How to Read a Math Book

Take Control of Your Education - Be a Predator of Knowledge

Learning how to learn is the most important tool you can acquire in school. Since one cannot remember everything one must be able to learn and re-learn as the situation arises. All too often in high school, the student is dependent on the teacher to feed them information. Upon graduation the student faces intellectual starvation unless they become proactive in their own education. Whether you are employed or in college the learning is left for you to obtain. With access to the Internet and library sources the student can be the master of their education.

Using a Math Book

I down loaded another reading guide from a college professor’s web site. Her guide is quite good for the most studious student that is studying college level mathematics. If you find math very difficult to follow and can dedicate a serious amount of time to the study of mathematics this is a guide for you.

However, if you are trying to capture the essence of the mathematical concepts in the most efficient time possible allow me to make some suggestions.

Read & Outline a Math Book – A Layered Approach

Some people learn better with note taking; other prefer doing lots of problems. Determine what is best for you and stick with it. For reading math books, I prefer the layering method outlined below.

1. First of all familiarize yourself with the book. Does it have a glossary, index, answers to problem sets, tables of formulas, theorems and postulates? Read the table of contents in the beginning to get a grasp of what is covered in the book.

2. At the chapter level, skim through the entire chapter reading all the introductions, topic and sub-topic titles and summaries. Record the big picture in your notebook; you will fill in the details later.

3. At the section level, take a first pass through the section to view all the bold print items (definitions, formulas, diagrams and theorems). Record in your notebook all the bold print items. Leave plenty of space to fill in the details during the next pass.

4. On the second pass of the section read the material around the bold print for comprehension. Record in your notebook your understanding and/or the book’s in the space provided by the first pass.

5. Now you are ready to attack the problem set. It is a good idea to do the problems in order because must math books have a logical progression to the problem sets. Start the problem set at the top of a new page. List the section number, page number and problem numbers at the top.

6. When beginning a problem you should write down the problem, including any relative sketches, in your notebook.

7. If you get stuck on a problem:

Read your notes for help.

Skim the section again specifically looking for clues or examples related to the problem. If you find some helpful information, record it in the appropriate place in your notebook.

Look at the answer in the back of the book to see if that helps you figure out what to do.

Don’t be afraid of trial and error. It is better to run into a dead end than to not run at all.

Record in your notebook what you tried and thought of; then go on to the next problem.

Don’t Burn Out

Figure out what a good length of study time is for you. If you are spacing out and not being productive then close the book. Go one to other subjects or better yet, get some exercise to clear your thoughts. You can always come back and give it another shot later.