3. Use a strategy to make the readings usefulTextbook Reading Prioritize your readings, and make them useful
4. Lets be honest… Most university students don’t have enough hours in the day to do every single reading assigned to them, for every single class But guess what? – You SHOULDN’T be reading everything
5. Prioritize your readings Of all the readings you’ve been assigned for the week, determine what you: Need to READ Need to SKIM Can SKIP entirely if pressed for time This is a difficult skill to master – this takes practice, so read on for some tips…
6. Not all readings are created equal… Favoured Sources: Show up on the reading list for almost every single lecture Are usually a textbook or course pack Are a MUST read! + Once you determine what the favoured source in your class is, make sure you put those readings at the top of your priority list
7. G_FORM IN YOUR MOST DIFFICULT CLASS, WHAT IS THE FAVOURED SOURCE FOR READING? HOW DO YOU KNOW?
8. What next? Now that you’ve identified your favoured source(s), we can categorize all the rest as supplemental readings But keep in mind, that not all supplemental readings are created equal – we still have to develop a hierarchy
9. Hierarchies exist… ++ Readings that pose arguments are more important than, Readings that describe an event or person are more important than, Readings that only provide context (news clippings, speeches, etc.) - - Read Skim Skip
10. Roadblocks to making your readings useful… Now that you have taken the time to prioritize your readings, you want to make the readings that you do actually read, as useful as possible * However there are 2 common roadblocks that stand in your way
11. Roadblock 1 Textbooks tend to encourage learning by memorizing isolated facts This is often presented via: Key terms in bold Definitions in the margins + Good teachers test for comprehension, so memorizing disjointed pieces won’t help much – make sure you read to understand the concept
12. G_FORM WHAT’S ONE METHOD YOU COULD EMPLOY TO START READING FOR COMPREHENSION?
13. Roadblock 2 Learning is not fast Students grossly underestimate the time it takes to learn: You can try to read 8 chapter in 1 night… But the reality will be that you skimmed 8 chapter and learned virtually nothing + Give yourself plenty of time to complete your readings, especially if an exam is coming up
14. Make your readings useful… The best way to make your readings useful, is to take smart notes on all your favoured reading assignment Use the Question Evidence Conclusion method highlighted in the Note Taking Toolkit
15. Question Start by determining the question that is posed to the reader (i.e. what this reading is about) + It can often be found in the title or within the first couple of sentences
16. G_FORM IN YOUR MOST RECENT READING, IDENTIFY THE QUESTION BEING POSED. WHAT IS IT?
17. Conclusion The next step is to skip ahead and look for the thesis statement or conclusion + It can often be found hidden within the first or last few paragraphs – however, since it is not always stated outright, it is often the most difficult piece to find, so be patient
18. Evidence The final step is to skim through the reading to find a few solid examples (evidence) to support the conclusion to the question + You can skim to find examples, but once you find one, make sure you read it carefully + When you write down an example, include the page number that you found it on
19. Final Product That’s it – You’re finished! Your final product should contain: A clear question Followed by 4-7 bulleted pieces of evidence including the pg. # it can be found on Followed by a clear conclusion + A typical article or book chapter should fill no more than a page of single-spaced notes
20. Sources: Newport,C. (2007). How to become a straight A student. New York, NY:Broadway Books. Samford University (2011, August 16). Howto get the most out of studying: Part 1 of 5 [Video file]. Retrived from http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=RH95h36NChI
21. Developed by: Gillian Corbo, Sam Wempe, Nick Thornton: Chapman Learning Commons Assistants
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