This document provides guidance on how to effectively read assigned materials for class. It recommends embracing reading to acquire knowledge, develop understanding, and be introduced to new ideas. It also suggests finding the purpose of the reading and reading before and after class for clarification. Before reading, the document advises previewing the material and developing questions. When reading, it recommends marking up key aspects, highlighting, and taking notes. For confusing parts, it suggests rereading, writing questions, and seeking help. After reading, it proposes summarizing, creating questions, revisiting important sections, and discussing the material with others.

2. What do you do when you are assigned
a reading for class?

3. Embrace Reading
How does it help?
• Acquire knowledge
• Develop an understanding of the material
• Introduced to new ideas and terms
• Gain more exposure to class material
• Get ideas for major assignments and projects
• Critically think and process information

4. Find and Understand the purpose
• Reading before class
• Introduce ideas, concepts, and formulas
• Ground the lectures
• Gain the basics of the class lecture
• Reading after class
• Clarify concepts and look for connections to lecture material
• Reinforce class time

5. Before Reading
Preview the material and prepare questions
• The preface or introduction, will help you understand what the text is
about
• Observe the Table of Contents, chapter summaries, and section
headings
• Develop questions about the material
• General or specific

6. Read with focus
Engage with the text
• Mark up key aspects of the text
• Definitions, examples, connections
• Highlight and underline things that stick out
• Formulas, definitions, main ideas
• Key concepts
• Take notes while reading
• Works well with especially dense material

8. Read with focus
Clarify confusing material
• Carefully reread any material you find confusing
• Write questions
• Look up definitions
• Glossaries
• Footnotes
• Ask a classmate or instructor for help
• Build a foundation of knowledge

9. Develop a system for your own
reading!

10. Develop a system for your own reading!
• Think about what you
want to get out of the
reading
• Keep the amount of
symbols minimal
• Adjust your system to
what you are reading
• Example: If there is a list
of terms for each
chapter, then you
probably don’t need to
highlight them

11. After Reading
Revisit the material
• Write your own summaries
• Create questions and try to answer them
• Reread important sections
• Look for where emphasis is placed
• Identify bold or italicized words
• Rewrite your margin notes into a notebook

12. After Reading
Discuss the material
• Connect with professor or TA
• Look for common questions and points of confusion
• Summarize the material to someone unfamiliar with the text
• Turn to your peers for added clarification
• Utilize Drop-In tutoring or SI-PASS

13. After Reading
Reread with supplemental sources
• Review sections that are confusing
• Search YouTube
• May contain summaries or explanations of the text you need to
read
• Look for supplemental readings to help clarify
• Example: Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and
Cultural Theory

14. Critical Reading: Beyond
Textbooks

15. Assignment Prompts
Figuring out what you need to do
• When you get the prompt
• Read it completely!
• Underline keypoints and requirements
• Ask Questions

16. Assignment Prompts: Breaking Down the
Assignment
• Figure out the background information that contextualizes the
task you're being asked to do
• Understand what you’re being asked to do
• Determine the technical guidelines
• Due dates
• Expected length
• Style guidelines

17. Assignment Prompts: Additional Questions
to Consider
• Are there any guiding questions that should be included in the
assignment?
• What is the purpose of the assignment?
• Is there a style that the field uses that you could incorporate into
your assignment?
• Academic papers
• Lab reports