Your ACADEMIC SUCCESS matters!
Effective Reading
Strategies
Skills to Enhance Personal
Success (STEPS)
Student Success and Leadership Centre
Student Success and Leadership Centre
Your success matters! At the Student Success and Leadership Centre we recognize that your idea of success is unique. We are here to contribute to your academic success as well as your personal growth:
• Experiential Learning
• Leadership and Volunteer Experiences
• Programs for Orientation and Mentoring
• Study Skills
• Writing Support
Student Success and Leadership Centre
Introduction
• Textbooks and course material can seem massive and
overwhelming.
• You may feel like reading takes forever and is not really
worth your effort. However, completing your assigned
readings can be vital to your academic success.
• This module is meant to equip you with a better
understanding of textbooks and how to approach your
course readings.
• Students are encouraged to take notes throughout the
module.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Overview
1. This module will provide information on how to tackle your
assigned readings.
2. The main objective of the unit is to learn to apply: organizing
your readings, finding the right reading environment, and
reading systems.
3. Students will have the opportunity to test themselves on their
mastery of the content by completing a quiz at the end of the
module.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Before you Begin:
Getting Organized
Review your syllabus:
• Note which chapters or
articles you are expected to
read by when.
• Are you studying for an
objective or subjective exam
(e.g., multiple choice vs.
essay)? This may determine
which part of your readings
you should focus on.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Before you Begin:
Getting OrganizedMake a plan
• Set aside reading times in your
agenda.
• Consider that low-energy periods
may not be the best time to attempt to complete a lot of
readings. Rather, play with your peak-energy times and
schedule in brief, but efficient, ½-1 hour blocks.
• If you prefer to read for longer, be sure to take 5-minute
breaks to re-charge every 20-30 minutes.
Key to Success: Review your progress on a regular
basis! It is easy to fall behind.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The Reading EnvironmentLighting
• The right lighting will make it easier for you to
stay alert and focus on the text.
• You should be able to see the page without
strain.
Distractions
• Be sure that you can give your full attention to
your readings. Do you have everything you
need?
• Getting up multiple times to retrieve things will
make it more unlikely that you will return to your
readings.
• Muting your phone or disabling your Internet is a
good method to use to avoid distractions.
• Can you give your full attention to the task?
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The Reading Environment
Ventilation
• Warm and stuffy rooms may put you to
sleep faster, but chilly rooms may be
equally distracting.
• Try to find a location with a room
temperature that is comfortable to you.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Position• A comfortable spot (i.e., your bed) may not be ideal. Instead, research
suggests that the way you sit while studying and learning new
information will help with recall during your test/exam.
• E.g., if you sit up in a chair, at a desk while studying, you may find
information easier to recall during test time.
Assessing Your Progress
Stay on track
• Checking in with your progress on a
weekly basis can be helpful to
assess your progress (e.g., did you
complete all of your readings this
week and make notes?).
• Relying on reading week to catch up
on all of your readings may not be a
smart idea.
• Our likelihood is to overestimate how
much we can get done in a day. This
is known as the planning fallacy.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Assessing Your Progress
Compare your notes
• Review your reading notes after class and compare
them to your lecture notes.
• Overlap may indicate an important topic, but do not
neglect material that is only covered in either lecture or
the textbook/reading.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The SQ4R System
Why use SQ4R?
• It helps you speed up your reading
process
• You will be less likely to forget important
information
• It helps you prepare questions for class
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The SQ4R System
1. Survey: Get an overview
• Look at:
– Titles
– Subtitles
– Chapter summaries
– Bolded and italicized terms
– Pictures
– Charts
– Graphs
• Pay attention to the structure of your chapter
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The SQ4R System
2. Question: Get interested
• Look at the title. What is the
chapter/reading about?
• Transform headings into questions
and search for answers as you
read
• What is the significance of the
paragraph you are about to read?
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The SQ4R System
3. Read and Reflect: Make reading an
active process
• Try to answer the questions you asked before
you started reading. What seems most
important?
• Pay attention to graphs, charts and tables to
understand how concepts are related
Student Success & Leadership Centre
• Note directional cues (however, although) and
indicator words (therefore, consequently) that may
give away evaluative and conclusive comments
• Read the chapter summary. It will cover the most
important content; which you should be able to
elaborate on after completing your readings.
The SQ4R System
3. Read and Reflect: Make reading an active process
(con’t)
• Relate concepts to your life for better memory recall
ability and note down your examples
• Re-read sections if necessary or ask for clarification
(e.g., instructor, GA, peers, etc…)
• Try to stick to your reading schedule
or adjust it if necessary. Take short
but frequent breaks to rest and
stretch or to think about what you
are reading
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The SQ4R System
4. Record: Take reading notes
• Structure your reading notes according
to related categories and concepts
• Test your understanding of the material
by putting it in your own words
• Recording key points is superior to
excessive highlighting. Likewise, the
act of writing out your notes by hand
aids with memory recall
• Use visual organizers to enhance your
notes (e.g., graphs, tables, doodles,
etc…)
Student Success & Leadership Centre
The SQ4R System
5. Review: Do not let your efforts go to waste
• Immediate review after completion of a chapter can
significantly enhance your retention
• Review your reading notes frequently helps to shorten
your study sessions
• You may choose to colour-code or underline key terms
• Recite main concepts in your own words and elaborate
in more detail. Cover the page if necessary.
Review1. Reading your course material (textbook, articles, lab
reports, etc…) prior to class is vital to your academic
success. If there is no time to complete the full reading,
be sure to at least survey and question the material.
Having read the key terms will aid your information
processing.
2. Creating a reading schedule can help you stay on track.
3. Strategies like SQ4R can help you improve your
reading efficiency.
4. Review your reading notes in brief but frequent
sessions.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Reminders…
• If you haven’t yet, we would like to invite you to complete
the LASSI and the VARK online learning assessments.
These tools help assess how you learn best!
• To request the links to these assessments or to book an
individual appointment to review your results, please
email [email protected]
• If you have questions relating to the material discussed
in any STEPS workshops, please email
Student Success and Leadership Centre
Reminders…
• For more information and
resources related to reading
strategies, visit
www.uwindsor.ca/steps.
• STEPS offers a variety of
interactive study skill workshops
as well as individual consultation.
• For support with academic issues,
remember to seek support from
your instructors and
teaching/graduate assistants.
Student Success & Leadership Centre
Bonus Marks• The Time Management quiz qualifies for bonus marks for the
following courses:
– 01-01-220 (Investigating the Contemporary World)
– 01-01-150 (Effective Writing I & II)
• Be sure to complete all required fields (Name, course code,
professor name, etc…)
• Students must correctly achieve a 60% or better on the quiz in order
to qualify for the bonus mark.
• The quiz must be completed by the last day of class within the
semester the student is taking the course.
Fall: December 6, 2017 Winter: April 6, 2018
Intersession: June 18, 2018 Summer Session: August 20, 2018
STUDENT SUCCESS AND LEADERSHIP CENTRE
Your SUCCESS matters!
There are many ways to reach us:
[email protected] [email protected]
www.uwindsor.ca/stepswww.uwindsor.ca/success
519-253-3000 extension 3471Dillon Hall, Lower Level
@UWinStudentExp
Student Success and Leadership Centre
Quiz Time!
Be sure to test what you just learned!
Take the Effective Reading Strategies
QUIZ!!
Student Success & Leadership Centre