PRR- Preview, Read Actively, Recall

THE WHY OF PREVIEW

“If you give your mind a general framework of main ideas and structure, you will be better able to comprehend and retain the details you will read later”.

Purpose of Preview �  Why I am reading the text? �  Who assigned the reading? �  What will they expect me to know from the reading? �  How interested am I in the subject? (this will give you a clue

as to how long you will need for reading)

THE HOW’s of PREVIEW

�  Look quickly(10 minutes) over the following key parts of your textbook to see what it’s all about and how it’s organized- remember visual clues!:

�  Title. �  Front & back cover info. �  Author’s biographical data Publication date �  Table of Contents �  Introduction or Preface �  Index Glossary

HOW’s continued…..

�  Before you read each chapter, look over: �  Title �  Introduction �  Sub-headings �  First sentences of each Paragraph (should give main idea). �  Any diagrams, charts, conclusions or summaries

Questions…..

�  Answer the following questions: �  What is this mainly about? How is it organized? �  How difficult is it? �  How long will it take to read?

The Why of Read Actively

Being an active reader will involve you in under-standing the material, combat boredom, and will increase retention.

The HOW’s of Reading Actively!

�  Remember Chunking from Ten Traps of Studying

�  Set realistic time goals and number of pages to be read. �  Divide your chapter into small sections, rather than to try to

read the whole chapter non-stop.

CHUNKING �  Rationale:  It helps you to understand challenging texts.  Chunking is an example of a plan that helps you breakdown difficult text into more manageable pieces. Dividing subjects into smaller parts helps you identify key words, ideas, develops your ability to put the text in your own words, and makes it easier for you to organize and synthesize information. Chunking can be used for any assignment or project- the main idea is split assignments into more manageable pieces.

Step One: Preparation (time management)

�  Chunking can be used with challenging texts of any length. A paragraph can be chunked into phrases and sentences.

�  A reading of several pages, like a short story or science article can be chunked into paragraphs or sections. 

�  You can write down your chunk on a graphic organizer or just in the margin of your paper.

Step two: Review reading strategies As you read, remember to… �  Circle words that are unfamiliar. �  Use context clues to help define. �  Look up the meaning of unknown words. �  Write synonyms for these new words in the text. �  Underline important places and people and identify. �  Read aloud. �  Read multiple times.

Step Three: Chunk the Text Step Four: Paraphrase Meaning

�  Step 3:“Chunking the text” simply means breaking the text down into smaller parts. Sometimes teachers chunk the text in advance for you. Other times, teachers ask students to chunk the text. 

�  Step 4:You should rewrite “chunks” in your own words.  By the end of this activity, you should have a paraphrased version of the original text.

Step Five: Assessment and Sharing

�  The paraphrased text can be used to evaluate your understanding and reading ability.  You can compare your chunks of the text with other students to see what they got out of it. If they have something different, ask them to talk more about it so you can learn more. This step often leads to interesting discussion about interpretation – how people can often find different meaning in the same words?

�  This strategy will help you determine importance of what you read and be a great tool to study with!

How’s of Reading Actively Continued

�  Ask yourself a question before each paragraph or section, then seek its answer. This will give you a definite purpose for your reading.

�  Take the sub-headings or first sentence and create a question using “who,” “what,” “when,” “why”, and/or “how.”

�  Take breaks when you feel unable to stay with the material due to day-dreaming, drowsiness, boredom, hunger, etc. After a short break, you can return to your reading with more energy and alertness.

The Why of Recall!

�  Research shows that 40-50% of the material we read is forgotten very shortly after we read it. Immediate recall is an essential first step toward continued retention.

The How’s of Recall �  After reading each small section of material, choose one (or

more) of the following methods: �  Recall mentally or recite orally the highlights of what you

have read.

�  Ask yourself questions (maybe the same ones you used before you read the section) and answer them in your own words.

How’s Continued…

�  Underline and make marginal notes of the key words and phrases in the section. Underlining after you read is the best way to decide what’s the most important information to remember.

�  Make separate notes or outlines of what you have read. This technique often works for more technical material which you need to put into your own words.

�  Recall with a friend. (Remember the study group!)What you don’t recall, he/she might.

Preview, Read Actively, and Recall

�  Preview your chapter-look for visual clues! �  Paint a picture in your mind! �  Break it into manageable chunks! �  Take breaks – VERY IMPORTANT! �  Ask questions! �  Take notes! �  Recall with a friend or study group!