1. Reading Strategies
© 2010 Learning Development

2. Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au
2
Reading practices…
Good readers Poor readers
have a purpose read aimlessly
think & read
simultaneously
become bored
critically evaluate what
they read, as they read
do not question
/evaluate while reading
maintain an overview of
the whole text
get lost in jargon/details
read sentences read word by word

3. 3
Structure of a text…
• BOOK
– back cover
– table of contents: chapter headings
– introductory chapter
– each chapter: introduction,
sections/paragraphs, conclusion
– concluding chapter
– index
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

4. 4Structure of text…
• BUSINESS REPORT
– Table of contents
– Executive summary
– Introduction/background
– Report sections
– Graphs & figures
– Recommendations/conclusion
– Appendices
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

5. 5
Structure of text…
• ARTICLE
– abstract
– headings
– sections
– tables / figures
– reference list
– author affiliation
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

6. 6
Structure of a research article…
• Introduction
– Background
– Purpose of study
• Literature review
– Research questions
• Methodology
– Methodology literature review
• Results
– Tables & data
• Discussion/conclusions
– Significance of results
– Limitations of study
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

7. 7
Sample essay Q
Referring to current research literature,
discuss whether private sector employees are
more or less motivated than those in the
public sector. In what ways do they differ?
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

8. 8
The 3 Rs…
• Relevance
– how relevant is it to the topic?
– how relevant to your task/question
• Reliability
– is it an academic source?
– does it have good references?
– is the publisher/journal respected in the field?
• Recency
– how current is the journal?
– when was the book published?
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

9. 9
Skim read…
• introduction & conclusion
• topic sentences & concluding sentences of
paragraphs
• look for key words about your topic
• look for answers to your particular questions
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

10. 10
Improve comprehension…
• Move from general to specific
– get an overview of unfamiliar topic
– find specialist texts
– make a map of the general field
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au

11. 11
Improve comprehension…
• Read 1x
– relaxed - don’t worry
– clarify difficult words
• Read 2x
– guide reading with questions
– ask more questions as you read
– draw conclusions/summarise as you read
– highlight text
Reading strategies | www.newcastle.edu.au