Reading strategies

Reading effectively involves preparation and purpose.  Understanding how these relate to each other will help you develop your reading strategies:

• What is the text you have to read?  Identify the reading; obtain/access a copy of it.
• Why should you read it? Be clear about how your reading relates to the task or action you will do next e.g. is it:
  • A piece of set reading e.g. for a seminar discussion focussing on particular issues or examples
  • Material to help you carry out a task e.g. instructions
  • Background information e.g. ahead of a lecture to help you get an overview of a topic and familiarise yourself with core vocabulary
  • A text you need to read in greater detail e.g. identifying 3-5 key issues/examples for analysis in an assignment.
• Based on the purpose of your reading for what you will do next, think about the level of detail that would be useful and appropriate to your task e.g.

• Have you already got some information on this topic?  Or have you come across other examples? Do you really need more information to progress with your task?
• If you are reading in preparation for writing, connect your reading to your plan – where would the information fit in or which sections would it help you write?

• Think about structuring your reading practice, perhaps by using a strategy like SQ3R – survey, question, read, recall, review – and think about the form of notes you make from your reading.

Other tips:

• Take regular breaks when reading
• Target your reading and break it into short sections so you can pause and check your progress – have you got what you need from the materials?
• Vary the pace of your reading – sometimes you will need to scan/skim the text to pick up main points, but other times you will need to read more slowly to understand complex concepts and arguments in more detail
• Read interactively – check if you have answered the question set, and challenge the assumptions of the writer and the quality of their evidence
• Read the text aloud – for online resources you may want to use ‘text-to-speech’ software, such as TextHelp Read&Write which is on the UoN network.