Each type of reading
has a different rate. For example, an exciting novel is a quicker
read than a text in biology.
Text books also vary
in how well they are written, and as a consequence some are more
difficult to read.
Each semester,
time yourself reading a chapter in each of your
text books. See how many pages an hour you can read. Once you have
an accurate estimate of your reading rate, you can better plan
your reading time and studying time.
Scan the chapter first.
Identify the sections to which the author devotes the most amount
of space. If there are lots of diagrams for a particular concept,
then that must also be an important concept. If you're really
pressed for time, skip the sections to which the least amount of
space is devoted.
Read the first sentence
of every paragraph more carefully than the rest of the paragraph.
Take notes on headings
and first sentence of each paragraph before reading the chapter
itself.. Then, close your book and ask yourself what you now know
about the subject that you didn't know before you started.
Focus on nouns and main
propositions in each sentence. Look for the noun-verb
combinations, and focus your learning on these.
For example, consider the
following text:
Classical conditioning is
learning that takes place when we come to associate two stimuli
in the environment. One of these stimuli triggers a reflexive
response. The second stimulus is originally neutral with respect
to that response, but after it has been paired with the first
stimulus, it comes to trigger the response in its own right.
Rather than read every word, you
might decode this text graphically:
Classical conditioning = learning =
associating two stimuli
1st stimulus triggers a response
2nd stimulus = originally neutral, but paired with 1st -->
triggers response.
Rather than reading and re-reading
your text, take notes in this form, so that you've re-written the
important parts of the text. Once you have written notes, you
don't have to worry about the text itself.
