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Academic reading: Using strategies

What makes a reader a good reader?

A good reader uses strategies not only while reading, but also before and after.

Before reading:

  • Think about the topic by activating prior knowledge.
  • Make predictions about the meaning of the text.
  • View the text to get a general idea by skimming and scanning.
During reading:
  • Ask questions to understand the text.
  • Reread if necessary.
  • Consider the views and information in the text.
After reading:
  • Reflect upon the ideas and information in the text.
  • Establish a link between the information from the text and your own experiences and knowledge.
  • Fully understand the meaning of the text.

In the next chapter, you will find more information about the specific reading strategies you can use to become an effective reader.

Which reading strategies are you already using?

Before you learn more about the use of reading strategies, it is important that you become aware of which strategies you are already using. It may be difficult to state which strategies you use, but you will find that you are already subconsciously using some strategies.

In the task below, you will read a text about adventures in higher education. You will then see a number of statements you are going to answer.

Tasks

Read the text below. You have 1 minute to read the text. It is fine if you have not read the entire text in detail.

Set a timer for 1 minute.

Click to read text


In the following task, respond to the questions. You will be presented with a series of statements to which you must respond.

Answer the following questions about the piece of text you have just read.
Which strategies did you (unconsciously) apply while reading the text?

  1. Based on the title, what did you think the text was about?
  2. After reading the abstract and part of the intro, do you think these predictions were correct?
  3. What structure do you expect this text to take (what subheadings do you expect in the rest of the text)?

What reading strategies do you already use when you are reading? Circle the most appropriate word in each sentence.

  • I always / often / sometimes / never set goals before reading.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never review whether I achieved my goals.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never ask myself what I know about the topic before reading.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never make predictions about what will be in the text before reading.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never check the predictions I make.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never ask myself if I understand the text as I read.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never guess meaning from context.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never try to separate the main points from supporting detail.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never ask myself questions about the text I am reading.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never ask myself if the text is similar in structure to others I have read.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never reread sections of the text that are difficult.
  • I always / often / sometimes / never translate sections of the text that are difficult.

 

Taken from: Teaching and Developing Reading Skills Cambridge University Press, 2017

Make two lists of strategies you have and have not used before. You will learn more about strategies in the next knowledge clip. Make sure to focus on the strategies you are not using yet. Write them down so that you can pay more attention to them later.

Strategies I have used Strategies I have not used
   

You may see that you are already using a number of strategies unconsciously. You will also see that there may still be strategies that you are not yet using. In the next clip, you will get more information about the different strategies so that you can apply the unused strategies too!