TEN STEPS to
ADVANCED READING
SECOND EDITION
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SECOND EDITION
TEN STEPS
to
ADVANCED
READING
John Langan
© 2013 Townsend Press
Chapter 10
ACTIVE READING
AND STUDY
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
The girl with the light hair in this cartoon is a passive
reader—a reader whose mind does not really pay
attention to what she reads.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
Active readers are the opposite of passive readers.
They are involved in what they are reading.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
Active readers think and ask questions as they
read, looking for the author’s main points and the
support for those points. After—or as—they read,
they take notes and use an effective study method to
help them master those notes.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
These are the basics of what you should do to read
actively:
l
Ask yourself, “What is the point?” and
“What is the support for the point?”
l
Pay close attention to titles and other
headings, and also mark off definitions,
examples, and enumerations.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
The active reader then writes out the answers to
the two basic questions “What is the author’s point,
and how does he support his point?”
The very act of writing helps an active reader
study and master and remember the material.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
Read the paragraph below.
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
What is the author’s point? How does he support his point?
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
What is the author’s point? How does he support his point?
1
2
3
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
An active reader will mark the point and the support in
the passage.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally
Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
One key to important ideas here is an enumeration.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally
Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
One key to important ideas here is an enumeration.
A second key to important ideas is definitions.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally
Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
The next step in active reading is to write down
answers to the two basic questions (What is the
author’s point and how does he support his point?).
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
Active Reading
1
2
3
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed that people are basically good and are
endowed with tendencies to fulfill their potential. Each of us is like an acorn, primed for growth
and fulfillment, unless thwarted by an environment that inhibits growth. Rogers theorized that a
growth-promoting climate for people required three conditions. The first of those conditions is
genuineness. According to Rogers, people nurture our growth by being genuine—by dropping
false faces and being open with their own feelings. The second condition, said Rogers, is by
offering “unconditional positive regard”—an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.
We sometimes enjoy this gratifying experience in a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate
friendship in which we no longer feel a need to explain ourselves and are free to be spontaneous
without fear of losing another’s esteem. Finally
Finally, Rogers said that people nurture growth by being
empathic—by nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings. “Rarely do we listen with
real understanding, true empathy,” he said. “Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the
most potent forces for change that I know.”
Point:
According to Carl Rogers, a growth-promoting climate for people
requires three conditions.
Support: 1. Genuineness—dropping false faces and being open to one’s feelings
2. Unconditional positive regard—total acceptance of another person
3. Being empathic—nonjudgmentally reflecting our feelings and meanings
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System
In the paragraph you just saw, you were shown a
study system that really works:
1 Read the material, looking for the main points and
supports.
2 Take written notes on the main points and supports.
Now we’ll look at a more detailed study system.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System
A Detailed Study System
There are a variety of very similar “textbook study
systems” that are just a larger-scale version of what
you saw in the paragraph about Carl Rogers’ three
growth-promoting conditions.
One of these is called the PRWR system.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System / A Detailed Study System
The PRWR system directs you to study what you
read by taking four steps.
PRWR stands for:
1 Preview
2 Read
3 Write
4 Recite
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System / A Detailed Study System
1
Preview the chapter to get a general overview
and “a lay of the land” before you startNote
reading.
the
title, which is probably a summary of what the
whole chapter is about, and quickly read the first
and last paragraphs of the chapter, which may
introduce or summarize main ideas in the
chapter.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System / A Detailed Study System
2
Read and underline or otherwise mark what seem
In particular,
to be the important ideas in the chapter.
look for and underline definitions, and set off
examples of those definitions with an “Ex.” Also
look for enumerations— major lists of items,
which may already be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. or
which you can number yourself.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System / A Detailed Study System
3
Write (or type into your computer) study notes on
Actual writing and notetaking is a key
the chapter.
to successful learning. In the very act of
deciding what is important enough to write down
and then writing it down, you begin to learn and
master the material.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System / A Detailed Study System
4
Recite your study notes until you can say them to
It helps to put key
yourself without looking at them.
words in the margin of your notes. Look at the
key words and see if you can recite the notes
that go with each key word. Keep repeating this
process until you have mastered all of the
material. Repeated self-testing is the key to
effective learning.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study
A Textbook Study System / A Detailed Study System
1
2
Preview the chapter to get a general overview
and “a lay of the land” before you start reading.
Read and underline or otherwise mark what seem
to be the important ideas in the chapter.
3
Write (or type into your computer) study notes on
the chapter.
4
Recite your study notes until you can say them to
yourself without looking at them.
It is impossible to be passive in your study if
you continue this strategy of repeated selftesting.
CHAPTER 10 Active Reading and Study