Instructions
Review the reading strategies listed under items 4 (Read and Annotate) and 5 (Summarize and Respond) in the Active Reading Procedures handout. Choose a few new ones to try out in your own assigned reading for at least two weeks.
I highly recommend trying “Chunking,” writing “What It Says/What It Does” statements for important paragraphs in your reading, writing a one-paragraph summary of the argument, and a one-paragraph response to the writer’s argument in which you build on, extend, connect, apply, critique or dissent from their view.
At the end of each active reading session, make a few notes about how it went and your thoughts and feelings about the new technique.
In a piece of reflective writing (or video):
- Describe what your usual reading practice is and how well it worked for you
- Describe the new strategy you tried and explain why you wanted to try it
- Explain what reading situations you applied the new strategy in
- Reflect on what worked and didn’t work for you as a result of your new strategy
- What changes in the strategy or improvements in your use of it might you make to get better results?
