Reading a College Textbook
Your Reading Profile
What's Your Reader Profile?
Please complete this quick assessment and think about your results as you continue this workshop.
- When I have an assignment to read
a. I am usually enthusiastic about what I learn.
b. I like to wait to see whether what I have to read will be valuable.
c. I am nervous about reading assignments because I'm afraid I may not understand them.
- My attitude toward the authors of my college books are
a. I think of them as human beings with an interesting story to tell.
b. I have not really given the writers much thought.
c. I think of them as people who will probably talk over my head.
- When I plan my reading
a. I think about how the assignment fits in with the objective of the course.
b. I review the prior assignment to set the stage for current work.
c. I plunge in to get done.
- I take breaks
a. To consolidate the information I read.
b. To help extend the length of the productive study time.
c. Whenever I lose interest in my reading.
- When I don't know a word
a. I look it up, write it down, and practice it.
b. I try to figure it out from the context of the paragraph.
c. I usually skip over it and hope it won't make too much difference in the meaning.
- When I can't understand a sentence
a. I reread the sentence more carefully.
b. I try to figure out the sentence from the context of the paragraph.
c. I skip the sentence, hope it will make sense later.
- When the whole assignment confuses me
a. I try to find more material that will shed some light on my confusion.
b. I ask the instructor or someone else for ideas about to cope with the assignment.
c. I tend to give up on it.
- When I read
a. I concentrate on reading as fast as I can while still understanding the meaning.
b. I try to sweep as many words as I can at a glance.
c. I take it one word at a time - speed doesn't matter to me.
Assessment from Santrock, John W. & Halonen, Jane S. Your Guide to College Success. (1999) California: Wadsworth Publishing.
"A" and "B" answers are more indicative of successful patterns for college readers. If you have marked any "C" alternatives, develop goals for improvement as you go forward.
Get a piece of paper, and write down your new goals. Click here if you need more assistance writing your goals. Or, write down what you need to work on and get new ideas and strategies later on in this workshop.
For example: if you chose "C" to "when I have an assignment to read," your goal could look like "I will not be apprehensive when I read my textbook. I will have a more positive attitude about my learning." Use the "A" and "B" answers to help guide you to find a good goal.
To learn more about specific reading strategies, click on one of the links below.
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