Text Book Reading
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First-year Brockport
students report almost
unanimously that they are
overwhelmed with both
the volume and difficulty
of their textbook reading
assignments.
Early Warning Advisement Survey
Text Book Reading
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Students report that they
• Read but do not recall,
• Read part of assigned work, or
• Don’t read at all.
Text Book Reading
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Why don’t students read?
• No quizzes on the reading.
• Professor never talks about the reading assignment.
• Assignments too long.
Text Book Reading
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Why should students read?
• Supplement class lecture and notes.
• Prepare for class note-taking and listening.
• Build on previous knowledge.
• Read to learn, write to learn, talk to learn.
• A positive correlation between reading and overall
success in class
Text Book Reading
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Grade
Level of Accomplishment
Quality Points
A
Highest Level of Work
4.00
A-
3.67
B+
3.33
B
Better than Average Work
3.00
B-
2.67
C+
2.33
C
Average Work
2.00
C-
1.67
D+
1.33
D
1.00
D-
Minimum Level of Passing Work
0.67
E
Failing Work
0.00
Text Book Reading
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Semester Honors
Dean’s List = 3.40-3.69
Dean’s with Honors = 3.70-3.99
President’s List = 4.0
Text Book Reading
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Goals for Reading
• Identify the most important points quickly
• Distinguish between main ideas and details
• Comprehend information quickly
• Sort and situate information into memory
• Review for exams efficiently
Text Book Reading
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Please take out a textbook.
Text Book Reading
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So Many Textbooks. . .
• Natural sciences
• Foreign languages
• Math
• Literature
• History
• Primary sources
Text Book Reading
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Survey the Text as a Whole
• title, author, date
• preface, introduction, purpose, thesis, approach
• table of contents, topics, subtopics, organization
• chapter highlights, summaries, study questions,
appendices
Text Book Reading
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Survey an Individual Assignment
• Title
• Introduction
• Sub-headings
• Topic sentences
• Visual aids
• Chapter summary, discussion questions, etc.
Text Book Reading
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Sample a paragraph to assess the following:
• Your Interest & concentration span
• The rate at which facts are presented
• The difficulty of the text
Student Learning Center 2010
Text Book Reading
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Schedule Reading Time & Place
• Break the reading assignment into small, manageable
chunks of text.
• Schedule reading time for each chunk.
• Identify reading location.
Text Book Reading
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Ask Questions
• What do you already know about this topic?
• What information do you hope to learn?
• What do you think the author might say?
Text Book Reading
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Form Questions
• Turn each of the main points found in the introduction,
sub-headings, topic sentences, or summary into a
question.
• Use these questions to guide your reading.
Text Book Reading
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Read
Read the assignment you have surveyed, using your
questions as a guide.
Text Book Reading
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Take Notes & Talk
•
Restate the main points and supporting details in you
own words while you read.
•
Mark the text to indicate main points, definitions,
characteristics, examples, and conclusions.
•
Use numbers to indicate important series of
information.
Text Book Reading
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Review Notes & Check Knowledge
• Review your notes, outline, or marked portions of the
text
• Test your comprehension.
Text Book Reading
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Summary
• Note the differences in textbooks from discipline to
discipline.
• Preview assignment.
• Schedule reading time.
• Form questions.
• Write and talk to improve comprehension
• Test your understanding of information