Study Skills Taking control of your reading

Useful Tips
Try to recognize the key features of a text, this helps you read quicker. Try to indentify appropriate texts for you. Try to learn how to develop strategies for the effective reader.

What is a text?
Any written and printed material. The main body of a manuscript, a book or a newspaper etc., as distinguished from notes, headings, appendixes, illustrations etc. The actual wording of anything written or printed. The prescribed books or materials that you have to follow while studying a subject.

How to recognize the key features of a text?

Recognizing the key features of a text depends upon two things:
a)

b)

Your knowledge of how the text is put together (What is the style of the text?) Your understanding of the text types that you read most.

What are the different types of texts?

Textbooks Readers Lectures Notes Manuals Text on the web and journal articles

How different texts help you?

Textbooks help you understand a topic in systemic way. Readers are written by multiple authors to provide more in-depth information on a topic. Lectures notes enable you to record most important points. Manuals give you a set of instruction Texts on the web give you reviews, articles and blogging. Journal articles help you in research

Key features of a text

Headings Sub-headings Summary/abstract Paragraph Bold/italic print References

How are ideas developed?

Writers usually use paragraphs to build up ideas. So you need to: A- identify quickly how the paragraph is structured. This will help you to read more efficiently. B- understand how the ideas are developed. This will help you to restate the ideas.

How the authors develop ideas using linking words

Development of ideas Linking words

Definition and description Comparing and contrasting Cause and effect Processes or sequences

Is defines as, comprises, refers to, etc. Similarly, on the other hand, is different from, compared with, however, etc. As a result, therefore, if..., then...., because etc. First, second, then, next, finally etc.

Properties of technical texts such as science, math and engineering texts

Difficult to read as they dont have narrative style. Concentrate on explaining concepts and their relationship Focus on characteristics and properties of substances and cycles of events. e.g. Oxygen Colourless, odourless, neutral (neither acid or base), tasteless, supports combustion.

Tips for reading technical texts efficiently

Be clear of the purpose of the text. Read the text in small chunks. Take your own notes. Create your own mind map and relate concepts to one another. Search the Web for simpler explanation and full acronym lists.