| On any learning course you'll need to spend a | | | | session; then leaf through the pages, skimming |
| great deal of your time reading, and some people | | | | and sampling as you go, and paying particular |
| find this a source of difficulty. 'I can't keep my | | | | attention to headings and summaries and to all |
| mind on the book.'; 'I have trouble remembering | | | | graphic material such as illustrations, tables and |
| what I have read.'; 'I read too slowly and will | | | | charts. |
| never get through all the necessary texts.' are | | | | 2. Next, ask yourself what you already know |
| expressions of concern which may well sound | | | | about the topic you are about to study. Only take |
| familiar. It's important to realise that you can quite | | | | two or three minutes, jotting down a few key |
| easily improve your reading speed. | | | | words. This is an important step in the strategy |
| The ability to speed up or slow down in | | | | because it's much easier to understand and retain |
| accordance with what and why you are reading | | | | new material when you can actively relate it to |
| can make a valuable contribution to effective | | | | knowledge you already have. |
| study. | | | | 3. Then ask yourself what you want to find out |
| When studying always treat reading as a highly | | | | from your reading, again jotting down a few key |
| active process in which you must become totally | | | | words. If you have an assignment to write based |
| involved. Try to develop flexible reading speeds. | | | | in part on the material, check on the question |
| Three reading techniques can help you here, | | | | now. Once more you need only a few minutes, |
| sometimes referred to as: skimming, scanning and | | | | but it will be time well spent. If you read with a |
| sampling:o Skimming is unlike fast reading since it | | | | specific purpose in mind you are prepared for |
| involves making full use of your visual span - up | | | | understanding and retention. |
| and down as well as across the page. To get | | | | 4. As you read through the text make a straight |
| some idea of your visual span, fix your eyes on | | | | mark in the margin against all material which |
| one word of a sentence. Notice that you can be | | | | seems important and a wavy line in pencil against |
| aware of words above and below, as well as to | | | | any material you find difficult. If there are any |
| the right and to the left, of the word chosen. | | | | words with which you are unfamiliar, and cannot |
| When reading you normally narrow your attention | | | | understand from the context, underline them. |
| to a single horizontal line of print, but when | | | | 5. Now read the entire passage again, paying |
| skimming you must open your awareness to the | | | | careful attention to the sections you have |
| five or six lines which fall within your reading span. | | | | marked. Make outline notes (see next section) as |
| This enables your eyes to move very rapidly | | | | you proceed. It may well be necessary to go |
| down the columns of print. Skimming is an | | | | over the difficult parts very slowly, perhaps |
| essential ability when your reading purpose is | | | | several times, before they are fully mastered. If |
| simply to get a general idea of what there is on | | | | the meanings of the words you have underlined |
| the page.o Scanning is similar to skimming but | | | | are still unclear, check them in a dictionary which |
| here the purpose is to search for a particular item | | | | it's a good idea always to have on your table. |
| of information. The question you want answered | | | | Expanding your vocabulary is an essential part of |
| must be fixed very firmly in mind before running | | | | increasing your reading skill. |
| your eyes as quickly as possible down the page. | | | | 6. At the end of this concentrated reading jot |
| You must refuse to be diverted by anything but | | | | down, using key words only, all the main points |
| the information for which you are searching. The | | | | that you can remember. This must be done from |
| ability to scan material quickly for essential items | | | | memory. Do not look back at the text and do |
| can save you a great deal of time and energy.o | | | | not refer to your notes, until you are ready to |
| Sampling is a way of getting an advance 'taste' of | | | | check the effectiveness of your recall. If you |
| reading material. Remember that information is | | | | have remembered very little you need to read |
| usually concentrated at the beginning and at the | | | | the material again. But if you have remembered |
| end of any piece of writing. So, when sampling a | | | | most of the essential points, you're ready to |
| text you should concentrate your attention on | | | | proceed to your next study task. The benefit of |
| the first and last few sentences of a paragraph; | | | | this strategy is that the emphasis throughout is |
| on the first and last paragraphs of a chapter; and | | | | on activity and involvement. |
| on the first and last chapters of a book. | | | | If you follow these techniques, your mind will be |
| Reading to Learn The technique outlined below | | | | kept so busy that it simply will not have time to |
| aims to make your study time more productive: | | | | wander off. Furthermore, you're safe in the |
| 1. Slip a bookmark into the page of the learning | | | | knowledge that you are using your study time |
| material that you aim to reach in your study | | | | effectively. |