Effective Reading
Ausima Sultan
• When studying, especially at higher levels, a
great deal of time is spent reading.
• Academic reading should not be seen as a
passive activity, but an active process that leads
to the development of learning.
• Reading for learning requires a conscious effort
to make links, understand opinions, research
and apply what you learn to your studies.
This lesson covers the following areas:
• how reading develops,
• the goals of reading,
• approaching reading with the right attitude and
• developing a reading strategy.
• Everything we read tells us something about
the person who wrote it.
• Paying close attention to how and why the
author writes something will open ourselves
up to their perspective on life, which in turn
enriches our understanding of the world we
live in
How Reading Develops
• Learning to read as a child usually results in the
ability to read simple material relatively easily.
• As we develop our skills in reading, the process
often becomes more challenging.
• We are introduced to new vocabulary and more
complex sentence structures.
• Early school textbooks offer us facts or ‘truths’
about the world which we are required to learn;
– we are not, at this stage encouraged to question the
authority of the writers of these published materials.
• As schooling progresses however, we are led to consider
a range of perspectives, or ways of looking at a topic,
rather than just one.
– We learn to compare these perspectives and begin to form
opinions about them.
• This change in reading from a surface approach
(gathering facts) to a deep approach (interpreting) is
essential in order to gain the most out of our studies.
• Reading becomes not simply a way to see what is said
but to recognise and interpret what is said, taking into
account subtleties such as bias, assumptions and the
perspectives of the author.
Academic reading,
therefore, means
understanding the
author’s interpretation
of reality, which may be
very different from our
own
The Goal of Reading
• Most of us read in everyday life for different purposes
• We read to gain factual information for practical use,
for example, a train timetable or a cinema listing.
– For such documents we rarely need to analyse or interpret.
• We may also read fiction in order to be entertained;
depending upon the reader, a level of interpretation
may be applied, and if reading fiction as part of an
English Literature degree, then analysis of the author’s
writing style, motives etc. is imperative.
• Many of us read newspapers and magazines,
either in print or online, to inform us about
current events.
– In some cases the bias of the writer is explicit and this
leads us to interpret what is said in light of this bias.
– It is therefore easy to view a particular article as a
statement of opinion rather than fact. Political biases,
for example, are well known in the press.
• When reading academic material such as
textbooks, journals and so on, you should be
always reading to interpret and analyse.
• Nothing should be taken as fact or ‘truth’.
• When you read while studying an academic course, your
principal goal will be to gather information in order to
answer an assignment question or gain further information
on a subject for an exam or other type of assessment.
• Underlying this is the more general theme of learning and
development, to develop your thoughts, to incorporate new
ideas into your existing understanding, to see things from
different angles or view-points, to develop your knowledge
and understanding and ultimately yourself.
• Learning, therefore, comes about not from reading and
remembering details, but from developing your
understanding of the meaning of the details. To engage with
your ideas and opinions and rethink them in a positive and
constructive way.
Necessary Reading Materials
• When you are engaged in formal
study, for example at college or
university, there will be distinct
areas of reading that you will be
directed towards.
These may include:
Course Materials
• Course materials will vary
considerably from one institution
to another and also across
different disciplines and for
different teachers.
• You may be given course materials in the form of a book,
especially if you are taking a distance-learning course, or
in hand-outs in lectures. Such materials may also be
available online via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
• You may be expected to make your own notes from
lectures and seminars based around the syllabus of the
course.
– The course materials are your main indication of what the
course is about, the main topics covered and usually the
assessment required.
– Course materials also often point you to other types of reading
materials.
Core Texts
• Core texts are the materials, usually books, journals
or trusted online resources which you will be
directed to via the course materials.
• Core texts are essential reading, their aim is usually to
expand on the subjects, discussions and arguments
presented in the course materials, or through lectures
etc.
• Remember that core texts are primarily what you will
be assessed on.
