Reading Strategies

Hopefully, we are ALWAYS reading for pleasure, whether the reading is assigned or not. But it is a fact that we read for different purposes. Sometimes we are reading purely for pleasure and escape and inspiration. Sometimes we are reading purely for information. Sometimes the style is important to note; sometimes paying attention to style distracts us from our focus. Sometimes, we have chosen to read something because of our fascination with the subject or style or author; sometimes we have to read something despite being repelled by the subject or style or author.

In any case, before we read, we should be clear on our purpose. What do we want from the piece of writing?

Your science teacher gives you a worksheet summarizing the information in that night's textbook chapter. Your English teacher tells you to read forty pages of a literary masterpiece. You decide to curl up with some Harry Potter. Do you approach these tasks the same way?

The decisions you make before you read will condition the way you interact with the material.

Does the fact that your eyes saw each word mean that you read the material?

How much should you get out of it?

It depends.

The more reading you do, the more information you will glean from reading: of course, as in anything, the more you do, the better your skills will be.

But. In addition. You can help yourself get more from reading. The best way is to make a habit of reading actively.

Screen entertainment washes over us with a profusion of pre-processed information. The emotions a character experiences in a movie, the amazing photography and spectacle, the soundtrack, the brilliant dialogue, these things tell us how to feel, what to think. Our minds don't have to do any work to construct meaning; it is already there. Then we can interact with it, connect to it, feel with it.

Books are different. Without our participation, there are no thoughts there, no images, no emotions or characters or plots or settings. There are only squiggly lines, black marks on a white page.

Somehow, miraculously, we've learned to take those squiggly lines and bring life to them, feel the emotions, think the thoughts, follow the reasoning, see the images suggested by those squiggles.

How do we do that?

The author counts on your ability to do that. Really, it's amazing that we can. And we can get better at it.

Think about it this way. A book is like a radio station; a reader is like a receiver. A great book sends out a strong signal. But if your receiver has a crappy antenna, what will you pick up? Some words, bits and pieces of a tune, a lot of static. We must become better receivers, work on our antennae, so that the signal comes in crisply, clearly.

Annotation helps you turn up the power of your antennae, so that you can tune into an author's signal.

• Decide on your purpose: What do you want from the piece of writing? The answer will tell you how much to annotate and how closely to read.
• Get context: As you begin to read, you'll notice that you have questions. Write them down and get them answered. Who wrote this? for what purpose? in what political/social situation? How does it fit in with the knowledge that you already have?
• Look up words: as you read, write down words you don't know. At convenient intervals, find out what they mean.
• Notice the structure: Sometimes authors give you section or chapter titles. Notice them. If your book has them, write a quick explanation of the title at the end of that section. If it doesn't, then GIVE EACH CHAPTER A TITLE as you finish reading it, and write a quick explanation.
• See the author's choices: How do you characterize the language? Short simple sentences or long complex ones? What figures of speech or rhetorical devices is the author using? How? Is the language emotional or rational?
• Connect to your life: OF COURSE you haven't ever been selected to fight other kids to the death in an arena for the entertainment of your entire world. But that doesn't mean you can't connect to Katniss. She's a person. She has the same human struggles you do. Ever felt lonely? Triumphant? Angry? Confused? Excited? So has she. And maybe you don't see why you should care about the causes of World War I or the life stages of the Monarch butterfly. But you and everyone you know are involved in conflicts; you and everyone you know are busy transforming. Look at the example and apply it in your life.
• Make predictions: As you read, ask yourself where the story is taking you. When a character makes an important choice, so what? where might that lead? Every detail is in the book for a reason.
• Love oppositions: Authors build meaning through contrast. What's the difference between two characters, two ideas, two settings, in the book? Katniss tries to choose between two very different boys. Harry has two very different best friends. What is dark, and what is light? Every opposition you find will lead you towards the meaning.
• Connect the end to the beginning: the first and last moments of any piece of writing are very important. How do they relate to each other? Humans are extraordinarily sensitive to change: the meaning of any piece of writing can be found in the difference between the end and the beginning. How has the main character been transformed by the events? What is different in the world of the book?

Excellent readers pay attention to all of this naturally, as part of the process of reading. At first, though, it is useful to pay attention to it methodically. This is the purpose of annotation.

As you read, write in the book (or on sticky notes), to build your active reading skills.