When you read something for school do you ever find that you are distracted and have to re-read, that you don’t remember the information as soon as you put it down, or that you just can’t quite get into it? If so, you may benefit from incorporating active reading strategies into your reading practice. Active reading is the act of reading with intention and engagement and it can help with your focus, comprehension, and retention. Consider the following tips and strategies for before, during, and after reading to help you begin to be a more active reader:
Before you Read:
How are the vibes of the location you’ve chosen to read in? Is there good lighting? Are there comfortable seating accommodations? Comfortable but not too comfortable that you fall asleep! Consider distractions. You can take charge and eliminated any distractions you are in control of, namely your phone. Consider the noise level, is it quiet enough? And lastly, do you have all the materials you’ll need? You might need a pen, paper, computer/device for note taking, noise canceling headphones, a drink, and/or a sweater in case it’s cold.
It is a good idea to check out the material you will need to read. Review it for any words that are in bold, images, charts, or graphs. Next, review the glossary, introduction, titles, and subheadings. Doing this will give you a good idea of what to expect when reading which will help you remain engaged in the text.
Before you begin reading in earnest, decide why you’re reading. Perhaps you are reading to prepare only to discuss the topic, maybe you’ll have to answer multiple choice questions about it, or perhaps you will have to write an essay or create a diagram. For each possible purpose you will pay attention to the text in a different way.
While You Read:
Read a section and take a break, read another section and then take a break. When you’re taking a break, allow your brain to do something different than reading. Don’t get on your phone and scroll. Instead, take a walk, close your eyes and take some deep breaths, eat a snack, or pet a furry friend.
Don’t rush or put pressure on yourself to read faster than you are or can. Much material that you’ll have to read for college will be dense and it’s okay if it takes a long time. Just do your best.
This is to say; self-monitor and make sure you’re comprehending what you’re reading. You can do this by just asking yourself what is being communicated, by writing summaries of what you read, or jotting down the important bullet points. If you find that you can’t do these things, go back and re-read. After each section, consider if you can answer the question ‘what does this section do?’
Annotation is just a fancy word for taking notes while you read. You can do this digitally or on physical paper. Use a pen, pencil, highlighter or some combination of the three to write on or mark up the text. Highlight, underline, circle, star, and add exclamation marks to denote important terms, definitions, facts, or phrases that stand out to you. Engage with the text by writing your own thoughts in the margins. There may be bolded or italicized terms in the text already, but those will not be the only important information present. A word of caution, though, be careful not to highlight too much.
Jotting down the important details from a text can help you encode it into a memory. Consider the following:
- Identify the main idea/thesis.
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Try bullet points, mind mapping, outlines, drawings/sketches, or whatever works for you.
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Turn subtitles and headings into questions - this can help you find the answers within the text.
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Write questions as you read - this is an active reading strategy that can help you find the important information within a text. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, how?
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Avoid copying down long direct quotes. Try to put the information in your own words.
Many people learn best when they are presented with images or visuals. If this is you, you can take advantage of this by creating images as you read. You can do this mentally or physically. Some ideas are flow charts, timelines, sketches, mind maps, or Venn diagrams. Adding colors or using fun writing utensils can enhance this experience.
Some scholarly sources assume a certain level of knowledge. If you don’t have the background information that the source assumes, help yourself out by doing a quick Google search.
If you are able to connect what you’ve read to the course lecture, your prior knowledge, or things you’re seeing in the news, you are more likely to remember it.
After You Read:
Putting your new knowledge into your own words helps your brain to solidify what you’ve learned. One strategy for doing this is a brain dump where you write down everything you can possibly remember about the topic.
Tell someone what you learned or volunteer to discuss the reading in class. If you can teach it, you know it!
This list of active reading strategies is long and may feel a bit intimidating. Don’t worry, you don’t have to incorporate every single strategy on this list to improve your reading. Begin by incorporating just one into your next assigned reading task and see how that feels. If it works for you, stick with it. If not, ditch it and try something new. Active reading is a process that can look different for different people and that’s okay! Give these strategies a try and happy reading!
Martha Neth