• You will need to demonstrate comprehension of
theories and ideas from these texts in your
assignments.
Suggested Reading
• As well as indicating core texts, reading
lists may also recommend other sources
of material.
• Suggested reading will not only increase
your comprehension of a subject area but
will potentially greatly enhance the
quality of your written work.
Other Sources
• Perhaps one of the most important academic reading
skills is to identify your own additional reading
materials.
• Do not just stick to what you have been told to read but
expand your knowledge further by reading as much as
you can around the subjects you are studying.
• Keep a note of everything relevant
you have read, either in print or online,
as you will need this information for your
reference list or bibliography when producing
an assignment.
Attitudes to Reading
• Often, when we begin to read books relating to
a new topic, we find that the language and
style are difficult to follow.
• This can be a put-off and disheartening, but
persevere; specialist subject areas will contain
their own specialist ‘language’ which you will
need to learn.
– Perseverance will mean that you become more
familiar with the style of writing and the vocabulary
or jargon associated with the specific subject area.
More generally, academic writing tends to use a
very cautious style or language. The writer may
seem to use elaborate, long sentences, but this is
usually to ensure that they are saying precisely what
they mean.
• A useful aid to reading is to have a good quality
dictionary to hand; however, you may find a
specialist dictionary is necessary for some subject
areas – there are many free online dictionaries also.
• Even though a dictionary can be useful, it should not
be relied upon too heavily.
• Dictionaries do not often take into account the
context and, therefore, you may not fully grasp the
meaning the author intended by simply looking up a
word or phrase.
• Fundamentally it is important to remain detached from,
and be objective towards, what you are reading, in
order to see and understand the logic within an
argument.
• Objectivity differs from subjectivity which means bringing
your own emotions and opinions to what you read.
• Being objective allows you to stand back and be
emotionally detached from your reading.
• This allows you to focus attention upon what you are
reading and not on your feelings about what you read.
• It helps if you have a genuine interest in the subject
that you are reading about.
• If you find that you are reading something that is
designated as relevant then it is important to try to
develop an interest so that you may get out of it
what is required.
• You may, in such circumstances, find it useful to ask
yourself questions as you read, such as:
– “Why does the author find this theme interesting or
important?”,
– “How does what I’m reading relate to what I already
know about the topic?”
What is Critical Reading?
• Reading critically does not,
necessarily, mean being critical of
what you read.
• Both reading and thinking
critically don’t mean being ‘critical’
about some idea, argument, or piece of writing - claiming that it
is somehow faulty or flawed.
• Critical reading means engaging in what you read by asking
yourself questions such as,
– ‘what is the author trying to say?’ or
– ‘what is the main argument being presented?’
• Critical reading involves presenting a
reasoned argument that evaluates
and analyses what you have read.
• Being critical, therefore - in an academic
sense - means advancing your
understanding, not dismissing and therefore
closing off learning.
• To read critically is to exercise your judgment
about what you are reading – that is, not
taking anything you read at face value.
• When reading academic material you will be faced
with the author’s interpretation and opinion.
• Different authors will, naturally, have different slants.
• You should always examine what you are reading
critically and look for limitations, omissions,
inconsistencies, oversights and arguments against
what you are reading.
• In academic circles, whilst you are a student, you will
be expected to understand different viewpoints and
make your own judgments based on what you have
read
• Critical reading goes further than just being
satisfied with what a text says,
• It also involves reflecting on what the text
describes, and
• Analysing what the text
actually means, in the context
of your studies.
As a critical reader you should reflect on:
• What the text says: after critically reading a piece you should be
able to take notes, paraphrasing - in your own words - the key
points.
• What the text describes: you should be confident that you have
understood the text sufficiently to be able to use your own examples
and compare and contrast with other writing on the subject in hand.
• Interpretation of the text: this means that you should be able to
fully analyse the text and state a meaning for the text as a whole.
