Chapter Two: Strategies for Active Reading
First reading:
Orient Yourself to the Background of the Essay
 Look for clues for what the essay is about if there is an abstract this will help
 Read any biographical or notes (if available) to know the writers experience and
knowledge on the topic
Use the Title as a Clue
 Most titles will state what the topic is and the point of view
Skim to Get the Gist of the Article
 Look over the first and last sentences to get the overall meaning.
Make Connections
 Think about what you learned
 Put it in your own words to ensure that you understand what the essay is about
 Make connections and underline what you think the thesis is
 What do you already know on the topic? This helps you connect it even further
 Any questions?
Second reading:
Read Carefully and Actively
 Underline or highlight any key topics/sentences
 Maybe write down those main points in your own words
Consider Reading as a Kind of Conversation with the Text
 Write out any questions and their possible answers (if there are no answers maybe the
author needs to improve on that)
Master Unfamiliar Words
 Circle, underline or highlight any unknown words then look it up to understand the
context and have a better grasp on the essay
 If there are a lot on unfamiliar words, then find the meaning of the words and do
another read through to understand the text
Take Conscious Steps to Understand Difficult Material
 Write down points or state the paragraph in your own words of the sections you do
understand
 State ideas that are easiest to understand
 Discuss with others
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Read something similar (maybe another point of view will help you understand)
Ask instructor for help
Pull the Entire Essay Together
 Represent the connections visually or make an outline with main points and subpoints
 Comparison essays – create a table with main points on both sides
Mastering Reading Problems
Master the Problems That Interfere with Reading
 Make sure you are in a good environment (quiet and well-lit area) and when you are
most alert (not too tired or have anything else on your mind)
*Read Assignments Carefully so you completely understand what you are being asked to do
and the due date.
Reading to Critique
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Question the writer’s information
This helps in chapter 13 for argument and persuasion
Can also help critique your own writing
Reading as a Writer
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Reading other’s work can be usefully to deepen relationships and thing around you
Keeping a reading journal can help keep track of everything you have read and writing
down the main ideas or even quotes about each.
Make sure anything using from your journal is sourced.
Learning new techniques from other writers or simply understanding the writing
Writing About What You Read
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Summarize in own words
Tell it like it is told (no added information)
Writing a Summary
Introduction for multiparagraph
 Context for essay
 Introduce author
 What is the thesis?
o State the main points
o What is the author’s final point?
Active reading steps
 Underline main points (write those points in own words too)
 What order makes the most sense?
 Brief outline
 All in your own words other than when quoting author’s words (keep it brief if you do)
 Only the author’s ideas
Writing a Critique
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Description of the context of the essay
Introduce author
Essay’s thesis
Your thesis for this critique
Summary of the essay’s main points
Statements of the points that you disagree on
Why do you disagree? And evidence of your disagreement
Conclusion