{"id":456,"date":"2017-10-20T16:12:43","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T16:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-americanlit2\/?post_type=chapter&p=456"},"modified":"2017-11-20T17:46:37","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T17:46:37","slug":"troubleshoot-your-reading","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-mythology\/chapter\/troubleshoot-your-reading\/","title":{"raw":"Troubleshoot Your Reading","rendered":"Troubleshoot Your Reading"},"content":{"raw":"Sometimes reading may seem difficult, you might have trouble getting started, or other challenges will surface.\r\nHere are some troubleshooting ideas.\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cSometimes I put my reading off or don\u2019t have time to do it, and then when I do have time, well, I\u2019m out of time.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: That\u2019s a problem, for sure. I always suggest to students that rather than trying to do a bunch of\r\nreading at once, they try to do a little bit every day. That makes it easier.\r\nIf you\u2019re stuck up against a deadline with no reading done, one suggestion is to do some good pre-reading.\r\nThat should at least give you the idea of the main topic.\r\nAnother idea is to divide the total pages assigned by the number of available days, figuring out how many\r\npages you\u2019ll need to read each day to finish the assignment. Sometimes approaching the text in smaller\r\npieces like this can make it feel more doable. Also, once you figure out how long it takes you to read, say, five pages, you can predict how much time it will take to read a larger section.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cIf I don\u2019t understand some part of the reading, I just skip over it and hope someone will explain it later in class.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: Not understanding reading can be frustrating\u2014and it can make it hard to succeed on your\r\nassignments. The best suggestion is to talk with your teacher. Let them know you don\u2019t understand the reading, and they should be able to help.\r\nAnother suggestion is to read sentence by sentence. Be sure you understand each word\u2014if you don\u2019t, look\r\nthem up. As you read, master each sentence before going on to the next one, and then, at the end of a paragraph, stop and summarize the entire paragraph, reflecting on what you just read.\r\nYet another idea: use the Web and do a search for the title of the reading followed by the word \u2018analysis.\u2019\r\nReading what other people have said about the text may help you get past your stuck points. If you\u2019re in a\r\nface-to-face classroom, asking a question in class will encourage discussion and will also help your fellow\r\nstudents, who may have the same confusions.\\\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cI really don\u2019t like to read that much, so I read pretty fast and tend to stick with the obvious meanings. But then the teacher is always asking us to dig deeper and try to figure out what the author really meant. I get so frustrated with that!\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: College-level writing tends to have multiple layers of significance. The easiest way to think\r\nabout this is by separating the \u201cobvious or surface meaning\u201d from the \u201cburied treasure meaning.\u201d This can\r\nactually be one of the most fun parts of a reading\u2014you get to play detective. As you read, try to ask questions of the text: Why? Who? Where? For what reason? These questions will help you think more deeply\r\nabout the text.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cSometimes I jump to conclusions about what a text means and then later find out I wasn\u2019t understanding it completely.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: This usually happens when we read too quickly and don\u2019t engage with the text. The best way\r\nto avoid this is to slow down and take time with the text, following all the guidelines for effective and critical\r\nreading.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cWhen a text suggests an idea I strongly disagree with, I can\u2019t seem to go any further.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: Aristotle was known for saying, \u201cIt is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a\r\nthought without accepting it.\u201d As a college student, you must be ready to explore and examine a wide range\r\nof ideas, whether you agree with them or not. In approaching texts with an open and willing mind, you leave\r\nyourself ready to engage with a wide world of ideas\u2014many of which you may not have encountered before.\r\nThis is what college is all about.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cI\u2019m a slow reader. It takes me a long time to read material, and sometimes the amount of assigned reading panics me.