Succsess in Reading

Success in Reading

Becoming an advanced reader is not an easy task; it takes time, practice and motivation to move from a basic reading stage to one of deep analysis an reflection.

In order to achieve your goal, you may consider the following strategies that successful readers employ

1.They use existing knowledge to make sense of new information. Succesful readers reflect on the knowledge they have gained through previous reading, lectures, labs, experience, etc. to make sense of the material they encounter in a reading. They make connections between prior information and the new information.

2.They ask questions about the next before, during and after reading. It is very helpful to start with a set of questions before reading and continue to reference those questions as well as add new both during and after reading. Questioning is a way to get you engagd with the reading material so that you come away from the reading with greater understanding.

3.They draw inferences(conclusions drawn from evidence) from the text. Good readers connect to the reading material by making inferences from the information being presented. These inferences are conclusions that can be made from the evidence the author has provided the reader. It is like the reader is a detective that uses the clues (information) from the text to "solve" (make conclusions about) the case.

4.Successful readers make sure that they are understanding the text as they are reading. They do not rush through a reading and then realize they do not understand it. Instead, good readers make sure to take their time and pause to monitor whether or not they are comprehending the material.

5.They use "fix-up" strategies when meaning breaks down. A successful reader makes sure to stop and repair any break down in understanding. They do not continue reading when they do not comprehend the text. They will use some strategy ot technique that works for them to fix the confusion.

6.They determined what is important. A good reader knows that not every single word or piece of information needs to be retained from a reading. Asuccessful reader will identify the main ideas, key terms or phrases, and the supporting ideas in the text.

7.They synthesize information (combine various components into a new whole) to create new thinking. When an effective reader encounters new reading material, they take information and blend it with other information either from the same text, same author, text on the same subject, or even texts from other subject areas. This blending or synthesis leads to new ways of understanding and thinking and thinking about the reading material or subject matter.

Successful readers also consider ´signs of confusion` in order to avoid them.