Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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200  CHAPTER 8

I am reading?” If you are not understanding what you are reading,

stop. Ask yourself why. The following are some common reading

problems and possible strategies to solve them (adapted from Cortina

et al., 1992, p. 34):

Problem Strategy

There are words that I don’t • Try to use the rest of the

know. sentence or paragraph to

figure out the meaning of

those words.

• Check a glossary or a
  dictionary.


• Ask someone.
  I am having difficulty • Identify what is bothering
  concentrating. you and take some action
  (read chapter 7).
  The topic is difficult because I • Reread the passage.
  know nothing about it. • Read ahead to see if it
  becomes clearer.


• Read supplemental mate-
  rial or simpler material
  on the same topic (perhaps
  an encyclopedia, another
  textbook, or a book from
  the library).


• Ask someone to explain
  the material.

After Reading

Many students make the mistake of assuming that they are done

once they read the last paragraph in their assignment. This is the crit-

ical time to take the necessary steps to ensure that you remember what

you have just read. Because forgetting occurs very rapidly, it is impor-

tant to get the information you read into long-term memory immedi-

ately. Here is what you can do:

1. Answer Out Loud the Questions You Generated From the Headings, Printed in
   Your Textbook, or Given to You by Your Instructor. If you cannot answer a
   question, you do not understand part of the content. Go back and
   reread the section of the textbook where the answer should be found.
   Once you find the answer, check your underlining or annotations to
   ensure that the answer is identified.