{"id":870,"date":"2017-07-21T19:12:19","date_gmt":"2017-07-21T19:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/?post_type=chapter&p=870"},"modified":"2017-07-24T21:24:19","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T21:24:19","slug":"reading-academic-texts","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/chapter\/reading-academic-texts\/","title":{"raw":"Reading Academic Texts","rendered":"Reading Academic Texts"},"content":{"raw":"

Why Evaluate Academic Reading Strategies?<\/h2>\r\n
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Reading is fundamental to writing and research at University, but often gets overlooked \u2013 lecturers assume that students know how to read, and students assume there\u2019s only one way to read \u2013 but neither of these things is necessarily true! There are ways to read that can improve information processing, can help with building an argument, and importantly for many students, can save lots of time!! -- Academic Literacy Workshops, University of Cape Town[footnote]Hurst, Ellen, Ed. Academic Literacy Workshops: A Handbook for Students and Instructors<\/em>. U of Capetown. 2011.<\/a>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

The passage above makes an important point: most of us assume we know how to read for school. However, methods that may have been fine in the past (skimming, quick reviews, relying upon class lectures or notes) won't hold up well as we\u00a0move further into higher education.<\/p>\r\n

Academic reading is a specific category of reading. \u00a0It's helpful to remember that academic reading is an act of performance<\/strong>. Rather than sitting back and passively receiving information we read in college, we will be asked to directly act upon that information in some way. We will be quizzed or tested. We will be asked to debate, analyze, or critique what we read. We will need to read closely, remember the text accurately, and compare it to other texts for style and content.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Purpose of Academic Reading<\/h2>\r\nCasual reading across genres, from books and magazines to newspapers and blogs, is something students should be encouraged to do in their free time because it can be both\u00a0educational and fun. In college, however, instructors generally expect students to read resources that have particular value in the context of a course.\u00a0Why is academic reading beneficial?\r\n
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  • Information comes from reputable sources<\/strong>: Web sites and blogs can be a source of insight and information, but not all\u00a0are useful as academic resources. They may be written by people or companies whose main purpose is to share an opinion or sell you something. Academic sources\u00a0such as textbooks and scholarly journal articles,\u00a0on the other hand, are usually written by experts in the field and have to\u00a0pass stringent peer review requirements in order to get published.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Learn how to form arguments<\/strong>: In most college classes except for creating writing, when instructors ask you\u00a0to write a paper, they expect it to be argumentative in style. This means that the goal\u00a0of the paper is to research a topic and develop an argument about it using evidence and facts to support your position.\u00a0Since many\u00a0college reading assignments (especially journal articles) are written in a similar style, you\u2019ll gain experience studying\u00a0their strategies and learning to emulate them.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Exposure to\u00a0different viewpoints<\/strong>: One purpose of assigned academic readings is to give students exposure to different viewpoints and ideas. For example, in an ethics class, you might be asked\u00a0to read a series of articles written by medical professionals and religious leaders\u00a0who are pro-life or pro-choice and consider the validity of their arguments. Such experience can help you wrestle with ideas and beliefs\u00a0in new ways and develop a better understanding of how others\u2019 views differ from your own.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Reading Strategies for Academic Texts<\/h2>\r\nRecall from the Active Learning\u00a0section\u00a0that effective reading requires more engagement\u00a0than just reading the words on the\u00a0page. In order to learn and retain\u00a0what you read, it\u2019s a good idea to\u00a0do things\u00a0like circling key words, writing notes, and reflecting. Actively reading academic texts can be challenging for students who are used to reading for entertainment alone, but practicing\u00a0the following steps will get you up to speed:\r\n
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    • Preview<\/strong>: You can gain insight from\u00a0an academic text before you even begin\u00a0the reading assignment. For example, if you are assigned a nonfiction book, read the title, the back of the book, and table of contents. Scanning this information can give you an initial idea of what you\u2019ll be reading and some useful context for thinking about it.\u00a0You can also start to make connections between the new reading and knowledge you already have, which is another strategy for retaining information.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Read<\/strong>: While you read an academic text, you should have a pen or pencil\u00a0in hand. Circle or highlight key concepts. Write questions or comments in the margins or in a notebook. \u00a0This will help you remember what you are reading and also build a personal connection with the subject matter.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Summarize<\/strong>: After you an read academic text, it\u2019s worth taking the time to write a short summary\u2014even if your instructor doesn\u2019t require it. The exercise of jotting down a few sentences or a short paragraph capturing the main ideas of the reading is enormously beneficial: it not only\u00a0helps you understand and absorb what you read but gives you ready study and review materials for exams and other writing assignments.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Review<\/strong>: It always helps to revisit what you\u2019ve read for a quick refresher. It may not be practical to thoroughly reread assignments from start to finish, but before class discussions or tests, it\u2019s a good idea to skim through them to identify the main points, reread any notes at the ends of chapters, and review any summaries you\u2019ve written.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe following video covers\u00a0additional active reading strategies readers can use\u00a0before, during, and after the reading process.\r\n\r\n