Let's start with a few questions, for you this time! Firstly, do you want to fall asleep? A lot of people read at bedtime because they want to go to sleep! Falling asleep while studying, on the other hand, is definitely a problem!
The next question is, 'Are you in good health?' Yes? Then ask yourself,' Am I reading at the best time of day for me?'
Would scheduling reading
appointments for
particular times of
day make a difference?Check all the circumstances:
Have you got good lighting?
Is your chair too comfortable?
Is the atmosphere stuffy? Make sure you have a well-lit space, and you are not too comfortable or too warm.
How do you feel about the task? Do you have a great deal to read, or something difficult to read? Ask yourself, 'How I could organise things to make the task easier?'
How about breaking the reading into
sections?
What about planning (and taking)
short breaks? How could
you
re-energise to get the most from the
breaks? If you have something very boring to read, ask yourself, 'What can I do to be more motivated?'
How about trying some of the ideas listed below? Reading for Study
Before
Set your timer for a short length of time, maybe 10 to 20 minutes.
Remind yourself about what you know
already about the topic.
'What do I know
already?' You may be surprised at how
much you do know! What DON'T YOU
KNOW that
you would like to know?
What do you want to learn? Ask questions
about what you would like
to know. You
could guess the answers
to some of your
questions. Will
you be right?
Set your timer for a short length of time,
maybe 10 to 20 minutes.
Glance quickly through the book to get an
overview before you start.
Put bookmarks where you see items of
interest. Is the book right for
you? Would
another choice of book be
better? How
much of the book do
you NEED to read?
Decide when and for how long you are going
to read.
Short bursts of reading (10- 20
minutes) can work well. Plan breaks.During
If the topic is something completely new to
you, quickly look through
the book again, to
get a good
overview.
Organise your reading so that you read the
beginnings and end of chapters first
(where
the
summaries are). Then read the middle
sections.
If you get stuck, keep going. There is often
an explanation further on. After
When you have finished, check your
questions have been answered
and your
goals achieved.
Celebrate! © Anne Jones January 2008
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence .