Chapter 4 - Reading
Sometimes the only difference between a sleeping pill and a textbook is that the textbook doesn't have a warning label about operating heavy machinery
Muscle reading- a technique you can use to avoid mental mini-vacations and reduce naps during study time
By increasing energy and skill you can spend less time on reading and get more out of it
Textbooks offer valuable information
Sometimes the value is so buried that extracting it requires skill and energy
Muscle reading is a 3-phase technique you can use to extract the valuable information
This technique includes a 9-step strategy that emphasizes "preview, read, and review"
Step 1- Preview
- Survey the entire assignment
- Previewing can increase your comprehension
- This is a way to get started when the assignment looks to big to handle
- You can try reading the summary first - Read the Headlines, section titles, and paragraph headings
- Before beginning, reflect on what you already know about the subject
- Ask yourself: "How will I be tested on this material?", "How useful is this knowledge to me?"
- You don't have to memorize what you preview
Step 2- Outline With complex material, take time to understand the structure of what you are about to read Outlining can make complex information easier to understand
Step 3- Question Ask yourself what you want to get out of an assignment Write down a list of questions The more detailed your questions, the more powerful this technique is Turn chapter headings and section titles into questions The purpose of making up questions is to get your brain involved in the assignment
Step 4- Read
- When you notice your attention wandering, gently bring it back to the present.
- If a personal problem is interfering with your concentration, write it down with a course of action
- For difficult reading, set shorter goals
- Use the following techniques to stay focused
- Visualize the material
- Read it out loud
- Get a feel for the subject
- Reading textbooks takes energy
- Avoid reading in bed, except for fun
- Step 5- Underline
- Deface your books
- The purpose of marks in a textbook is to create signals for reviewing
- Stop after each paragraph and write
- Underline or highlight sparingly (Less than 10% of the text)
- Write in the margins of your texts
- Write a summary statement and questions
Step 6- Answer
- As you read, get the answers to your questions and write them down
- Create an image of yourself as a person in search of the answers
Step 7- Recite
- Talk to yourself about what you have read
- Note what you marked - put the book down and explain as much as you can
- One of the best ways to learn anything is to teach someone else
- Step 8- Review
- Review within 24 hours of reading the material
- A review within 24 hours helps move information from short-term to long-term memory
- You will pick up material quicker the second time
- Even when you cannot recall something, you can relearn it more easily if it has been learned once
Step 9- Review again
- Go over your notes
- Recite the more complicated points
- You can accomplish short reviews anytime - anywhere
- Sometimes a second reading will provide you with surprising insights
- Keep your reviews short and do them often
- Primacy effect- Items at the beginning of a presentation are more easily remembered
- Recency effect- Items at the end of a presentation are more easily remembered
Studying with Children.
Reading Fast
When reading is tough