READING SKILLS

Introduction
You may be expected to read a wide range of texts that include the course reading pack, lecture slides,
books, journal articles, internet articles, newspapers, research reports, literature reviews, case studies
and strategic plans.
You may read to: prepare for lectures and tutorials, review information addressed in lectures and
tutorials, conduct research for assignments, or revise for exams.
What reading abilities you need
Beyond being able to simply understand texts, you will need to critique them, evaluate them, compare
and contrast them, and apply the information you find useful from them.
Effective reading: general advice
The following advice may seem obvious, but is important.
Consider where you read. Always read in a well-lit and quiet place that is free of distractions, and
don't get into the habit of reading uni materials in bed! (unless you want to go to sleep).
Don't vocalise as you read. This will slow you down, it won't help concentration, and it will lead to
bad reading approaches. Read at times when you can concentrate, and maintain concentration by
taking regular short breaks, perhaps every 30 or 45 minutes.
Remember that reading often takes longer than you expect and you often need to go beyond set texts.
Give yourself enough time!

Reading strategy 1: purposeful reading

If you tend to begin reading like this: "I need to read Chapter 6 - here it goes!", YOU may need to
rethink your approach. Specifically, you will need to create a purpose for reading. You can create this
purpose if you:
Refer to:
assessment tasks
lecture slides
tutorial questions
textbook questions
Create:
questions based on lectures or tutorials
questions based on a skim of the text
(contents, headings, subheadings, diagrams, introductions, etc)
Consider:
what you already know
related knowledge or experiences

Be very clear about exactly what you are looking for. Don't just read aimlessly. Perhaps you will look
for answers to questions, general understanding of a topic or issue, detailed knowledge, a range of
perspectives, identification of a writer's position, evaluation of a writer's position, arguments that
support your position, arguments that oppose your
position, examples, statistics, definitions, explanations, quotes, etc. Try to have the
purpose in writing nearby so you maintain focus.
Purposeful reading of this nature can help you read faster and more selectively. It can also help your
concentration and your ability to remember.

Reading strategy 2: scanning

Scanning is reading quickly to search for specific information. You may not realise it, but
you are already good at scanning. You scan, for example, when checking a TV guide
or a phone book. Scanning may allow you to 'read' up to 1,500 words a minute.
One reason to scan an academic text that you have found while researching is to
locate key terms as a means to assess the text's relevance.

Reading strategy 3: skimming

Skimming is reading quickly to gain a general idea. Skimming may allow you to 'read' up to 1000
words a minute.
Skimming helps you identify whether or not to continue reading, what to read carefully, and where
the best place is to begin. Skimming an academic text immediately before you read it carefully can
help you consider what you already know and can help you develop a purpose for reading. An initial
skim can also help maximise your interest in the text and your understanding and reflection on the
material.
As with scanning, skimming does not involve reading every word. Instead, you may skim by reading:
 titles
 subheadings
 words in that are in bold, in italics or underlined
 diagrams
 a report's abstract, introduction or conclusion
 the first sentence of every paragraph
 chapter questions
 chapter objectives
 chapter summaries
Interesting fact!
According to research at an English uinervtisy, it doesn't matter in what order the
Letters in a Word are, the only Important Thing is that the First and Last Letter is at the
Right place. The ret can be a total Mess and you can Still Read it without a Problem.
This is Because we do not read ervey
Letter by itself but the word as a whole.

Reading strategy 4: information words

There will be times when you need to do more than skim a text in the way described above, but still
need to read quickly. This may require ability to conduct "surface reading".
It is worth remembering that no more than 50% of the words in an average textbook are "information"
words. The other words are like glue and paint: they are there to provide connections and add interest,
but are not essential for meaning. If you concentrate on information words, you can read faster and
with better comprehension.
But, how do you learn to pick out the important information words? A large part of the trick involves
paying attention to what the author is trying to say. Look for the message, and the information words
will emerge naturally.

