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Module II—Reading and Note Taking
After reading this module, please respond in complete sentences, restating the prompt in your response.
For example:
Q: What skills will your college courses sharpen?
A: College courses will sharpen my reading and writing skills.
1. Strategies to get the most out of your college reading assignments, fall into what three
categories?
2. What is the first step in successfully “handling” reading assignments?
3. What is the benefit of planning a purpose for reading?
4. What are the benefits of a good note-taking system?
5. What are some of the strategies for monitoring your reading comprehension?
6. How does a student become an active, engaged reader?
In college, your reading and writing skills will be crucial for various assignments, ranging from short
response papers to extensive research projects. These tasks often depend on your comprehension of
assigned readings or additional materials you explore on your own. Writing effectively about a text
requires not only understanding it but also feeling personally engaged with the ideas discussed.
Strategies to help you make the most of your college reading assignments fall into three main categories:
1. Planning Strategies: These assist in managing your reading assignments efficiently.
2. Comprehension Strategies: These aid in understanding the material better.
3. Active Reading Strategies: These elevate your understanding to a deeper level.
Planning Your Reading
The first step in handling reading assignments is to break down lengthy assignments into manageable
sections over several days. Avoid last-minute cramming. Tailor your approach based on the complexity of
the text.
Setting a Purpose
Define your purpose for reading—whether it's understanding material for class discussion or gathering
ideas for future research. Questions like those below can help determine your purpose:
How did the instructor frame the assignment?
How deeply do I need to understand the reading?
How does this assignment relate to other course readings or class concepts?
How might I use this text in the future?
Having a purpose helps to keep you engaged and focused. It also helps to motivate readers to read more
carefully.
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Note-Taking Methods
A good note-taking system is essential. It should help organize information and differentiate between
major points, related subtopics, and supporting details. Developing note taking skills should help you
organize information into an understandable format that will assist in your studying process.
Improving Your Comprehension
Regardless of the type of text, your primary goal is to identify the main point, which provides a
framework for organizing details and relating them to class concepts. Use comprehension aids available
in textbooks, trade books, popular articles, and scholarly texts.
Monitoring Your Reading Comprehension
Periodically assess your comprehension. Use comprehension questions, summarize sections, ask and
answer questions, and discuss readings with classmates. Seek help early if needed.
Taking It to the Next Level: Active Reading
It is important to be an active, engaged reader. To get the most out of your reading, you should consider
factors like the genre, author, and instructor's purpose. Try these techniques to make your reading
active.
Underline or highlight key words and phrases as you read. When you return to it later on, you
can easily see which points you identified as important. Be selective - too much highlighting
won't help.
Make annotations in the margin to summarize points, raise questions, challenge what you've
read, jot down examples and so on. This takes more thought than highlighting, so you'll probably
remember the content better. (Use sticky notes if you don't want to mark the text.)
Read critically by asking questions of the text. Who wrote it? When? Who is the intended
audience? Does it link with other material you've studied in the module? Why do you think it
was written? Is it an excerpt from a longer piece of text?
Test yourself by reading for half an hour, putting the text away and jotting down the key points
from memory. Go back to the text to fill in gaps.
Look for 'signposts' that help you understand the text - phrases like 'most importantly', 'in
contrast', 'on the other hand'.
Explain what you've read to someone else.
Record yourself reading the module material or your notes and listen to the recording while
you're travelling or doing chores.
Reading Towards Writing
When writing papers, it's crucial to understand the information you read. Suggestions include reading all
parts of the material, identifying the genre, considering the author and why they wrote the book, and
planning your reading.
Key Takeaways
College-level reading and writing differ from high school in quantity and quality.
Success requires planning, time management, effective comprehension, and active reading
strategies.
College writing emphasizes critical thinking in a discipline over personal and creative writing.