1. Speed Reading
- Each chapter or system of the
human body has to be read at a different rate. For example, the biochemical pathway is more
difficult to read compared to the anatomy of a muscle.
- Textbooks also vary in how well
they are written, and as a consequence some are more difficult to read.
-Each semester, time yourself
while reading a chapter in each of your textbooks. See how many pages an hour
you can read. Once you have an accurate estimate of your reading rate, you can
better plan you reading and stuying time.
Comprehension
- Scan the chapter first.
Identify the sections to which the author devotes the most amount of space. If
there are lots of diagrams for a particular concept, then that must also be an
important concept. If you’re really pressed for time, skip the sections to
which the least amount of space is devoted.graph.
- Take notes on heading and first
sentence of each paragraph before reading the chapter itself. Then, close your
book and ask yourself what you now know about the subject that you did not know
before you started.
2. Effective Reading
The SQ3R : Survey! Question! Read! Recite!
Review!
Before you read, Survey the chapter
- The title, headings, and
subheadings
- Captions under pictures,
charts, graphs or maps
- Review questions or
teacher-made study guides
- Introductory ad concluding
paragraphs summary
Questions while you are surveying
- Turn the title, headings, and /
or subheadings into questions
- Read questions at the end of
the chapters or after each subheading
- Ask yourself, What did my lecturer say about this chapter
or subject when it was assigned?
- Ask yourself, What do I ready know about this subject?
-Note : If it is helpful to you,
write out these questions for consideration. This variation is called SQW3R
When you begin to Read
- Look for answers to the
questions you first raised
- Answer questions at the
beginning or end of chapter or study guides
- Reread captions under pictures,
graphs, etc
- Note all the underlined,
italicized, bold printed words or phrases
- Study graphic aids
- Reduce your speed for difficult
passages
- Stop and reread parts that are
not clear
- Read only a section at a time
and recite after each section
Recite after you’ve read a section
- Orally ask yourself questions
about what you have just read and / or summarise in your own words, what you
jhave read
- Take notes from the text but
write the information in your own words
- Underline / highlight important
points you’ve just read
- Use the method of recitation
which best suits your particular learning style but remember, the more senses
you use the more likely you are to remember what you read – i.e, TRIPLE
STRENGTH LEARNING
Seeing, saying, hearing
- QUADRUPLE STRENGTH LEARNING :
Seeing, saying, hearing and writing!!!
Review : an ongoing process
Day One
After you have read and recited
the entire chapter, write questions for those points you have highlighted /
underlined in the margins. If your method of recitation included note taking in
the left hand margins of your notebook, write questions for the notes you have
taken.
Day Two
Page through the text and / or
your notebook to re-acquaint yourself with the important points. Cover the
right hand column of your text / notebook and orally ask yourself the questions
in the left hand margins. Orally recite
or write the answers from memory. Make ‘flash cards’ for those questions which
give you difficulty. Develop mnemonic devices for material, which need to be
memorized.
Days Three, Four and Five
Alternate between your flash
cards and notes and test yourself (orally or in writing) on the questions you
formulated. Make additional flash cards if necessary
Weekend
Using text and notebook, make a
Table of Contents – list all the topics and sub-topics you need to know from
the chapter. From the Table of Contents, make a Study Sheet / Spatial Map.
Recite the information orally and in your own words as you put the Study Sheet
/ Map together.
Now that you have consolidated
all the information you need for that chapter, periodically review the Sheet /
Map so that at test time you will not have to cram everthing.
3. Taking Notes from A Textbook
First :
read a section from a chapter of your textbook
Look through the subheading so as to have a bird’s eye view
of what is to be covered. Have a small organization in your mind about what is
to be covered.
# It is important to read just
enough to achieve an understanding of the material. Do not take notes, but rather
focus on understanding the material. Avoid the temptation of taking notes while
you are reading the first time. This is not an efficient technique. One is
likely to take down too mech information and simply copy without understanding
This is important in clinical
year where a good understanding of the definition of diseases is crucial. It
has to be followed by a simultaneous discussion on the subject.
Second : Review the material
Locate the main ideas, as well as
important sub-points. Always make a habit of skimming through the subheadings.
It will give an idea of the coverage and what is expected. In addition, one
will know the important basic science that has to be understood to futher
comprehend the subjects. This will then trigger a question and will motivate
one to read up the subject.
Set the book aside and try to
recall what you have just read.
Rephrasing the information from a
textbook in one’s own words helps one to become actively involved with the
material. A more effective way is to talk about it to your friends or try to
explain what you have just read to a friend or to yourself. As a personal
experience I usually talk about the lectures during lunch break after these
lectures.
Third : write the paraphrased
ideas as your notes
# Do not not copy information
directly from the textbook
# Add only enough details to
understand
Review and compare your notes with
the text, and ask yourself if you truly understand them.
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