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: Two thoughts. One, the more you read, the easier it gets: like anything, reading improves with\r\npractice. And two, you\u2019ll probably find your reading is most effective if you try to do a little bit every day\r\nrather than several hours of reading all at one time. Plan ahead! Be aware of what you need to read and\r\ndivide it up among the available days. Reading 100 pages in a week may seem overwhelming, but reading\r\n15 pages a day will be easier. Be sure to read when you\u2019re fresh, too, rather than at day\u2019s end, when you\u2019re\r\nexhausted.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cSometimes the teacher assigns content in an area I really know nothing about. I want to be an accountant.\r\nWhy should I read philosophy or natural history, and how am I supposed to understand them?\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: By reading a wide variety of texts, we don\u2019t just increase our knowledge base\u2014we also make\r\nour minds work. This kind of \u201cmental exercise\u201d teaches the brain and prepares it to deal with all kinds\r\nof critical and innovative thinking. It also helps train us to different reading and writing tasks, even when\r\nthey\u2019re not familiar to us.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cWhen I examine a text, I tend to automatically accept what it says. But the teacher is always encouraging\r\nus to ask questions and not make assumptions.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions:What you\u2019re doing is reading as a reader\u2014reading for yourself and making your own assumptions.\r\nThe teacher wants you to reach for the next level by reading critically. By engaging with the text and\r\ndigging through it as if you\u2019re on an archaeological expedition, you\u2019ll discover even more about the text.\r\nThis can be fun, and it also helps train your brain to explore texts with an analytic eye.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nProblem: \u201cI really hate reading. I\u2019ve found I can skip the readings, read the SparkNotes, and get by just fine.\u201d\r\n\r\nSuggestions: First, if you aren\u2019t familiar with SparkNotes, it\u2019s an online site that provides summary and\r\nanalysis of many literary texts and other materials, and students often use this to either replace reading or\r\nto better understand materials. You may be able to get by, at least for a while, with reading Sparks Notes\r\nalone, for they do a decent basic job of summarizing content and talking about simple themes. But Sparks\r\nisn\u2019t good at reading texts deeply or considering deep analysis, which means a Sparks-only approach will\r\nresult in your missing a lot of what the text includes.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nYou\u2019ll also be missing some great experiences. The more you read, the easier reading becomes. The more\r\nyou read deeply and critically and the more comfortable you become with analyzing texts, the easier that\r\nprocess becomes. And as your textual skills become stronger, you\u2019ll find yourself more successful with all\r\nof your college studies, too. Reading remains a vital college (and life!) skill\u2014the more you practice reading,\r\nthe better you\u2019ll be at it. And honestly, reading can be fun, too\u2013 not to mention a great way to relax and an\r\nalmost instant stress reducer.","rendered":"

Sometimes reading may seem difficult, you might have trouble getting started, or other challenges will surface.
\nHere are some troubleshooting ideas.<\/p>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cSometimes I put my reading off or don\u2019t have time to do it, and then when I do have time, well, I\u2019m out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: That\u2019s a problem, for sure. I always suggest to students that rather than trying to do a bunch of
\nreading at once, they try to do a little bit every day. That makes it easier.
\nIf you\u2019re stuck up against a deadline with no reading done, one suggestion is to do some good pre-reading.
\nThat should at least give you the idea of the main topic.
\nAnother idea is to divide the total pages assigned by the number of available days, figuring out how many
\npages you\u2019ll need to read each day to finish the assignment. Sometimes approaching the text in smaller
\npieces like this can make it feel more doable. Also, once you figure out how long it takes you to read, say, five pages, you can predict how much time it will take to read a larger section.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cIf I don\u2019t understand some part of the reading, I just skip over it and hope someone will explain it later in class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: Not understanding reading can be frustrating\u2014and it can make it hard to succeed on your
\nassignments. The best suggestion is to talk with your teacher. Let them know you don\u2019t understand the reading, and they should be able to help.
\nAnother suggestion is to read sentence by sentence. Be sure you understand each word\u2014if you don\u2019t, look
\nthem up. As you read, master each sentence before going on to the next one, and then, at the end of a paragraph, stop and summarize the entire paragraph, reflecting on what you just read.
