What is effective reading? 

Reading for academic objectives is different from reading for leisure. When reading a story book, for instance, you would read the book from cover to cover but academic reading is a selective process. You will often only read the chapters or pages that are relevant to the subject you are researching. 

By reading effectively you will learn to question and survey the text you are reading to gain a better understanding of your subject. By improving your reading skills you can reduce unnecessary reading time and this will enable you to read in a more focused manner. 

Tips for effective reading 

1)- Finding a focus or purpose 

You are likely to read more efficiently if you have specific questions in mind before you begin to read. Writing down some questions in your notebook before you start reading will focus your mind, and give you something to refer back to if you get distracted. 

2)- Surveying the text 

Once you have established what you are reading and why you are reading it, you might want to conduct a short survey of the text. You can expect to read textbooks, journal articles, reports and case studies. A survey of the text will give you a sense of how it is structured, what content is covered, and what sections you need to read in detail. 

Tips for surveying a text 

Surveying a book or journal article could take as little as 5 minutes depending on the length and your purpose for reading. One purpose of the survey is to determine how the text is organised; which sections you need to read in more detail; and which sections you can skim or even skip. 

Perhaps the main purpose of surveying is to help you assess the material so you can decide if it contains the information you need. 

When surveying: 

• Use your research question or course outline to prioritise the reading. Establish which sections should be read first. 
• Note the author, title, date and publisher 
• Check the table of contents or index for relevant sections or pages 
• Read the abstract if available 
• Read the introductory paragraph(s) or chapter for relevant information 
• Read the conclusion 
• Skim through the text, looking at: chapters, headings and subheadings 
• diagrams / graphs / charts / illustrations and their captions endnotes, appendices, list of references 
• Skim read the first and last sentence in each paragraph, which most likely contain the main points of the paragraph 
• Scan for particular facts and figures 
• If you are reading to answer questions, scan for the answers by locating key words and reading the text around those key words 

3)- Acquiring vocabulary 

It is important when embarking on a new course or subject that you take careful note of the vocabulary essential to the discipline. It may be helpful to build a system for learning new words. 

Tips for learning new vocabulary 

• During pre-reading, look for frequently used, but unfamiliar words and expressions. Note them and look their meaning up before you re-read the text. 
• A book index (or a glossary) can often help you find definitions for the technical terms it uses 
• Develop your own system to record these words, their meanings and the context in which they appear. 
• Try using the words in your writing and while participating in lectures and tutorials. 

4)- Engaging with the author 

An effective reader engages in an ‘active dialogue’ with the author. This means you should comment and question the text in the same way you would in a conversation. 

Tips for engaging with the author 

• Interacting with the author can keep your mind from deconcentration. It also allows for an active reading style by giving facts and ideas a purpose. The following tips will give a purpose to your reading: 
• Think about what the author is really saying; what is the underlying message? 
• Criticize or question the authors’ ideas 
• Relate what the author is saying to your own experience 

5)- Improving comprehension 

A text may be difficult because it uses a structure that is unfamiliar to you, draws on technical vocabulary that you have not yet acquired, or addresses abstract concepts and ideas that are new to you. 

Tips for improving comprehension 

You can improve your comprehension and retention of the material by making notes, making an outline, or drawing diagrams of the material as you read. 

To read more easily: 

• Put down your highlighter! Make notes in the margin instead of highlighting. For example you can write a one-line summary of the paragraph or write down keywords to help you recall an important point 
• Teach what you learned to someone else. Trying to explain aloud what you have read will help your brain transfer the knowledge from your short term to long term memory and you will have a better understanding 
• Write a summary of a journal article or chapter in your own words. 
• Use headings and important information to make up questions about the text as you are reading. 

6)- Going beyond the prescribed reading 

Your course outline will sometimes list prescribed texts for your subject. These are texts that your teachers expect you to read before lectures and tutorials. By reading these texts you will have a better understanding about what the lecturer is talking about. Additionally, there are sometimes recommended or supplementary texts. Theses texts are optional and are meant to enrich your understanding of the subject.