Active Reading Strategies Can Help in Your Revision For Exams
Reading abilities are really vital for anyone who dreams to acquire data , whether for a job, an training or simply a personal interest. Yet literacy alone just isn’t a guarantee that one can read properly . Everyone has had an knowledge of reading a page only to realize that not a single sentence on that page could be recalled. This is an unfortunate instance of distracted, inattentive reading which wastes the reader’s time and contributes nothing to his or her knowledge of the reading material’s subject.
Effective reading competencies are particularly critical for students, who are supposed to study independently and absorb a bulk of written material. Preparing for class, reading for homework, researching for essays and studying for exams all require the ability not just to read but to understand and retain what has been read.
Because of this, active reading strategies that engage the mind of the reader and heighten comprehension are invaluable for students who’re preparing for exams. By keeping the mind working throughout the reading process, active reading strategies can help students maximize the results of their studies and avoid wasting time.
Just about the most critical things to keep in mind about active reading techniques is that the mind ought to be participating in the reading process. Active reading is not about taking notes or marking passages to reread later, so a student who is engaged in active reading ought to avoid highlighting passages of text, taking notes in a book’s margin or underlining key phrases. Instead, the student need to make an effort to write notes on a different piece of paper, forcing the memory to retain the ideas from the reading material and prompting the mind to reproduce the key concepts.
In order for any of this to happen, the student must have a basic understanding of the material, and any inability to write down notes on a separate sheet of paper ought to be taken as a sign that the passage demands to be reread with greater attention.
One of the very best strategies to make sure that your reading time is productive is to generate easy-to-read visual aids according to the material once you have read it. For example, after reading a description of historical events, close the book and attempt to produce a rough timeline of the occurrences you only read about. Anticipation of the need to produce a timeline need to keep your mind active through the reading process.
Instead of passively observing the material, you should try to retain as much of the data as you possibly can. After making a 1st attempt at a timeline with the book closed, reread the passage and find out whether you missed any crucial points.
This technique will not just help you don’t forget facts and dates from the passage, it’ll also alert you to the kinds of information that you tend to miss while reading. Over time, your practice with active reading techniques will make engaged reading 2nd nature to you and will spare you the frustration of wasted study time.
Georgette Adanas has been writing content articles on phonics and spelling since 2001.