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Introduction
Introduction
Your college courses will sharpen both your reading and your writing skills. Most of your writing assignments—from brief response papers to in-depth research projects—will depend on your understanding of course reading assignments or related readings you do on your own. And it is difficult, if not impossible, to write effectively about a text that you have not understood. Even when you do understand the reading, it can be hard to write about it if you do not feel personally engaged with the ideas discussed.
This section discusses strategies you can use to get the most out of your college reading assignments. These strategies fall into three broad categories:
Planning strategies o help you manage your reading assignments.
Comprehension strategies to help you understand the material.
Active reading strategies to take your understanding to a higher and deeper level.
Now, you might be thinking while you are perusing these strategies that it would just be easier to read a text from start to finish without adding on any of the three strategies listed above. I mean, it makes sense that adding steps would only lengthen a process. However, that is not the case with reading.
Have you ever read a page only to realize that you have no idea what you just read, so then you have to read it again? Or, have you ever read something for class and had to re-read the whole thing word for word a few weeks later the night before an exam because you forgot what you read? When a reader uses the three strategies listed above, the amount of time re-reading a text reduces drastically. In fact, the amount of reading that a person does reduces drastically, especially when reading for a purpose. By that, I mean that you need to read directions and a syllabus word for word, but many assigned readings, you can just skim if you know the purpose for your reading.
Therefore, adding these three strategies into your reading toolbox will drastically reduce your time spent on reading. Awesome!
Planning Your Reading
Planning Your Reading
Have you ever stayed up all night cramming just before an exam? Or, have you found yourself skimming a detailed memo from your boss five minutes before a crucial meeting? The first step in handling college reading successfully is planning. This involves both managing your time and setting a clear purpose for your reading.
Managing Your Reading Time
Managing Your Reading Time
Focus on setting aside enough time for reading and breaking your assignments into manageable chunks. If you are assigned a seventy-page chapter to read for next week’s class, try not to wait until the night before to get started. Give yourself at least a few days and tackle one section at a time.
Your method for breaking up the assignment will depend on the type of reading. If the text is very dense and packed with unfamiliar terms and concepts, you may need to read no more than five or ten pages in one sitting, so you can truly understand and process the information. With more user-friendly texts, you will be able to handle longer sections—twenty to forty pages, for instance. And, if you have a highly engaging reading assignment, such as a novel you cannot put down, you may be able to read lengthy passages in one sitting.
As the semester progresses, you will develop a better sense of how much time you need to allow for the reading assignments in different subjects. It also makes sense to preview each assignment well in advance to assess its difficulty level and to determine how much reading time to set aside.
Tip: College instructors often set aside reserve readings for a particular course. These consist of articles, book chapters, or other texts that are not part of the primary course textbook. Copies of reserve readings are available through the library in print or online. When you are assigned an online reserve reading, download it ahead of time (and let your instructor know if you have trouble accessing it). Skim through it to get a rough idea of how much time you will need to read the assignment in full.
Setting a Purpose
Setting a Purpose
The other key component of planning is setting a purpose. Knowing what you want to get out of a reading assignment helps you determine how to approach it and how much time to spend on it. It also helps you stay focused during those occasional moments when it is late, you are tired, and relaxing in front of the television or scrolling through TikTok seems far more appealing than curling up with a stack of journal articles.
Sometimes your purpose is simple. You might just need to understand the reading material well enough to discuss it intelligently in class the next day. However, your purpose will often go beyond that. For instance, you might also read to compare two texts, to formulate a personal response to a text, or to gather ideas for future research. Here are some questions to ask to help determine your purpose:
How did my instructor frame the assignment? Often your instructors will tell you what they expect you to get out of the reading:
"Read Chapter 2 and come to class prepared to discuss current teaching practices in elementary math."
"Read these two articles and compare Smith’s and Jones’s perspectives on the 2010 health care reform bill."
"Read Chapter 5 and think about how you could apply these guidelines to running your own business."
How deeply do I need to understand the reading? If you are majoring in computer science and you are assigned to read Chapter 1, “Introduction to Computer Science,” it is safe to assume the chapter presents fundamental concepts that you will be expected to master. However, for some reading assignments, you may be expected to form a general understanding but not necessarily master the content. Again, pay attention to how your instructor presents the assignment.
