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Student Success Services: Reading

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Reading

Tips for Reading:

  1. Get active with your reading by reading with intent and purpose. 
  2. Turn headings into questions. 
  3. Preview your material prior to class. 
  4. Explain to someone the key points you have read. 

Guide for Effective Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Strategy: SPAR

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the amount of reading you have? Do you sometimes have difficulty understanding and remembering what you read? Follow these steps to help make your reading meaningful, focused and productive.

  • Get an idea of the content you are about to read. Ask yourself, “what is this about”?
  • Scan for headings and subheadings.
  • Pay attention to graphs, charts and diagrams.

Set a realistic goal of how much of the readings you can get through with total concentration. If you are not able to concentrate then you are just reading words and comprehending nothing, which becomes a waste of your time. KNOW YOUR LIMIT!

  • ALWAYS write the chapter heading

Write each section heading followed by:

  • Main ideas, sub points and definitions
  • Make summarized notes as you go through each section and make sure you understand the terminology – if you don’t LOOK IT UP!
  • Incorporate examples and visuals.
  • As you read, practice the "look-away method: Periodically look away from the text and summarize what you just read – use this exercise not to memorize, but to make sure you understand.
  • Make sense of content.
  • After each section read over your summarized notes for comprehension.
  • Ask yourself “what did I just learn from that?”
  • Link the information, make the connections, and pay attention to relationships between ideas.
  • Monitor your understanding of the material. Mark what you do not understand to review later.
  • Look up words you do not understand.
  • Do not confine yourself to words! Use representation, graphics, pictures, colors, even movement to visualize and connect ideas. Use whatever techniques work to help you understand.

Still struggling? If you do not understand what you are reading, do not panic!  Set it aside and read it again the next day. Separate out what you do understand from what you do not and get some help, teacher, tutor, or a peer.

Apps & Resources

  • Notion
    Notion is a productivity and note-taking web application.
  • AI Tutor Pro
    AI Tutor Pro is a Generative AI student study tool designed to be a studying aid for students
  • SQ5R
    Learn about the SQ5R strategy to improve your reading retention and help you study more successfully.

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