Have you ever made it to the end of the page and realized that you had drifted off into a daydream? This happens to everyone at one point or another, you have very little time or interest to spend a minute with Homer or Shakespeare. Fortunately, learning to read smart and take notes will make reading a lot easier, faster, and more enjoyable. See Step 1 for more information.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Smart Reading
Step 1. Eliminate distractions
Stay away from the computer, turn off the TV, and stop the music. It is very difficult to read, especially when you are reading something difficult, when your attention is divided. Perusing means that you have to find a nice and comfortable place free from distractions.
Make reading fun by providing a light snack or drink and getting comfortable. Light a scented candle or read in the bath to make yourself comfortable, and to make reading as enjoyable as possible, especially if it's not reading you enjoy
Step 2. Read quickly first and then read more carefully
If you're reading something difficult, don't worry too much about revealing the ending. If you read a paragraph and have to reread it, consider skimming the entire story, or flipping through the book to get an idea of the plot, main characters, and tone of the reading, so you'll know what to focus on when reading more carefully.
Looking in Cliff's Notes or reading about the book online can be great ways to get a reading summary to help you follow along more easily. Just don't forget to go back and read the whole thing more carefully
Step 3. Imagine what you are reading
Think of yourself as a film director and imagine the play as you read. Include actors in the film, if that helps, and really try and imagine the events in the book as realistically as possible. This can be a lot of fun, and will help you remember and understand what you read much better.
Step 4. Read aloud
Some people find it easier to stay focused and interested in what they're reading if they read aloud. Lock yourself in a room, or hide in the basement and read as dramatically as you want. This can help slow down if your tendency is to try and read too fast, and can make the reading more dramatic if you find it a bit boring.
Always try to read poetry aloud. Reading The Odyssey becomes a much more memorable experience when you quote the devotional aloud
Step 5. Look for words, locations, or ideas that you don't recognize
You can use context clues to help you figure things out on your own, but it's always better to take a minute to go through all the references you might not get the first time. This will make reading a lot easier.
At school, searching for unfamiliar words or concepts always earns you bonus points. Getting used to doing this is a good thing
Step 6. Take a break
Make sure you set aside enough time for reading so that you can finish it comfortably and take frequent breaks. For every 45 minutes of reading, allow yourself to play video games for 15 minutes or do some other homework, to give your mind a break and allow yourself to focus on something else for a while. When you're ready, come back refreshed and excited about the story.
Part 2 of 3: Taking Notes
Step 1. Mark the text
Write questions in the margins, underline what you find interesting, highlight important concepts or ideas. Don't be afraid to make lots of marks on the text as you read. Some readers find that holding a pencil or highlighter makes them more active readers, giving them something to "do" on the task. See if this works for you.
Don't underline or highlight too much, and of course don't highlight random parts because you think that's to be expected. Random highlighting won't help you go back and learn more, and it will make your text that much harder to find again
Step 2. Write a few summary sentences at the bottom of each page
If you're reading something difficult and find yourself wanting to come back often to get what you missed, start picking up one page at a time. At the end of each page, or even at the end of each paragraph, write a brief summary of what happened on that page. This will divide the reading and allow you to complete it with much more careful attention.
Step 3. Write down any questions you have about what you read
If you find something confusing, or you notice something giving you trouble, always write it down. This might give you a good question to ask later in class, or it might give you something to think about as you continue reading.
Step 4. Write your reaction
When you finish reading, immediately write down your reactions to the story, book, or chapter of the book you need to read. Write down what seems important, what you think the purpose of the book is, and how you feel as a reader after reading the book. You don't need to summarize it as an answer, but you may find it helpful to summarize in general terms if it can help you better remember what you read.
Don't write about whether or not you liked the story, or whether you thought it was "boring." Instead, focus on how you felt after reading it. Your first response might be, "I don't like this story, because Juliet dies at the end of the story," but think about why you feel that way. How could the story be any better if he lived? Can it? What might Shakespeare be trying to convey? Why did he turn off Juliet? Now this is a much more interesting reaction
Part 3 of 3: Talking about Reading
Step 1. Get together with friends or classmates and discuss the reading
Discussing what you have read before or after class is not cheating. In fact, most teachers would probably be happy. Find out how your classmates react and compare them to your own. Again, try not to talk about whether the reading is "boring" or not, but see if everyone has a good explanation for something you found difficult or confusing. Offer your reading skills to help your friends.
Step 2. Think of open-ended questions to explore the reading
Write down some questions in a notebook that might be interesting discussion questions to ask in class. Some teachers will make this an assignment, but it will help you engage with your reading.
Don't ask questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no." Learning to ask "how" is a great way to come up with big discussion questions
Step 3. Mark important pages with sticky notes
If you have questions later, it's helpful to have the page you're looking to talk about or ask about is bookmarked, rather than spending ten minutes trying to remember which page the important Polonius sentence was on.
Step 4. Put yourself in the shoes of the character you are reading
What would you do if you were Juliet? Would you like Holden Caulfield if he were in your class? What would it be like to be married to Odysseus? Discuss this with people who have read the same book. How do different people answer the same question? Learning to put yourself in the reading and interact with the text is a great way to feel and understand it. Think of yourself in a book.
