Reading strategies & tips
In this episode, we explore 5 strategies that will improve your critical reading skills in relation to almost any material.
Put it into practice!
- When you’re reading a textbook, look for key concepts and facts. In your notes, rewrite definitions in your own words, identify why they’re important, and sketch how concepts fit together.
- For other nonfiction or “argumentative” texts, where should the focus be? And how might it help to take notes like a “detective,” “lawyer,” and “judge?”
- For works of creative expression like literature, poetry, and drama, what are you looking for? Sample the following articles about fiction and poetry and try applying them to what you’re reading:
- What advice is offered about timing your reading rate per page for course texts and why?
- Choose a course text or check out a book from the library and test how much you can gain from some of the previewing strategies described in this episode. Especially useful for writing papers, when you want to get an overview of a source before deciding if you want to use it or not (and you have a bunch to go through!).
- How do you “make it personal”, as the video suggests? What does that mean to you?