So, your teacher or professor has given you a reading assignment, and he or she will most likely quiz or test you on the contents or require your response in a discussion in class. You can either read the text in a half-ass manner and risk a poor grade or non-participation in the discussion or read effectively, resulting in a good grade and in solid contribution during discussion. The following guide will help you to maximize your reading effectiveness.
Reading is a process that can be broken down into three parts:
Before Reading
During Reading
After Reading
Before you begin to read, you want to ask yourself the following questions:
1. What do I want to know from the reading?
2. What do I already know about the subject matter it treats?
3. Why this particular text?
4. What literary genre does the text fall under?
5. What do I know about the author?
[Next week I will look at what you should do during reading].