Reading strategy 5: phrase reading

Watch the eyes of a friend or a member of your family while he or she is reading. You will see that
they move along each line of print in a series of jerks. The pauses between the jerks are known as
fixations. It is during the fixations that your eyes take in words. Poor readers take in only one or two
words in each fixation.

| This is | how a I poor | reader's| eyes move | along | lines | of print.

A good reader, on the other hand, takes in several words in each fixation
| This is how | a better reader's | eyes move along | lines of print.

Reading strategy 6: analytical reading

Analytical reading (or study reading) is needed when you want to make sure that you fully grasp and
appreciate what you are reading. You may have to read statements more than once, stop to think about
them, or jot down key words when using this style. As a result, your reading rate can easily drop to
below 100 words a minute.

Reading strategy 7:marking the text

If the text you are reading is your own copy, you could also underline key words, highlight with a
marker, or make notes in margins, or alternatively, if you don't own the text, you could use little 'post-
it' labels. This process of marking texts can help you concentrate (and keep reading!) and can
help you identify key points and make the book easier to survey later when you need to use it again
for your assignment or to revise for an exam. revise effectively later

Reading strategy 8: note-taking

If you don't take notes well, or don't take them at all, now is the time to develop this
essential skill! Note-taking can help you gain deeper understanding and reflection,
better ability to remember and good exam preparation materials for later.
When taking notes, pay keep in mind the following 7 principles:
1. Record publication details
Always note publication details of any text you may use. Specifically, record such things as the title,
author, date, publisher, place of publication, URL, and page numbers.
2. Preview the text before you take notes
As mentioned earlier, scan, skim and 'surface read' the text before noting to help you develop
understanding of the text and awareness of what is important to note. Taking notes of everything is a
slow, boring, ineffective exercise.
3. Maintain a central place for your notes.
Where record your notes is Up to you. Some people prefer using a computer, while others use flash
cards, folders, or exercise books. What is important is that you will be able to find the notes and
understand their layout and content a few weeks or months later.
4. Paraphrase and summarise ideas
Writing out sentences word for word is probably even less useful than just highlighting sentences with
a marker. Sure, they will be times you need write things word for word (use quotation marks when
you do this!) but better understanding will come through putting things in your own words. Not sure
how to do this? Say the key points in your own words out loud and then write them down. Finish by
checking your paraphrase is clear and accurate.
5. Note your thoughts
Don't forget the great value of noting beyond just what is said in the text. Note
down such things as your ideas, points you agree or disagree with, relevant experiences, questions,
examples, and relationships with other texts. Those initial thoughts you have as you read may be of
great use later, and it is a mistake to risk forgetting them.
6. Be creative
Consider how you should note different parts of texts as well as just what you should note. The
process of thinking about how to note can aid understanding as well as ability to remember
information and reflect. Depending on the nature of the information you wish to note, you may choose
to use spider diagrams, concept maps, titles, columns, dot points, numbers, symbols, colours, pictures
or columns for your reflections.
7. Review your notes
Once you have completed some notes, always look back at them and check:
1.they are accurate,
2. they are readable,
3. you will be able to use them later and 4. they contain full reference details.

Reading strategy 9: managing vocabulary

Even if you are a native English speaker, you may at times feel overwhelmed by the amount of
unfamiliar vocabulary you encounter. Of course, as a university student, you have a great opportunity
and need to build you vocabulary (discipline specific and general), so consult glossaries and use a
dictionary. Keep a list of new words: record their definitions and write example sentences which show
meaning and usage. When using your dictionary, be discerning. Know which words can be ignored,
and see if it is possible to guess the meanings of words. You may be able do this if you:
1. Guess using context:
2. Guess using prefixes, suffixes and word stems

Reading strategy 10; reading with others

Consider getting a "study buddy" or study group. Be careful to keep focused on what
you need to do and you may find that by sharing notes, explaining, asking and quizzing each other,
you can increase you ability to understand, reflect upon and remember key points in texts.