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Study Skills Corner #5 How to Read a Textbook. Study Skill #5: Reading a Textbook. The five steps in reading a textbook P repare P review Re ad S ummarize T hink!. PP , then REST. Prepare to Read. Ask yourself some questions BEFORE you start to read…
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Study Skills Corner #5 How to Read a Textbook
Study Skill #5: Reading a Textbook • The five steps in reading a textbook • Prepare • Preview • Read • Summarize • Think! PP, then REST
Prepare to Read Ask yourself some questions BEFORE you start to read… - What’s my purpose for reading this material? - What do I already know about this topic/subject? - What do I want to know about it? - What do I need to know about it?
Preview the Material Get the BIG PICTURE first!! - Introduction to section/chapter/book - Section/chapter/book headings - READ SUMMARY (if one exists) Skim for main ideas - Read over all charts, figures, and illustrations - Read the first and last paragraph of each section - Make a rough outline, trying to capture what you think is the most important information
Actively Read the Material Active reading meanscarrying on a conversation with the author, and yourself, while you are reading. Ask yourself the following questions as you read: - What’s the author going to say next? - What’s important here (and what’s not)? - What are the key terms I need to know? - What questions does this raise for me? When you are done with a section you should be able to answer the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions Keep a dictionary handy as you read and take notes as you are reading – only write down what you think are the most important concepts!
Summarize What You’ve Read • When you’ve finished a section/chapter • Summarize and condense your notes • Paraphrase what was said in the chapter, looking for general themes • Organize the information • Picture the information • Look for ‘holes’ in your understanding of the material by reading over all the notes you’ve written
Think! Reflect on What You’ve Read • How does this information fit with what you already know? • How do you feel about what you’ve read? • Try to write a very brief summary of the most important points without looking at your notes. (VERY IMPORTANT!)
References • Frank, S. (1996). The Everything Study Book. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation. • Nugent, M. N., & Vitale, B. A. (2004). Test Success: Test-taking Techniques for Beginning Nursing Students (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company. • Robinson, A. (1993). What Smart Students Know. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc.