Page 29 - Chaffee College Student Planner and Handbook 2021-2022

of the information and retaining the material beyond the initial reading. Active readers read with a purpose in mind and a pencil or pen in hand.
Before you begin to read:
• Identify a suitable location/environment
• Remove as many distractions as possible
[electronic, physical, psychological]
• Determine your best time of the day to read
Using this Reading Process to Actively Read a Text
1. Previewing the Text. This pre-reading activity enables you, the reader, to think about what you know about the topic before reading the text and gives you a glimpse at what you will learn. Benefits: Enables you to set a purpose for reading, focus on the important points within the text, and to view the text’s organization.
Strategies:
• Skim through the headings, subheadings, and the first sentence of each headed section to look ahead at what will be covered in the text.
• Review any visual representations [e.g., pictures, charts, graphs, maps, etc.].
• Skim the end of the section/chapter textbook questions and summaries.
• Divide the reading into manageable “chunks” [often 10 page chunks per
sitting].
2. Reading the Text. An active reader annotates the text to create a record of key points. Benefit: Your notes and text are grouped together.
Strategies:
• Turn the title/heading into a question to set the purpose for your reading.
• Annotation suggestions [try not to annotate more than 20% of the text]:
• Underline/identify main idea.
• Identify examples/evidence in support of main idea.
• Circle and define [if not included] vocabulary words/key terms.
• Make connections with the content [text to self, text-to-text, text to world].
• Ask yourself questions about the material that start with how, why, or what
• Use symbols to chart your reactions [? for confusing idea; ! for agreement or disagreement; ** for important ideas; use emoticons when relevant #"$%, (&'].
• Visualize the information being read [when relevant, try to use your five senses].
27