How does this assignment relate to other course readings or to concepts discussed in class? Your instructor may make some of these connections explicitly, but if not, try to draw connections on your own. (Needless to say, it helps to take detailed notes both when in class and when you read.)
How might I use this text again in the future? If you are assigned to read about a topic that has always interested you, your reading assignment might help you develop ideas for a future research paper. Some reading assignments provide valuable tips or summaries worth bookmarking for future reference. Think about what you can take from the reading that will stay with you.
Improving Your Comprehension
Improving Your Comprehension
You have blocked out time for your reading assignments and set a purpose for reading. Now comes the challenge: making sure you actually understand all the information you are expected to process. Some of your reading assignments will be fairly straightforward. Others, however, will be longer or more complex, so you will need a plan for how to handle them.
For any expository writing—that is, nonfiction, informational writing—your first comprehension goal is to identify the main points and relate any details to those main points. Because college-level texts can be challenging, you will also need to monitor your reading comprehension. That is, you will need to stop periodically and assess how well you understand what you are reading. Finally, you can improve comprehension by taking time to determine which strategies work best for you and putting those strategies into practice.
Identifying the Main Points
Identifying the Main Points
In college, you will read a wide variety of materials, including the following:
Textbooks. These usually include summaries, glossaries, comprehension questions, and other study aids.
Nonfiction trade books. These are less likely to include the study features found in textbooks.
Popular magazine, newspaper, or web articles. These are usually written for a general audience.
Scholarly books and journal articles. These are written for an audience of specialists in a given field.
Regardless of what type of expository text you are assigned to read, your primary comprehension goal is to identify the main point: the most important idea that the writer wants to communicate and often states early on. Finding the main point gives you a framework to organize the details presented in the reading and relate the reading to concepts you learned in class or through other reading assignments. After identifying the main point, you will find the supporting points, the details, facts, and explanations that develop and clarify the main point.
Below are how some expository texts are usually structured, to help make finding the main idea easier for you:
Textbooks, for instance, include the aforementioned features as well as headings and subheadings intended to make it easier for students to identify core concepts. Graphic features, such as sidebars, diagrams, and charts, help students understand complex information and distinguish between essential and inessential points. When you are assigned to read from a textbook, be sure to use available comprehension aids to help you identify the main points.
Many trade books include an introduction that presents the writer’s main ideas and purpose for writing. Reading chapter titles (and any subtitles within the chapter) will help you get a broad sense of what is covered. It also helps to read the beginning and ending paragraphs of a chapter closely. These paragraphs often sum up the main ideas presented.
Reading the headings and introductory paragraphs in popular articles carefully is crucial. In magazine articles, these features (along with the closing paragraphs) present the main concepts. Hard news articles in newspapers present the gist of the news story in the lead paragraph, while subsequent paragraphs present increasingly general details.
Scholarly books and journal articles are written for a specialized, highly educated audience, so authors presume their readers are already familiar with the topic. The language and writing style is sophisticated, sometimes dense, and uses jargon specific for that field. When you read scholarly books and journal articles, try to apply the same strategies discussed earlier. The introduction usually presents the writer’s thesis, the idea or hypothesis the writer is trying to prove. Headings and subheadings can help you understand how the writer has organized support for his or her thesis. Additionally, academic journal articles often include a summary at the beginning, called an abstract, and electronic databases include summaries of articles, too.
Below are how some expository texts are usually structured, to help make finding the main idea easier for you.
Textbooks, for instance, include the aforementioned features as well as headings and subheadings intended to make it easier for students to identify core concepts. Graphic features, such as sidebars, diagrams, and charts, help students understand complex information and distinguish between essential and inessential points. When you are assigned to read from a textbook, be sure to use available comprehension aids to help you identify the main points.
Many trade books include an introduction that presents the writer’s main ideas and purpose for writing. Reading chapter titles (and any subtitles within the chapter) will help you get a broad sense of what is covered. It also helps to read the beginning and ending paragraphs of a chapter closely. These paragraphs often sum up the main ideas presented.
Reading the headings and introductory paragraphs in popular articles carefully is crucial. In magazine articles, these features (along with the closing paragraphs) present the main concepts. Hard news articles in newspapers present the gist of the news story in the lead paragraph, while subsequent paragraphs present increasingly general details.
