5 Textbook Reading Strategies to Try This Year

By Elise Nelson on July 31, 2017

It happens to every college student at least once. You stay up all night trying to get through 100 pages of a textbook chapter. You finally finish reading, only to realize that you can only recall a few details. How can you be expected to remember everything?

It’s certainly not easy, but it’s possible. Impress your professors and ace the exams this year with these five textbook reading strategies.

1. Pseudo-skimming

Skimming through your textbook is usually a last-minute study effort. You’ll remember enough to spew a few decent answers on a pop quiz, but you’ll forget the reading after class, so usually this isn’t the best method for long-term studying.

What if skimming could help you learn? Pseudo-skimming is a way to cut down your reading time while still comprehending and retaining the material.

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Of course, not everything in a textbook is important — some paragraphs are there to simply fill space. If you can identify which paragraphs aren’t needed, you can skip them and focus on the ones that matter.

Scan each paragraph to see if there are any key concepts. If you see one, stop and read the text at a normal pace. When the words start to seem unimportant again, you can pick up the speed.

According to the Study Hacks Blog, “the longer the reading, the higher percentage of filler paragraphs.”

Becoming a skilled pseudo-skimmer means being able to spot fillers in a short amount of time. The blog offers some common fillers to watch out for.

2. Marking the book

A good active reading method is to take notes on the text — literally. Write in the book if you can. Highlight, underline, or write quick notes in the margins as you read.

“Margin-notes can really help jog your memory later because they help you connect the reading material to things you already know, making it easier for your brain to solidify your understanding of the topic,” according to blogger Thomas Frank in his book, 10 Steps to Learning Awesome Grades.

If your textbook is a rental or you plan on selling it, you can mark your books with sticky tabs. If you walk away from the book, the sticky tab will be there to hold your place and any notes you’ve written on them will remind you of what you read.

Image via Pixabay.com

If you need to take more in-depth notes at any time during your reading, write them down in a notebook. Keep the notebook handy when you’re studying. As you write notes down, make sure to reference the book’s page number so you know where your ideas came from. It’s frustrating when you have to flip through a book three times because you can’t find a specific quote.

3. Reading aloud

Grab a glass of water and get your vocal cords ready for this one. If you have trouble remembering what you’ve read when it’s time to be quizzed, reading aloud might be your solution.

You don’t have to read the whole chapter out loud — just the important details. Read the filler paragraphs silently. When you get to an important paragraph, read it aloud to help you retain the memory.

According to Art Markman of Psychology Today, this method works because we tend to remember “oddball” words. In this case, the “oddballs” are the ones spoken out loud instead of silently.

Image via Pixabay.com

“The words you speak aloud are now translated into speech and you have knowledge of producing the items as well as a memory of hearing them. All of this information makes your memory for the spoken items more distinct from the rest of the items that were read silently,” Markman said.

4. Reading backward

Backward text the read actually don’t. Don’t actually read the text backward like you probably just tried. That will make your head hurt. Instead, start your study session by looking at the end of the textbook chapter first.

Read the summary, review questions, and vocabulary. Once you know which key phrases and ideas to look for, read the pages backward to the beginning of the chapter. Since you already know what the lesson is, you can follow how the textbook teaches you.

“Get a feel for what the chapter wants you to learn. Then, as you read backward, you’ll see where important things like vocabulary are mentioned and you’ll already be able to grasp the concept,” said Frank on his blog, College Info Geek.

Check out the video below to see Frank discuss his favorite active reading methods.

5. Segmented reading

Have you ever tried to get through a long class by counting down time intervals in your head? You think, “Okay, I have 30 minutes left. So, I only need to get through 10 minutes, 3 times!” You can use the same intervals method to get through textbook reading.

Segmented reading is perfect for students who have trouble concentrating for long periods of time. Instead of reading 50 pages all at once, you can read 10 pages and then take a break. You can also try to read as much as possible (at a slow pace) in 10 minutes.

It will take longer to finish the assignment, but you can focus better on each segment when you include breaks. You’ll also have an easier time remembering the information when you go back to review.

Another form of segmented reading is known as the candy trail method. Take some pieces of your favorite candy and place them on top of random paragraphs throughout the chapter. Make sure the pieces are spread out. Start reading — when you get to a piece of candy, you get to eat it!

Be wary of how often you use the candy trail method unless you want to take a trip to the dentist …

Image via Pixabay.com

Finding the method that works best for you is only half the battle. The right environment will improve your study skills even more. Here are seven ways to focus your living space towards academics.

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