The development of analytical reading skills is one of the urgent problems at the present stage of the development of pedagogical theory and practice. Well-formed reading skills are the foundation of all subsequent student learning. The skill of reading involves the awareness of the perceived work and the development of one’s own attitude to what is being read.
Prepare for analytical reading
Before you start working on a book (and analytical reading is a job), find out a little about the author. Who is he? When he wrote this work, what prompted him to do so? Agree, that a monograph from a doctor of science is more credible than that from an amateur historian. Spend a few minutes reviewing:
- Explore the content. Try to understand from it what knowledge you will gain in the process of reading.
- Read the abstract and preface. If you have any inquiries, be sure to write them down. After finishing the analytical reading, you will understand whether the author has given answers.
- Get a commonplace book – this is a notebook or diary for notes, quotes, or any excerpts from books. As you read, write down what brings you a sense of enlightenment and inspiration. So you dive deeper into the topic and get the quintessence of meaning in the final.
- Prefer e-books? All the better! In modern “readers” it is even easier to select text than on paper. In addition, taking notes when working with e-books helps to avoid the trap of inspection reading.
We are accustomed to skimming the information on the screen. The gaze sometimes automatically jumps from line to line, skipping entire paragraphs. The installation on each page to find and highlight the main thing teaches you to the more thoughtful and measured analytical reading of digital texts.
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Stage of automation
The automation stage is described as the stage at which the reading procedure is brought to automatism and isn’t realized by the reader. His scholarly efforts are pointed toward understanding the substance of what is being read and its structure: the possibility of a work, its creation, imaginative means, and so on. The automation stage is described by the student’s longing to read.
Such a way – from the analytical stage to the phase of automation – can be passed by a student inside the structure of the college, given that the educator gives a specific method of work:
- reading activities ought to be consistent;
- the determination of texts for reading ought to be made considering the mental qualities of students and the scholarly attributes of the texts;
- the educator ought to lead deliberate work to forestall wrong reading;
- the educator ought to involve a catalyst framework for correcting mistakes made when reading;
- learning to read silently should be specially organized, involving several stages: reading in a whisper, silent articulation of what is being read, and actually reading to oneself.
Pose critical questions
Reading is more of a conversation than a lecture. And analytical reading also involves continuous analysis. Ask questions about the content, and do not be afraid to mentally argue with the author. If you come across a difficult passage, stop reading. Check an encyclopedia or other source for clarification, then go back to the book. You should not have dark places in the studied material.
Turn reading from passive consumption into an active intellectual process. Interact with the material, and conduct an internal dialogue, then you will be able to remember much more. After completing the book, write a short report reflecting your main impressions and knowledge gained. Items can be:
- What is this book about? A few sentences about the main meaning of the work.
- What happened and why? Make a short outline of the book or draw an outline of the plot.
- What is your attitude towards what you read? Do you agree with the author’s opinion or consider it erroneous?
- What judgments did you draw from what you read? Record everything that you could learn from this book for your development.
Such summaries are especially good to do when reading several books on the same topic. This allows concepts to be compared and critical judgment to be improved. It is useful to re-read your annotations to books from time to time.
