Strategies for Efficient Reading

Watch this tutorial to learn more about strategies for reading efficiently: 

Use The Reading Cycle 

Remember the Study Cycle? Apply this same “before”, “during”, and “after” study strategy to your reading:

Effectively Marking Your Text

Finish reading before marking

Never mark until you have finished reading a full paragraph or headed section and have paused to think about what you just read. The procedure will keep you from grabbing at everything that looks important at first glance.

Be extremely selective 

Don't underline or jot down so many items that they overload your memory or cause you to try to think in several directions at once. Be stingy with your markings, but don't be so brief that you'll have to read through the page again when you review.

Use Your Own Words  

Information jotted in the margins should be in your own words. Since your own words represent your own thinking they will later be powerful cues to the ideas on the page.

Be brief 

Underline brief but meaningful phrases, rather than complete sentences. Mark your marginal jottings short and to the point. They will make a sharper impression on your memory, and they will be easier to use when you recite and review.


Use the SQ3R Reading Strategy 

The acronym SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. This 5-step reading method offers an efficient strategy to help you fully understand your reading materials!

 

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Want additional practice?

Consider enrolling in US 2002 Power Reading to practice various strategies to develop effective and efficient reading strategies.

Return to Resources and Strategies page.