Scholarly books and journal articles are written for a specialized, highly educated audience, so authors presume their readers are already familiar with the topic. The language and writing style is sophisticated, sometimes dense, and uses jargon specific for that field. When you read scholarly books and journal articles, try to apply the same strategies discussed earlier. The introduction usually presents the writer’s thesis, the idea or hypothesis the writer is trying to prove. Headings and subheadings can help you understand how the writer has organized support for his or her thesis. Additionally, academic journal articles often include a summary at the beginning, called an abstract, and electronic databases include summaries of articles, too.
Monitoring Your Comprehension
Monitoring Your Comprehension
Finding the main idea and paying attention to text features as you read helps you figure out what you should know. Just as important, however, is being able to figure out what you do not know and developing a strategy to deal with it.
Textbooks often include comprehension questions in the margins or at the end of a section or chapter. As you read, stop occasionally to answer these questions on paper or in your head. Use them to identify sections you may need to reread, read more carefully, or ask your instructor about later.
Even when a text does not have built-in comprehension features, you can actively monitor your own comprehension. Try these strategies, adapting them as needed to suit different kinds of texts:
Summarize. At the end of each section, pause to summarize the main points in a few sentences. If you have trouble doing so, revisit that section.
Ask and answer questions. When you begin reading a section, try to identify two to three questions you should be able to answer after you finish it. Write down your questions and use them to test yourself on the reading. If you cannot answer a question, try to determine why. Is the answer buried in that section of reading but just not coming across to you? Or do you expect to find the answer in another part of the reading?
Do not read in a vacuum. Look for opportunities to discuss the reading with your classmates, friends, and family members. During a linguistics class that I took that was a bit difficult for me, I would bring-up what I was learning with my parents to have discussions. It really helped me check my comprehension and figure-out what I needed to do more research on to understand better. Many instructors set up online discussion forums or blogs specifically for that purpose. Participating in these discussions can help you determine whether your understanding of the main points is the same as your peers’.
These discussions can also serve as a reality check. If everyone in the class struggled with the reading, it may be exceptionally challenging. If it was a breeze for everyone but you, you may need to see your instructor for help.
Tip: Students are often reluctant to seek help. They feel like doing so marks them as slow, weak, or demanding. The truth is, every learner occasionally struggles. If you are sincerely trying to keep up with the course reading but feel like you are in over your head, seek out help. Speak up in class, schedule a meeting with your instructor, or visit one of our campus's many tutors for assistance (more info in the Syllabus tab).
Deal with the problem as early in the semester as you can. Instructors respect students who are proactive about their own learning. Most instructors will work hard to help students who make the effort to help themselves.
Active Reading
Active Reading
Now that you have acquainted (or reacquainted) yourself with useful planning and comprehension strategies, college reading assignments may feel more manageable. You know what you need to do to get your reading done and make sure you grasp the main points. However, the most successful students in college are not only competent readers but active, engaged readers. Below are different active reading strategies that you can use to read more effectively and efficiently:
Preview the text before you read
Brainstorm questions about the text
As you read, notice whether your first impressions of the text were correct
While you are reading, pause occasionally to recite or record important points
After you have completed the reading, take some time to review the material more thoroughly
As you review the material, reflect on what you learned
Connect what you read to what you already know
Relate the reading to your own life
Visualize the text
Pay attention to graphics as well as text
Understand the text in context
Plan to talk or write about what you read
Tip: Use the information in this Metacognitive Bookmark to help you actively read the text.
Looking Ahead: The different active reading strategies discussed above will be explored further during the next lesson, where you will learn different combinations of ways to use them together.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
College-level reading and writing assignments differ from high school assignments not only in quantity but also in quality.
Managing college reading assignments successfully requires you to plan and manage your time, set a purpose for reading, practice effective comprehension strategies, and use active reading strategies to deepen your understanding of the text.
Section Completed -- Onto the Comprehension Quiz
Section Completed -- Onto the Comprehension Quiz
Congratulations! You are done with this lesson. You are now ready to check your understanding with this lesson's comprehension quiz, which can be found in our class's Canvas shell.
Be sure to review your notes and ask questions before hand for clarity if needed.
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