Effective reading strategies

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Effective reading strategies

• Neil McLean
• LSE Teaching and Learning Centre

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Overview

• Purpose
• Reading for gist
• Reading for specific information
• Reading for argument
• Sources
• Practice

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Purpose

• Without knowing why youre reading you cant know
  how to read
• Options include
• For strategy / overview
• For practical information
• For general understanding
• For clarity
• For essay answer information

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Types of reading

• Skimming reading fast for gist
• Intro / concl. / sub headings / first sentences
• Scanning reading fast for specific information
• Sub headings inside paragraphs
• Intensive reading for deeper meaning
• Find place as above voice / rhetorical flow

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Rhetorical flows

• Rhetoric is the flow of argument
• The classic flow (para. order) is thesis
  justification support
• Common approaches are knock downs, overview and
  implement, narrative / chronology / significance

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Sources

• Study guide
• Further / supplementary reading
• Reading a reading list
• Purpose what are you looking for?
• Kinds of text general intro / new research
• Dates literature review vs. seminal texts
• Titles topic / answering articles

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Practice

• Look at your copy of chapter 3
• What does the tutor / examiner want you to know
  about?

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Practice

• Reading for gist
• Does nationalism pose a threat to sovereignty?
• answer reasons
• (p. 35 task 2.)

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Practice

• Skim reading
• What is the difference between a state and a
  sovereign state?
• (p35 outcomes)

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Practice

• Reading for gist
• Where is the info you need to answer exam
  question 2, p35?

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Intensive reading - purpose

• Look at the text excerpt
• Read the intro, what will Fred Halliday do in
  this chapter?

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Rhetorical flow

• Make a note of the to and fro of his argument in
  paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 on pp 42 / 43

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Rhetorical flows (previewing)

• Complete the notes by reading pp44/5
• Main idea _____________________
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.

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Conclusion

• Know why youre reading
• Organise how youll record the information you
  take
• Read appropriately to your purpose