Survey: Active Reading
The following survey is a self-assessment that will help you determine whether you are an active reader. Use this survey as a supplement to Chapter 1. Take the survey; then read the analysis that follows. Check each statement that applies to you.
Check / Are You an Active or a Passive Reader?1. / When assigned a chapter, I read straight through from beginning to end.
2. / I read one section at a time, stopping to re-read difficult parts.
3. / If I don’t understand my reading, I know the instructor will explain it.
4. / When comprehension fails, I make a note to ask questions in class.
5. / I of ten have trouble finding the main idea in what I read.
6 / Finding the main idea is not a problem for me
7. / I often cannot distinguish between the important and unimportant details.
8. / I can usually decide which details are most important.
9. / The information I read in textbooks does not seem to apply to my life.
10. / I can usually see a connection between what I read and my life or courses.
11. / I do not usually underline, mark, or highlight parts of a chapter.
12. / Underlining and annotating the text are part of my study process.
13. / I have a hard time deciding what to mark or underline in a chapter.
14. / I can usually tell what information to underline or annotate.
15. / If I am not interested, I will not get much out of what I read.
16. / I do not have to be interested to understand and apply what I have read.
17. / Anyone should be able to read a chapter once and get the point.
18. / Information that is difficult or unfamiliar should be read more than once.
19. / Most websites seem to be about equal in value to me.
20 / I can tell which websites provide reliable information and which do not.
Analysis: If you checked mostly even-numbered statements, you are probably already an active reader. If you checked mostly odd-numbered statements, you may be a passive reader. By following these steps, you can become an active reader.
· Preview before reading. To preview an assigned chapter, read the title and introduction to determine the author’s topic and main idea. Take a moment to ask yourself what you already know about the topic. Next, read the chapter headings to determine in advance how the main idea is broken down. Finally, read the summary, if there is one, to get a gist of the author’s main idea and most important details. When you have finished the preview, you are ready to read.
· Read one section at a time, stopping to re-read or think about the difficult parts or unfamiliar ideas. If the chapter is very long, do not try to read it at one sitting. Instead, break it up into three or more segments and take short breaks in between.
· Mark the chapter by underlining phrases that will help you recall the important ideas. Take notes in the margin to remind yourself of important terms to learn or questions to ask in class.
· Review after reading. Read your notes and underlining. Answer any questions at the end of the chapter even if they have not been assigned. Answering the questions will require you to interact with the material, keeping you actively processing the information.