How to Read a
Text Book
Reading Strategies for
Students
How is a Text book different
from a novel?
O Heavier & larger
O Pages are larger & more colorful
O Contains pictures, charts, graphs
O Each page has bold, highlighted & colored
text to point out key words & topics
O Chapters end with reflection questions,
study guides, & activities
O Contains a glossary & index
Reading a Novel
Let’s first think about a novel…
O What is your purpose for reading a novel?
O Entertainment
O How do you read a novel?
O Start to finish
O How is a novel organized?
O Into chapters
O Sequence with a beginning,
middle, & end
Reading a Textbook
Now let’s compare that to textbook…
O What is your purpose for reading a
textbook?
O Information
O How do you read a textbook?
O Skimming by topic
O How is a novel organized?
O Into sections
O Not sequential- by topics
How is reading a textbook
different from reading a novel?
With a novel you think
sequentially
With a textbook you think
conceptually
Topic
Beginning
Middle
End
Subtopic
Details
Details
subtopic
Details
How is reading a text book
different from reading a novel?
O Do not read from start to finish!
O Do not read word for word!
O Skim text
O Look at charts & pictures
O Look ahead to questions at the end
O Read bold print
O Take notes
O Stop to think/reflect/question/summarize
Parts of a Textbook
O Table of Contents
O Chapters
O Headings & Sub headings
O Charts/Graphs/Pictures
O Captions
O Chapter Study Guides/Review
O Resources
O Glossary
O Index
Find out how your textbook
Chapters are organized
O Cover page
O Chapter is broken down into lessons
O Key concepts & Vocabulary given for each
lesson
O Lessons are broken down into sections
(red text)
O Sections broken down into subsections
(blue text)
O Lesson Review & Connection at the end
of each lesson
O Chapter Review at the end
Textbook Tips
O Know what the symbols & icons mean
O Get familiar with the student
O
O
O
O
resources
Look for the ‘BIG IDEA’ icon
Look for the ‘Key Concepts’ icon
Look at & read the pictures & graphs
first
Pay attention to bold & highlighted
words
So How Do you Read a
textbook?
O Silent reading is most effective
O Textbook reading strategies:
O Survey
O Skim
O Connect to what you’ve learned in class
O Reread parts that confuse you
O Summarize key points
O Take notes in outline format
O Lecture to the wall- verbalize what you
read
Define your purpose
O The way you read your textbook
depends upon your purpose for
reading
O What is your purpose for reading?
O Answer questions at the end
O Assigned Reading
O Look for information
O Study for a test
Reading to Answer Questions
O Look ahead to the question
O Skim through the headings to find the
section where that topic is discussed
O Skim the section looking for key words in
your question
O Once you find the key words slow down &
read carefully for the answer
O Repeat for the next question
O (Hint…Usually questions go in order of
the chapter)
O Let’s look at Chapter 5 Review- question
5 (pg. 176)
Reading to Find Information
O Use the Index or the Table of Contents to
find where your topic can be found
O Skim until you find key words related to
your topic
O Slow down & read carefully once your find
the information you are looking for
O Find this information: How did Aristotle’s
& Democritus’s view on matter differ?
Assigned Readings
Introductory Reading
O 1. Survey text looking at key concepts,
vocabulary, pictures & graphs
O 2. Skim the section quickly pausing at section
headings, subheadings, bold, & highlighted
words then speed up again
O 3. Close your book, stop & think about what
you read- jot down an overview of what the
section is about from what you remember
O 4. Now go back & reread the section for
comprehension. Skim parts you already know,
slow down on parts that confuse you.
O 5. Take notes on items you want to review or
seemed unclear about
O Let’s try it together: Chapter 1 Lesson 1
Reading to Review
Information
Mastery Reading
O First read your lecture notes
O (anything found in both lecture notes &
chapter is extra important)
O Go the chapter & read the summary and
review questions at the end
O Skim through each section reading the key
concepts & vocabularyO Slow down on sections that confuse you
O Skim each section & summarize key points
verbally (lecture to the wall)
O Keep doing this in 15 min. chunks until you
feel comfortably with the entire passage
O Review one more time right before bed
Let’s Recap what we learned
about reading Textbooks…
O Survey first
O Look for pictures, charts, and graphic organizers.
O
O
O
O
O
O
These items are most important.
Read the headings and all subheadings. These are
the chapter's main ideas and give you a map for
reading
Pay attention to key concepts & vocabulary words
Think about your purpose for reading & adjust
your reading strategies for that purpose
Summarize main ideas either verbally or in writing
Take notes to help you remember difficult
concepts
Read in short chunks
Don’t let this happen to you…
Learn textbook reading strategies!