Text Book Reading Tips

4 Tips for Kids on How to Read Text Book

A clear strategic approach to textbook reading will help any student get more out of the books they're using in school.

Reading a text book may seem as simple as just keeping up with the assigned reading, but a clear strategic approach will help any student get more out of their school books. Here are four steps student can follow when reading and taking notes from his text books.

Overview

The overview gets the student focused on the topic. It's a refresher of what they've already learned and a glance at what the student is about to discover. The overview consists of reading the breakdown of the chapter. Student should look at the title and headings, then read any front matter, such as a preface, or backmatter, like a summary or an appendix. A glance at the index is a good idea because it pulls out specific terms student will encounter in the reading. Next the student should look at the graphs, tables and illustrations in the chapter. An overview helps your student get his/her bearings.

Inquiry

Having questions in mind at the outset is important for student's understanding of new material. They help the reader stay focused and provide a sense of purpose. One approach is to formulate questions based on the chapter headings encountered in the overview. Student can then read the section in search of an answer to his question. For example, if the heading is 'General Grant's Plan of Attack,' the question might be 'What are the three main points in General Grant's plan of attack?'

Reading

With the specific question in place, reading becomes a search for information, more like an investigation. The questions will change as the reading continues. New questions may arise. Tracking the twists and turns of the information stimulates active reading and that's the key.

Take Notes

Keeping a notebook is crucial. Student should write down all the questions and their answers as they progress through the material. At the end they'll have a useful, ordered chronicle of his interaction with the textbook that will serve as a vital study aid at test time.