• Critical reading means being able to reflect on what a text says, what
it describes and what it means by scrutinizing the style and structure
of the writing, the language used as well as the content.
Critical Thinking is an Extension of Critical
Reading
• Thinking critically, in the academic sense, involves being
open-minded - using judgment and discipline to process
what you are learning about without letting your personal
bias or opinion detract from the arguments.
• Critical thinking involves being rational and aware of your
own feelings on the subject – being able to reorganize your
thoughts, prior knowledge and understanding to
accommodate new ideas or viewpoints.
• Critical reading and critical thinking are therefore the very
foundations of true learning and personal development.
Developing a Reading Strategy
• You will, in formal learning situations, be
required to read and critically think about a lot
of information from different sources.
• It is important therefore, that you not only
learn to read critically but also efficiently.
1. The first step to efficient reading is to
become selective.
– If you cannot read all of the books on a
recommended reading list, you need to find a way
of selecting the best texts for you.
– To start with, you need to know what you are
looking for.
– You can then examine the contents page and/or
index of a book or journal to ascertain whether a
chapter or article is worth pursuing further.
2. Once you have selected a suitable piece the
next step is to speed-read.
• Speed reading is also often referred to as skim-
reading or scanning.
– Once you have identified a relevant piece of text, like
a chapter in a book, you should scan the first few
sentences of each paragraph to gain an overall
impression of subject areas it covers.
– Scan-reading essentially means that you know what
you are looking for, you identify the chapters or
sections most relevant to you and ignore the rest.
• When you speed-read you are not aiming to
gain a full understanding of the arguments or
topics raised in the text.
– It is simply a way of determining what the text is
about.
• When you find a relevant or interesting section
you will need to slow your reading speed
dramatically, allowing you to gain a more in-
depth understanding of the arguments raised.
– Even when you slow your reading down it may well
be necessary to read passages several times to
gain a full understanding.
Following SQ3R
• SQ3R is a well-known strategy for reading.
• SQ3R can be applied to a whole range of reading purposes
as it is flexible and takes into account the need to change
reading speeds.
• SQ3R is an acronym and stands for:
– Survey
– Question
– Read
– Recall
– Review
Survey
• This relates to speed-reading, scanning and
skimming the text.
• At this initial stage you will be attempting to gain the
general gist of the material in question.
– Read the title and subheadings as well as the
introduction and summary
– Establish the content and focus
– Why? Gain a sense of what information will be covered
and how it is organized
Question
• It is important that, before you begin to read, you have a
question or set of questions that will guide you - why am
I reading this?
• When you have a purpose to your reading you want to
learn and retain certain information.
• Having questions changes reading from a passive to an
active pursuit.
Examples of possible questions include:
• What do I already know about this subject?
• How does this chapter relate to the assignment question?
• How can I relate what I read to my own experiences?
Read
• Now you will be ready for the main activity of
reading.
• This involves careful consideration of the
meaning of what the author is trying to convey
and involves being critical as well as active.
– Read through the text with a focus on answering the
questions
– Pay attention to words that are underlined or in bold
– As you read, answer the questions, develop new
questions
– While reading highlight important information this
will save time when preparing for tests since the key
points will be apparent.
– Write notes on what you read, but put the
information in your own words.
– Re-read the parts that you are having difficulty
understanding.
Recall
• Regardless of how interesting an article or chapter
is, unless you make a concerted effort to recall what
you have just read, you will forget a lot of the
important points.
• Recalling from time to time allows you to focus upon
the main points – which in turn aids concentration.
• Recalling gives you the chance to think about and
assimilate what you have just read, keeping you
active.
• A significant element in being active is to write
down, in your own words, the key points.
Review
• The final step is to review the material that you have recalled in your
notes.
– Did you understand the main principles of the argument?
– Did you identify all the main points?
– Are there any gaps?
• Do not take for granted that you have recalled everything you need
correctly –
• review the text again to make sure and clarify.
