Introduction to Specialized Reading Strategies

Evaluate reading strategies for specialized texts

According to one report, the amount people that read tripled from 1980 to the late 2000s, and it’s probably safe to say that trend continues today. But as we jam more and more words into our heads, how we read those words has changed in a fundamental way: we’ve moved from paper to screens. It’s left many wondering what we’ve lost (or gained) in the shift…[1]

Woman standing, reading on a Kindle on a crowded public transit trainWe’ve already examined the idea that the kind of reading we do in educational settings can be quite different from reading we do for pleasure. It makes sense, then, that even further differentiation can be found inside of academic reading.

Some types of reading require specific strategies, and specific approaches, that are unique to that experience. This section will explore some of those situations in greater depth.

What You Will Learn to Do

  • evaluate strategies for reading on digital devices
  • evaluate strategies for reading math, social science, and science texts
  • evaluate strategies for reading graphics (charts, etc.)

  1. Sneed, Annie. “Everything Science Knows About Reading On Screens.” Co.Design, Co.Design, 2 May 2017, www.fastcodesign.com/3048297/everything-science-knows-about-reading-on-screens. Accessed 25 June 2016.