Mp3 Script for Reading & Note-making: Lack of Speed

Reading and Note-making at University
By the Learning Strategies Development team at Queen’s University, Kingston.

Problem 2: Lack of Comprehension 

Often university reading is dense and complicated. 
Sometimes it is very hard to understand or make meaning of what you are required to read.  

When this is the case, there are 3 strategies you might want to try:
1. Find a way to get more background information about the concepts you are trying to understand.  You could try another text or resource where the language may be simpler, and the writing more clear. 

2. See the context of the material.  You can do this by understanding the chapter titles, headings and text that is in bold print, and doing this before you actually read the passage. 

3. When you come across unfamiliar vocabulary, FIRST try to understand it from its context. If you still can’t interpret the meaning, look up the word and record its definition in your notes.

The more often you use the new terms, the sooner you will understand them.

It is not enough to read and recite for true understanding. 

Reading requires different levels of thinking from simple recall to high levels of synthesis and evaluation. 

To test your comprehension after reading, ask yourself questions representing different levels of thinking, from simple to complex.  
Start with a simple summary question: Who? What? Where? Why?  

Then it is important to become more sophisticated by asking yourself more analytical questions.   
For example, after reading some material about Pavlov’s experiments in Psychology, you could ask yourself why those experiments were important. What did they prove?  In what other contexts might these findings have merit?  

At an even higher level of thinking, ask yourself hypothetical questions (such as “If this happens, then what?”) and questions which help you judge and evaluate content (such as what are the pros and cons; arguments for and against this topic). 

So true comprehension is about thinking about the material on several levels, not just being able to summarize it.

The SQ4R method of reading is a proven technique to help both comprehension and retention. 
It works because you are actively involved at all times.
Yes, it is time intensive at the outset but it actually saves you time in the end because you are don’t have to reread the material from scratch and you are studying for your tests at the same time. 

Here are the steps in the SQ4R
1. Survey or scan the material quickly. 
Look at the headings, bolded text, diagrams, charts and pictures if there are any. Read the summary of the chapter so you can be more focussed in reading for the main ideas when you actually do your reading.
2. Question: After the survey turn the headings into questions. For example, if the heading reads “ Recession”, you could start by asking yourself  “What is a recession?  What might the causes and symptoms be?”  By turning headings into questions, you are helping yourself concentrate, and helping to focus your reading.
3. Read: Next read the passage. Keep your pen or pencil or highlighter handy. You might want to make notes in the margin, or underline key words, or highlight a summary statement.  
4. Record: After you read, make some notes of the key points. Some students prefer to read and record at the same time, which is fine, too.
5. Recite: Now close the text and recite what you remember.  Go back and check.
6. Review: Finally, write a summary of what you have read, in your own words, and in an interesting way.

Read-Stop-Think-Write Model

For those of you who are still thinking that the SQ4R method won’t work for you, here is a shortened version. 
 
For each paragraph or section you read, omit the survey and question part, and go directly to the writing summary and review. Remember that highlighting the first time through is simply colouring.  

By the way, there is no evidence that highlighting improves comprehension or retention.  But if you wish, highlight key words after you have read the passage and given it some thought.

ConStruct Method
The name comes from Concept AND Structuring.
This method helps you to identify and prioritize important ideas and main points in readings by using a diagram to show conceptual relationships within a selection of readings. The diagram needs to include enough information to act as a framework for the concept. 

I. Start your diagram by writing the topic in a shape in the middle of the page. The rest of the conceptual structure will eminent from the topic. Now skim reading a selection using the survey step you learned in SQ4R method.

II. Now you will read the selection 3 times. 

On the first read, find the key concept.
Read the selection to understand the global meaning of the text. You don’t have to remember everything and non-essential information is ignored at this point. Working outwards form the topic, jot down a few words that capture the meaning of this key concept. 
E.G. If your topic is Genetically Modified Foods, your 1st key concept might be Health Affects of GMFs.

On the second read find the essential information.
Read the selection again. Add all the essential information to the diagram. 
E.g. Your key concept is Health Impacts, and some of the essential info might be allergies to GMFs, unknown long term health impacts of GMFs, and poor nutrition. 

On the third read find non-essential information.
Now scan the text for all non-essential data. Add any data to the diagram that will help you clarify and understand the concept. 
E.G. Essential info might be “Allergies to GMFs” and non-essential info might be some of the many examples of type of allergies.

Finally, check your diagram and make sure you understand everything. If not, go back to the reading and check for clarification. 

With any technique or strategy, it is extremely important to monitor its effectiveness. 

If a technique like SQ4R isn’t working well,  and you know this because you are still having difficulty with comprehension even after trying it for a few weeks, try another strategy and/ or cconsult  a Learning Strategist for individual help.

This completes Problem 2: Lack of Comprehension. For problems with retention of information, continue on to our next presentation.