Reading Styles And Strategies

Using Different Reading Styles

There are a variety of different exams and situations that require an individual to prove his or her knowledge and each individual will most likely have to face some of these situations at some point. As a result, there are a wide range of different subjects that an individual may have to study in order to prepare for each exam and situation that the individual must overcome. One of the best ways to prepare for an exam, interview, or other similar situation is by reading materials that are related to the particular subject of which the individual needs to prove his or her knowledge. However, each subject is different and each individual will not necessarily grasp a particular subject as easily as that individual would be able to grasp another subject. In other words, each subject is different and everyone learns differently, so one person may be able to read and understand a particular subject quickly while another individual might be completely confused by that subject. Since each individual has his or her own distinct strengths and weaknesses, it is important to be able to adapt the individual's study techniques to compensate for the difficulty that the individual has with a particular subject and the best way to do this is by changing the way that the individual reads the material.

For example, if a particular individual understands basic geometric concepts very easily, but has a lot of trouble with mathematical formulas, it may be wise for the individual to approach reading about the geometric concepts in a different way than he or she would approach reading about the mathematical concepts. It is still important for the individual to study the material related to both subjects, but it may be more effective for the individual to read the material differently. Since the individual understands the basic concepts related to geometry, he or she may only need to read over the geometry material covered in the textbook or other publication very quickly in order to refresh the information in his or her mind. On the other hand, the individual would probably need to read the material related to the mathematical formulas very slowly and carefully in order to better understand the material that the individual is having difficulty understanding. This means that the individual will have to shift between different styles of reading so the individual is studying all of the material covered, but at the same time, is studying that material as efficiently as possible.

Reading Styles - Scanning

One of the best ways to prepare for an exam, interview, or other similar situation is by reading materials that are related to the particular subject of which the individual needs to prove his or her knowledge. However, each subject is different and each individual learns in a different way, so one person may be able to read and understand a particular subject very easily while another individual might find that subject to be incredibly difficult. As a result, an individual may have to adapt his or her reading style to suit the material that the individual is reading, which may include switching to a style of reading known as scanning. Scanning is a method of reading a particular list, sentence, paragraph, passage, or chapter in which an individual is searching for specific facts related to a particular subject. An individual that is scanning a particular piece of written material is not actually reading the material very carefully, but is instead just searching the material for a particular piece of information very quickly. The individual, by allowing his or her eyes to scan over the material, or in other words rapidly move back and forth over the material, can search for specific words that might be related to the information that the individual is attempting to find.

For example, if an individual is having difficulty answering a particular question included on a handout, that individual may want to scan related material to find the answer. The individual may not know the answer to the question, but the individual knows the topic covered in the question and can therefore search for information specifically related to that topic. The individual could read an entire chapter related to that subject, but it would be much faster and much more productive for the individual to read over the material very quickly and find anything that relates specifically to that particular question on the handout rather than reading everything word for word. It is extremely important to note, however, that scanning is only useful if the individual knows exactly what he or she is looking for in a particular piece of material. This is because scanning is not an effective way of studying all of the information covered in a particular passage as it is only a method of finding specific information, so an individual that scans without knowing specifically what he or she is looking for will usually miss key information.

Reading Styles - Skimming

One of the best ways to prepare for an exam, interview, or other similar situation is by reading materials that are related to the particular subject of which the individual needs to prove his or her knowledge. However, each subject is different and each individual learns in a different way, so one person may be able to read and understand a particular subject very easily while another individual might find that subject to be incredibly difficult. As a result, an individual may have to adapt his or her reading style to suit the material that the individual is reading, which may include switching to a style of reading known as skimming. Skimming is a method of reading a particular passage, chapter, or other large collection of sentences in order to determine the main idea of a particular piece of written material. An individual that is skimming a particular piece of written material is not actually reading the material very carefully, but is instead just searching for the main idea of each paragraph. The individual, by identifying the sentence in each paragraph that identifies the main idea of the paragraph and ignoring all of the other sentences in the paragraph that support the main idea, can get a quick idea of what the material is trying to say without reading all of the material.

For example, if an individual is attempting to identify the main idea of a long chapter in order to determine if that chapter is related to what the individual is studying, he or she may need to skim the chapter. The individual may not be able to identify what the chapter covers from the chapter's title alone, but the individual should be able to identify the topic that the chapter is covering by quickly identifying the main idea of each passage in the chapter. The individual could read the entire chapter, but this can be extremely time-consuming and impractical if the individual is not sure if that chapter is related to what he or she is studying. It is also important to note, however, that skimming is not an effective way of studying material if the individual is not already familiar with that material. This is because the individual is only searching for the main idea of each paragraph or passage and the individual may miss key details that help explain the material.

Reading Styles - Comprehension

One of the best ways to prepare for an exam, interview, or other similar situation is by reading materials that are related to the particular subject of which the individual needs to prove his or her knowledge. However, each subject is different and each individual learns in a different way, so one person may be able to read and understand a particular subject very easily while another individual might find that subject to be incredibly difficult. As a result, an individual may have to adapt his or her reading style to suit the material that the individual is reading, which may include using a style of reading known as reading for comprehension. Comprehension reading, also known as study reading, is a method of reading a particular passage, chapter, or entire written work several times very carefully so the individual can understand the material more effectively. An individual that is reading for comprehension, by reading the material more slowly than the individual would normally read and/or by reading the material aloud, can often gain a better understanding of the material that the individual is having difficulty understanding. This style of reading is very different from scanning and skimming as it is designed to help an individual understand the information that is covered by a particular piece of written material instead of finding specific key ideas or information in that material.

For example, an individual that is attempting to study a series of complicated formulas related to physics, but is having difficulty understanding what the formulas actually mean, may need to use comprehension reading to understand the material. The individual may be having difficulty understanding what the material is attempting to say because it is extremely complicated, but the individual might still be able to understand the material by reading the material slowly over and over again so the individual can understand the material piece by piece. It is true that the individual could read the material over once at a normal speed or even attempt to skim or scan the material, but this will usually not help the individual understand the material if he or she is having difficulty. It is also important to note, however, that comprehension reading can be an extremely slow process as it is a style of reading that requires the individual to read very slowly and it may not always be possible to read for comprehension effectively when time is a concern.

Using Different Reading Strategies

There are a variety of different exams and situations that require an individual to prove his or her knowledge and each individual will most likely have to face some of these situations at some point. As a result, there is a wide range of different subjects that an individual may have to study in order to prepare for a particular exam or situation. However, just as there is a wide range of material that an individual may have to learn in order to prove his or her knowledge, there is also an assortment of different ways that each particular piece of material can be presented. In other words, the information that an individual needs to learn for a particular exam may not always be found in a textbook and, even if that information is found in a textbook, it may not always be presented in the same format from textbook to textbook. It is not only possible, but in fact likely, that an individual will have to use information from more than one type of resource, so it is important for an individual to be able to effectively use all of the resources that he or she has available.

Written materials that an individual may have to use at some point include almanacs, dictionaries, educational handouts, encyclopedias, flashcards, novels, practice exams, short stories, study guides, textbooks, thesauruses, and a variety of other similar written resources. Each of these resources can be an essential study tool, but each resource is set up differently, so an individual may need to switch the way that he or she reads the material, depending on the specific type of resource that the individual is using. In other words, an individual that is attempting to study using a novel will usually need to use a very different reading strategy than the individual would normally use if he or she were studying from a textbook. There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource the individual is using. It is also important to note that a reading strategy is not actually the same thing as a reading style. A change in reading style primarily refers to a change in the speed at which an individual reads while a change in reading strategy refers to a change in the way that an individual studies the material.

Reading Strategies - REDW

There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource that the individual is using. There is a wide range of different written materials that an individual may have to use in order to study for an exam, interview, or other similar purpose and each type of written material requires a different reading strategy in order to use that resource in the most effective way possible. One of the strategies that an individual can use to read and study a variety of different material is known as Read, Examine, Decide, and Write (REDW.) This reading strategy is primarily intended for reading materials that the individual is having difficulty understanding. As a result, REDW is usually used for textbooks or other material that the individual cannot understand even though the individual has attempted to understand the information by reading the material very slowly and carefully.

As is suggested by the words that make up the name of the strategy, REDW consists of four separate steps. First, the individual should read the paragraph or passage that the individual is having difficulty understanding and attempt to identify the main idea of the paragraph. In other words, the individual should read over the paragraph and simply attempt to determine what the paragraph is actually saying. Once the individual has identified the main idea of the paragraph, the individual should examine each sentence in the paragraph or passage and write down a few words that explain the main idea of each sentence. The individual should then decide which words best explain the main idea of the paragraph and which words are just describing details that support the main idea of the paragraph. Finally, the individual should write down the main idea of the paragraph and any key supporting details that seem important in his or her notes and move onto the next paragraph. This will allow the individual to break down the material that he or she needs to read into the smallest parts possible and take notes on each part so it is easier for the individual to understand the information.

Reading Strategies - SQ3R

There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource that the individual is using. There are a wide range of different written materials that an individual may have to use in order to study for an exam, interview, or other similar purpose and each type of written material requires a different reading strategy in order to use that resource in the most effective way possible. One of the strategies that an individual can use to read and study a variety of different material is known as Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review (SQ3R.) This reading strategy is primarily intended for studying information that does not necessarily confuse the individual, but rather is just unfamiliar to the individual. In other words, SQ3R is usually used for textbooks that an individual is reading for the first time so the individual knows that he or she will probably need to know the material that the textbook covers at some point, but he or she may not know exactly which material is important.

SQ3R consists of five separate steps that help the individual determine the most important points of each chapter and study those points. First, the individual should just quickly survey the chapter for titles, headings, subheadings, review questions, captions, chapter or section summaries, and any other easily identifiable indications of the key points that the chapter is attempting to convey. Next, the individual should take each of these items and turn them into questions that the individual can answer while he or she is reading the chapter. Once the individual has identified all of the questions that he or she should answer while reading the chapter, the individual should then read the chapter and try to find the answers to each of the questions. Each time that the individual completes a paragraph or section of the chapter, that individual should stop, recite any questions that the individual believes he or she can answer and then recite the answers to those questions. Finally, once the individual has read the entire chapter and answered all of the questions, he or she should go back and write down each question right next to its corresponding answer. This will allow the individual to review the information at a later time very quickly.

Reading Strategies - SQRW

There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource that the individual us using. There is a wide range of different written materials that an individual may have to use in order to study for an exam, interview, or other similar purpose and each type of written material requires a different reading strategy in order to use that resource in the most effective way possible. One of the strategies that an individual can use to read and study a variety of different material is known as Survey, Question, Read, and Write (SQRW.) This reading strategy is primarily intended to help an individual take notes chapter by chapter on information that the individual is reading for the first time. As a result, SQRW is very similar to the SQ3R method and is usually used for taking notes from textbooks. However, SQRW is sometimes more practical than the SQ3R method if the individual is attempting to study in a location where reciting information aloud may not be allowed or the individual does not have enough time to use the complete SQ3R method.

SQRW consists of four separate steps that are designed to help the individual determine the most important points of each chapter and take notes on those points. First, the individual should just quickly survey the chapter for titles, headings, subheadings, captions, chapter summaries, and any other easily identifiable indications of the main idea of the chapter and its sections. Next, just as in the SQ3R method, the individual should take each of these items and turn them into questions that the individual can answer while he or she is reading the chapter. Once the individual has identified the questions that he or she needs to answer, that individual should read each section of the chapter and find the answers to the questions for each section. Finally, the individual should write down each question and the answer to each question in his or her notes as he or she completes each section. The major difference between the SQ3R method and the SQRW method is that SQRW does not include the recite step included in SQ3R and the review step is assumed to be something the individual does after SQRW has been completed instead of being considered part of the method.

Reading Strategies - KWL

There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource that the individual is using. There is a wide range of different written materials that an individual may have to use in order to study for an exam, interview, or other similar purpose and each type of written material requires a different reading strategy in order to use that resource in the most effective way possible. One of the strategies that an individual can use to read and study a variety of different material, especially if that individual is studying in a group setting, is known as Know, Want, and Learned (KWL.) This reading strategy is primarily intended for a group of individuals, such as a study group, that is attempting to learn or understand a particular subject. The KWL method can be used for studying virtually any material and it does not necessarily have to be used with a group, but it has been found to be significantly more effective when used in a group setting.

KWL consists of three separate steps and the entire process is usually carried out by filling in a chart that consists of three columns-a column labeled "I know," a column labeled "I want to know/learn," and a column labeled "I learned." The individual should begin by identifying everything that he or she already knows about the specific topic that the material covers and write a series of brief phrases that describe what he or she already knows in the "I know" column. This allows the individual to gauge exactly how much knowledge he or she already has about the subject and how much knowledge he or she needs to learn about that subject. Next, the individual should make a list of questions or topics in the "I want to know/learn" column that he or she hopes to find the answer to or learn about while reading the material. Finally, the individual should write down a phrase, term, or other brief description of every key point that he or she learned while reading the material in the "I learned" column. This will allow the individual to compare what he or she has learned with what he or she wanted to know and will ultimately help the individual determine whether the individual needs to study that particular topic in more detail.

Reading Strategies - Element Mapping

There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource that the individual is using. There is a wide range of different written materials that an individual may have to use in order to study for an exam, interview, or other similar purpose and each type of written material requires a different reading strategy in order to use that resource in the most effective way possible. One of the strategies that an individual can use if he or she is reading a novel, short story, or other work of fiction is known as element mapping. Element mapping is primarily used when an individual needs to break down a work of fiction into its component parts especially if the individual is preparing to write a book report or studying for a literature exam.

This method requires an individual to search for five different literary elements while the individual is reading the particular fictional work that he or she is studying. First, the individual should make a list of all of the characters that are involved in the story and attempt to identify which characters are main characters and which characters are secondary characters. Second, the individual should write a brief description of the setting, or in other words, the time and location where the story takes place. Next, the individual should write a brief description of the conflict that is taking place in the story, which is simply a phrase that describes the problem that the main characters are facing. Next, the individual should list all of the events in the story that are linked to the conflict. These events may be attempts by the main characters to solve the main conflict of the story or they may be events caused by outside forces that actually escalate the main conflict. Finally, the individual should identify the climax of the story, which is the "turning point" in the story where the conflict of the story is resolved. It is important to note that the point at which the conflict of the story is resolved is not necessarily the point at which the story ends, but rather the point at which the conflict is no longer a concern.

Reading Strategies - Question Method

There are a variety of different strategies that an individual can use to read a particular piece of material, but it is important for an individual to find the best strategy for the type of resource that the individual is using. There is a wide range of different written materials that an individual may have to use in order to study for an exam, interview, or other similar purpose and each type of written material requires a different reading strategy in order to use that resource in the most effective way possible. One of the strategies that an individual can use if he or she is reading an essay, poem, short story, or other work is known as the question method. The question method, which can actually be used for any written material whether the material is fictional or not, is primarily used for analyzing an essay or chapter that the individual needs to understand the inner meaning of the essay or chapter and not necessarily simply what the material is saying.

The question method is actually very simple and really only consists of one step that the individual repeats over and over again for each line, sentence, paragraph, and/or passage of the material that he or she is reading. Once an individual begins to read the particular work that he or she is attempting to analyze, the individual should write questions about anything and everything within the text that he or she thinks may have another meaning. These words or phrases may have another meaning to the author or a meaning separate from the literal meaning of the text. The questions that an individual may write about a particular meaning that he or she has found within the text may include questions such as "does this actually mean this," "why did the author use that word instead of another word," "could this mean something else to the author," or "what is the author actually saying here?" It is also important to realize that the goal is not necessarily to find a definite meaning within the text, but a potential meaning. In other words, the individual should not necessarily be looking for obvious meanings or meanings that are certainly present in the text, but instead should be looking for meanings that the individual believes may be present, but cannot be absolutely sure.