\nYet another idea: use the Web and do a search for the title of the reading followed by the word \u2018analysis.\u2019
\nReading what other people have said about the text may help you get past your stuck points. If you\u2019re in a
\nface-to-face classroom, asking a question in class will encourage discussion and will also help your fellow
\nstudents, who may have the same confusions.\\<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cI really don\u2019t like to read that much, so I read pretty fast and tend to stick with the obvious meanings. But then the teacher is always asking us to dig deeper and try to figure out what the author really meant. I get so frustrated with that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: College-level writing tends to have multiple layers of significance. The easiest way to think
\nabout this is by separating the \u201cobvious or surface meaning\u201d from the \u201cburied treasure meaning.\u201d This can
\nactually be one of the most fun parts of a reading\u2014you get to play detective. As you read, try to ask questions of the text: Why? Who? Where? For what reason? These questions will help you think more deeply
\nabout the text.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cSometimes I jump to conclusions about what a text means and then later find out I wasn\u2019t understanding it completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: This usually happens when we read too quickly and don\u2019t engage with the text. The best way
\nto avoid this is to slow down and take time with the text, following all the guidelines for effective and critical
\nreading.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cWhen a text suggests an idea I strongly disagree with, I can\u2019t seem to go any further.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: Aristotle was known for saying, \u201cIt is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a
\nthought without accepting it.\u201d As a college student, you must be ready to explore and examine a wide range
\nof ideas, whether you agree with them or not. In approaching texts with an open and willing mind, you leave
\nyourself ready to engage with a wide world of ideas\u2014many of which you may not have encountered before.
\nThis is what college is all about.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cI\u2019m a slow reader. It takes me a long time to read material, and sometimes the amount of assigned reading panics me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: Two thoughts. One, the more you read, the easier it gets: like anything, reading improves with
\npractice. And two, you\u2019ll probably find your reading is most effective if you try to do a little bit every day
\nrather than several hours of reading all at one time. Plan ahead! Be aware of what you need to read and
\ndivide it up among the available days. Reading 100 pages in a week may seem overwhelming, but reading
\n15 pages a day will be easier. Be sure to read when you\u2019re fresh, too, rather than at day\u2019s end, when you\u2019re
\nexhausted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cSometimes the teacher assigns content in an area I really know nothing about. I want to be an accountant.
\nWhy should I read philosophy or natural history, and how am I supposed to understand them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: By reading a wide variety of texts, we don\u2019t just increase our knowledge base\u2014we also make
\nour minds work. This kind of \u201cmental exercise\u201d teaches the brain and prepares it to deal with all kinds
\nof critical and innovative thinking. It also helps train us to different reading and writing tasks, even when
\nthey\u2019re not familiar to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cWhen I examine a text, I tend to automatically accept what it says. But the teacher is always encouraging
\nus to ask questions and not make assumptions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions:What you\u2019re doing is reading as a reader\u2014reading for yourself and making your own assumptions.
\nThe teacher wants you to reach for the next level by reading critically. By engaging with the text and
\ndigging through it as if you\u2019re on an archaeological expedition, you\u2019ll discover even more about the text.
\nThis can be fun, and it also helps train your brain to explore texts with an analytic eye.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Problem: \u201cI really hate reading. I\u2019ve found I can skip the readings, read the SparkNotes, and get by just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suggestions: First, if you aren\u2019t familiar with SparkNotes, it\u2019s an online site that provides summary and
\nanalysis of many literary texts and other materials, and students often use this to either replace reading or
\nto better understand materials. You may be able to get by, at least for a while, with reading Sparks Notes
\nalone, for they do a decent basic job of summarizing content and talking about simple themes. But Sparks
\nisn\u2019t good at reading texts deeply or considering deep analysis, which means a Sparks-only approach will
\nresult in your missing a lot of what the text includes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

You\u2019ll also be missing some great experiences. The more you read, the easier reading becomes. The more
\nyou read deeply and critically and the more comfortable you become with analyzing texts, the easier that
\nprocess becomes. And as your textual skills become stronger, you\u2019ll find yourself more successful with all
\nof your college studies, too. Reading remains a vital college (and life!) skill\u2014the more you practice reading,
\nthe better you\u2019ll be at it. And honestly, reading can be fun, too\u2013 not to mention a great way to relax and an
\nalmost instant stress reducer.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>