you through your reading.
FURTHER
What did you discuss in class, read in your last assignment and how does this text draw upon this or extend this information?

8. Read
Read through the information without making notes/highlighting; then reread.
FURTHER
Pay special attention to the structure of the text, introduction, first sentence and last sentence of paragraph, and extract main ideas.
Recall
Write down what you remember about what you read.
Being able to write what you read into your own words helps you recall and relate to the text!
Explain it to someone else; start a study team or find a study partner.
Review
Read through your notes and questions
*Adapted from:
The Learning Centre, The University of New South Wales. [PDF document] Retrieved from:

10. References
Cook, L. K., Mayer, R. E. (1983). Cognitive strategy research: educational applications. M. Pressley & J. R. Levin (Ed.),  New York : Springer-Verlag.
Pelech, J. & Hibbard, S. T. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of reading strategies for college students: an action research approach. Journal of Research in Education. (21)1, pp
The Learning Centre The University of Wales, Reading to remember the SQ3R method of study. Retrieved from:
10 Tips to Improve Your Reading Comprehension Improve Your Reading Part I. Retrieved from: