People who do not enjoy reading commonly state that they do not understand what they read. This is especially prevalent among students with their prescribed educational texts. When proper reading strategies are applied, this can help solve the issue. Before you start reading a text, it is a good idea to “pre-read” it before delving into it. Pre-reading will allow you to examine the text for cues to the context and meaning of the text. This reading strategy will promote comprehension success, allowing a better understanding of the text being perused. In college, students are expected to be independent learners, which requires you to engage in self-study. The following presents some pre-reading strategies for college students:
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1. Previewing the Text
Previewing the text is a good pre-reading strategy as it engages all faculties of the mind, ensuring a thorough comprehension of the text. We have simplified the process of previewing a text below:
a) Read and consider the title.
Titles are usually the “face” of a text. A good title will inform you about the contents of the text. With that, you can usually gain an idea of what you are going to read about.
b) Look at the author’s name.
Knowing the author will further aid your understanding of the subject matter in the text. There is usually a short bio of the author included in college texts. You can also search for the author online. Getting more details about their work will further improve your grounding in the subject.
c) Skim the article for headings and side notes.
Headings usually organise the text in a logical order to aid your understanding. Side notes highlighted in boxes or pulled off to one side usually reiterate the key points of the text.
d) Look for images.
Publications that come with photographs, charts, graphs, maps, or other illustrations will generally have captions, and these serve as a visual aid to the topic being discussed in the text.
e) Explore weblinks.
E-texts will have resource web links connected to the article which can help you understand the article better.
f) Let the structure aid you.
Most academic texts follow the general structure of introduction, body, observation, discussion, and conclusion, with insignificant variables across disciplines. In the beginning paragraph of the introduction, there is usually a strong, focused topic sentence, also known as the thesis statement. It sets the tone for the rest of the text. Every paragraph thereafter has its own topic sentence which discusses the key topics of the overall text.
Setting a Purpose for Reading
One of the most common reading comprehension strategies is to understand the purpose of reading a particular text. Reading an academic text is not the same as reading a fantasy novel. The latter does not require the focus and attentiveness that the former does. Thus, it is important to establish the purpose of reading the text. One can rush through a novel and still understand the story, but this cannot be replicated with academic texts. Therefore, the purpose of having pre-reading strategies in place is to reinforce comprehension.
Making Predictions
This is an important pre-reading strategy which engages the critical thinking skills of the reader. A prediction is basically an observant guess based on the clues gained from the text or images accompanying it. This enables readers to formulate questions and anticipate answers as they continue with the reading. They can make connections between the text and their prior understanding of the subject.
Taking a Break
While the pursuit of knowledge is a noble cause, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. While the brain is not a muscle, it pretty much works like one and is prone to strain. It is good to take breaks while reading to allow your mind some time to process the new information as well as prevent lethargy.
These pre-reading strategies are great for college students to have a headstart in their study time. Applying proper reading strategies will ensure better comprehension of the subject you are studying. Apart from preliminary reading techniques, students can also sharpen their skills in other components such as writing, listening and speaking with INTI’s Intensive English Programme (IEP). Learn more about our IEP course today!