Chapter 3 Reading for Study Purposes.pptx

Academic Literacy Ch. 3: Reading for Study Purposes Cecilia Dube The role of reading in our everyday lives We read, amongst other reasons: for entertainment for specific information to empower ourselves with general knowledge of all kinds to sharpen our powers of imag...

Academic Literacy Ch. 3: Reading for Study Purposes Cecilia Dube The role of reading in our everyday lives We read, amongst other reasons: for entertainment for specific information to empower ourselves with general knowledge of all kinds to sharpen our powers of imagination for academic success READING FOR STUDY PURPOSES  Reading-related Challenges Facing Students Many students’ in their first year of university study find reading challenging because they: find academic texts difficult to understand do not spend enough time on reading assignments or their own private study think that reading a text once is sufficient do not enjoy reading most academic texts would rather skip difficult parts of a text than spend time trying to understand it are overly-reliant on lectures or other presentations prefer to read relevant chapters AFTER rather than BEFORE lectures Reading for Academic Purposes Reading with understanding at university requires awareness of: the different types of texts the way information is presented in them how to exploit knowledge of text type to promote understanding the appropriate strategies to apply to each reading task Different types of academic study reading material: texts and textbooks Texts and textbooks, which are characterised by  the use of formal, academic language non-fiction content presentation of content in particular formats, e.g.  introduction and conclusion  notions of thesis point or statement  paragraphs with topic and subsidiary sentences Different types of academic study reading material: journal articles Journal articles, which present findings from research, have the following basic structure: Abstract Introduction Method Results Discussion Conclusion  Reading Purposes and Strategies At university, we read mainly for the following purposes: to find specific information to have an overview of a text for critical analysis of a text for study purposes.  What to do Before, During & After Make adequate preparations before you settle down to read Understand what you read during the reading Equip yourself with strategies for storing what you read in your long-term memory after your study session. Reading for Study Purposes (1): SQ3R Be systematic by applying a tried and tested study reading method. One such method is SQ3R, which stands for: Survey Question Read Recite Review  Survey Before studying a chapter in a book, look at: the chapter heading  sub-headings, if any  pictures, illustrations, or any other graphics  (read the captions, if any) the first paragraph  the first sentence of each succeeding paragraph  the last paragraph  discussion questions, if any  Why you need to survey Surveying is critical for preparing yourself for reading in order to: Get an overall picture of the content of a text Decide what’s important or relevant to your assignment Locate the main points Connect what you already know to what you don’t know Ensure that you have cleared your mind, ready for the reading process. Ideally, you should create a conducive environment for study, i.e. one in which you are unlikely to be  Question Turn the chapter heading into a question Turn any sub-headings into questions Create other questions based on: the introduction pictures, graphs, illustrations, etc. the conclusion Why you need to question You need to question the chapter headings, sub-headings, visual images, etc. so that you: Stay focused on the reading task Give yourself a purpose for reading every part of the text Keep your interest levels high  Read Be ready to integrate new knowledge with what you already know as you start reading Read interactively by annotating the text  underline or use a highlighter to identify main points circle important definitions mark unclear sections with question marks use key words or symbol in the margin to mark important points  group similar points by assigning them a number take note of any patterns that identify the genre of the text NB. The implication of these points is that you should never begin reading without a pen and paper Reasons for reading a specific text to gain information to prepare for a lecture to prepare for a discussion to prepare for a test or an exam Recite Recite what you have just read by saying it to yourself - aloud or silently, depending on the environment Focus on the main ideas Ideally, recite each paragraph or section as you go along Write brief notes from what you have just recited. DO NOT copy from the text Why and when to recite Why recite It improves your concentration It helps you remember the material When you should recite As you go along, i.e. immediately after reading each section Review Go over your notes from the ‘Recite’ stage Check them against the text for accuracy Correct any inaccuracies after re-reading the relevant section Reading for Study Purposes (2): SQ4R SQR4 has an additional “R”: Read Recite Review Relate * After reciting (i.e. repeating to yourself) what you have just read and checking the accuracy of your notes against the original text, you relate it to what you already know.  Reading for Study Purposes (3): SQ5R SQ5R has two R’s more than SQ3R: Read Respond Record Recite Review * In SQ3R, the second “R”, i.e. “Recite”, includes note taking, which is presented as a separate step (“Record”) in SQ5R. * SQ5R has a step referred to as “Respond”, which refers to the automatic process that occurs when a reader comes across something that he/she recognises and responds to it at the intellectual or emotional level. Particular attention is paid to significant or important information here. Reading for Study Purposes (4): ECT Supplement SQ3R, SQ4R or SQ5R with ECT, which stands for: Exploration: activate prior knowledge before a lecture through revising relevant notes, brainstorming reading around the topic Consolidation: reflect on prior and newly- acquired knowledge; edit, re-write and reorganise lecture notes Testing: answer self-evaluation questions READING GRAPHIC INFORMATION Types of Graphic Information Graphs Charts Tables Diagrams Illustrations/Photos Getting the big picture Read the text outside the image (title, date, source, etc) Read around the image (i.e. what is measured and units of measurement) Read inside the image (i.e. bars in a graph, slices in a pie chart, images within a picture, etc)  Process of interpretation Begin by identifying the aim of the image and its context Focus only on those variables that are relevant for your present purpose Introduce your description by providing a context for the contents of the image: Why was the image produced? Who produced it? When was the information collected? For whom? If it is a graph, chart, table, etc, what is being measured, against what? Use the textual information outside the image to introduce your analysis and interpretation Use full sentences in your description Focus on the specifics according to the purpose of your interpretation Use linking words to produce coherent text Developing A Wide Vocabulary One way of systematically expanding your disciplinary vocabularies is to compile glossaries of new words for all your subjects. For each one, draw a table with three columns: Column 1: new words Column 2: everyday meanings Column 3: specialized disciplinary meanings * To learn the new words as effectively as possible, add another column in which you use them in sentences of your own. Any questions?  References Beekman, Dube, Potgieter & Underhill. (2016). Academic Literacy, Second Edition. Cape Town: Juta - (n.d.) SQ3R. Retrieved on 12 October 2016 from https://www.google.co.za/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=57YDWLL xI42p8weIponwAQ&gws_rd=ssl#q=rfr.ch+-+1+sq 3r.3-revised_9.3.ppt Brazosport College. 2018. SQ4R Reading Method. Brazosport College. Available from: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search? q=cache:http://brazosport.edu/programs/academ ics/Learning-Frameworks/SQ4R/index [Accessed 19 February 2019] Harvey Knowledge Center. 2019. The SQ5R Study