1. Purposeful Reading

If you tend to begin reading like this: “I need to read Chapter 6 – here it goes! …”, you may need to rethink your approach. Specifically, you will need to create a purpose for reading. You can create this purpose if you:

Refer to:
• assessment tasks
• lecture slides
• tutorial questions
• textbook questions
Create:
• questions based on lectures or tutorials
• questions based on a skim of the text
• (contents, headings, subheadings, diagrams, introductions, etc)
Consider:
• what you already know
• related knowledge or experiences

Be very clear about exactly what you are looking for. Don’t just read aimlessly. Perhaps you will look for answers to questions, general understanding of a topic or issue, detailed knowledge, a range of perspectives, identification of a writer’s position, evaluation of a writer’s position, arguments that support your position, arguments that oppose your position, examples, statistics, definitions, explanations, quotes, etc. Try to have the purpose in writing nearby so you maintain focus. Purposeful reading of this nature can help you read faster and more selectively. It can also help your concentration and your ability to remember.

2. Scanning

Scanning is reading quickly to search for specific information. You may not realise it, but you are already good at scanning. You scan, for example, when checking a TV guide or a phone book. Scanning may allow you to ‘read’ up to 1,500 words a minute. One reason to scan an academic text that you have found while researching is to locate key terms as a means to assess the text’s relevance .

3. Skimming

Skimming is reading quickly to gain a general idea. Skimming may allow you to ‘read’ up to 1000 words a minute.
Skimming helps you identify whether or not to continue reading, what to read carefully and where the best place is to begin. Skimming an academic text immediately before you read it carefully can help you consider what you already know and can help you develop a purpose for reading. An initial skim can also help maximise your interest in the text and your understanding and reflection on the material.
As with scanning, skimming does not involve reading every word. Instead, you may skim
by reading:
• titles
• subheadings
• words in that are in bold, in italics or underlined
• diagrams
• a report’s abstract, introduction or conclusion
• the first sentence of every paragraph
• chapter questions
• chapter objectives
• chapter summaries

4. Information Word

There will be times when you need to do more than skim a text in the way described above, but still need to read quickly. This may require ability to conduct “surface reading”. It is worth remembering that no more than 50% of the words in an average textbook are “information” words. The other words are like glue and paint: they are there to provide connections and add interest, but are not essential for meaning. If you concentrate on information words, you can read faster and with better comprehension. But, how do you learn to pick out the important information words? A large part of the trick involves paying attention to what the author is trying to say. Look for the message, and the information words will emerge naturally.

5. Phrase Reading

Watch the eyes of a friend or a member of your family while he or she is reading. You
will see that they move along each line of print in a series of jerks. The pauses between
the jerks are known as fixations. It is during the fixations that your eyes take in words.
Poor readers take in only one or two words in each fixation.
| This is | how a | poor | reader’s| eyes move | along | lines| of print. |
A good reader, on the other hand, takes in several words in each fixation
| This is how | a better reader’s | eyes move along | lines of print.|

6. Analytical Reading

Analytical reading (or study reading) is needed when you want to make sure that you fully grasp and appreciate what you are reading. You may have to read statements more than once, stop to think about them, or jot down key words when using this style. As a result, your reading rate can easily drop to below 100 words a minute.

7. Marking The Text

If the text you are reading is your own copy, you could also underline key words, highlight with a marker, or make notes in margins, or alternatively, if you don’t own the text, you could use little ‘post-it’ labels. This process of marking texts can help you concentrate (and keep reading!) and can help you identify key points and make the book easier to survey later when you need to use it again for your assignment or to revise for an exam. revise effectively later

8. Note-Taking

If you don’t take notes well, or don’t take them at all, now is the time to develop this essential skill! Note-taking can help you gain deeper understanding and reflection, a better ability to remember and good exam preparation materials for later.

9. Managing Vocabulary

Even if you are a native English speaker, you may at times feel overwhelmed by the amount of unfamiliar vocabulary you encounter. Of course, as a university student, you have a great opportunity and need to build you vocabulary (discipline specific and general), so consult glossaries and use a dictionary. Keep a list of new words: record their definitions and write example sentences which show meaning and usage. When using your dictionary, be discerning. Know which words can be ignored, and see if it is possible to guess the meanings of words. You may be able do this if you:

1. Guess using context:
   The patient suffered from respiratory ailments, skin problems, anacritis, and hypertension
   What could anacritis mean? (NB. Not a real word!)
2. Guess using prefixes, suffixes and word stems
   • Antichocoflavourism
   • Aquaengineacousticology

10. Reading With Other

Consider getting a “study buddy” or study group. Be careful to keep focussed on what you need to do and you may find that by sharing notes, explaining, asking and quizzing each other, you can increase you ability to understand, reflect upon and remember key points in texts.

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