Part One

“The Stages of Reading” could be interpretted many ways. What stages or steps of reading do you do? What else can you think of? These can be related to articles, books, essays, short stories, or anything else.

Make a list with your group.

Before•Preview•Set goals•Activate Schema

During•Predict•Picture•Relate•Monitor•correct

After•Recall•React

Three THINKING Stages

Compare this to pages 58-59 in our textbook

Compare this to pages 58-59 in our textbook

When previewing, you assess three things◦ The material◦ Your knowledge of the subject◦ Your goals for reading

We do this naturally with all kinds of new situations, but if we understand what we do, why we do it, and how we do it, then we can control it better and do it better.

◦ New textbooks◦ New novel◦ New Class◦ New Party◦ New videogame

What is the topic of the material? What do I already know about the subject? What is my purpose for reading?

◦ Instrumental (what I have to do)◦ Integrative (what I want to do)

How is the material organized? What will be my plan of attack?

Learning questions◦ Look for these or make your own from the title.

Title◦ Take a moment to think about what it means.

Introductory material◦ Notice all that is there, and let it direct you

Subheadings◦ Where do you see subheadings in each chapter of V & V?

Italics, boldface, and numbers◦ These are special words to notice. You can add your own.

Visual aids or marginal notations◦ Pictures, charts, captions, line numbers.

Concluding summary or review◦ Use it before you start read to help you have some

direction.

Prior knowledge is the most important factor in reading comprehension.◦ If you know little about a subject, it will be difficult

to start, even if the language is easy.◦ Add new ideas to your existing framework of

knowledge◦ Students often feel that Freshmen survey courses

are more difficult that senior specialty courses.

Skeleton of knowledge◦ As your knowledge grows, your

skelaton develops new arms, legs, fingers, etc.

Computer folder◦ Inside the folders with further

subfolders continue to grow.◦ Sometimes you need new folders,

sometimes the information in one folder gets bigger.

It is the reader’s job to consider what she already knows about a subject and relate it to new material◦ Good readers do this well.◦ Writing helps!◦ Intelligent people are able to access their

schemas more quickly.◦ Intelligent people can relate different parts of

their schema together. Most people know more than they think

they know.

Classes, textbooks, and teachers give students goals.◦ Know intended reasons for the reading◦ Get good grades◦ Instrumental motivation

Create your own goals◦ Can be the same as class/teacher goals◦ Provides deeper reasons to read◦ Makes reading more personally interesting◦ Integrative motivation