You’ll learn what you shouldread—and what you don’t have to.
You’ll discover how to cut down on the time you spend reading, how
to identify the main idea and the important details, and how to
remember more of what you read.
Who knows? I might even convince you reading is fun!
Define Your Purpose for Reading
What is your purpose for reading? If the best answer you can
come up with is, “Because my teacher said I had to,” we need to
uncover some better reasons. Reading a chapter just so you can say,
“I finished my assignment” is relatively futile. You may as well put the
book under a pillow and hope to absorb it by osmosis.
Unless you identify some purpose for reading, you will find yourself
flipping the pages of your textbooks while retaining little more than
the chapter titles.
According to reading experts, there are six fundamental purposes for
reading:
1.To grasp a certain message.
2.To find important details.
3.To answer a specific question.
4.To evaluate what you are reading.
5.To apply what you are reading.
6.To be entertained.Using the Clues in Your Textbooks
There are special sections found in nearly all textbooks and technical
materials (in fact, in almost all books except novels) that contain
a wealth of information and can help you glean more from your
reading. Becoming familiar with this data will enrich your reading
experience and often make it easier. Here’s what to look for:
46 How to Study