Top 5 Reading Strategies

[Marzshox]

Today we will look at the top five reading strategies for conquering your academic texts, as well as leisure reads, or highly technical literature. I will be defining these top five strategies--and though they are distinct in their methodologies and application, they all share the same goal of engaging with a text deeply, analyzing the material thoroughly and extracting much more than surface level information; Lending to a firm grasp of the material. Each of these reading techniques require a thoughtful and focused exertion..

Here is a list of the top five greatly effective reading strategies.

-Deep Reading
-Close Reading
-Critical Reading
-Immersive Reading
-Segmented Reading.

We will begin with Deep Reading. This method entails actively processing the material and focusing on comprehension and synthesis of the ideas and concepts within a reading. This typically involves slowing down and ensuring you make a valiant effort to understand the material, often reading for lengthy periods of time, as one commits themselves to rigorous interpretation of the data and unveils the many layers and multiple interpretations often laden in texts.

While deep reading's methodical approach overlaps with other reading strategies, one who reads deeply will essentially relate the content to their own thoughts and experiences, as well as a wider context. This method is best approached when adopting an iterative approach, which entails slowing down and revisiting the material multiple times to ensure a solid grasp of the material, while also improving long term retention.

Close Reading. Generally the art of Close Reading entails one to pay close attention to word choice, sentence structure and symbolic language or phrases and emotional resonance within the reading. This as well as a strong executed attempt to analyze the syntax and grammatical formations. Essentially Close Reading involves extracting meaning from terminologies and structural forms that the writer will deliberately embed within the writing. Its a close readers job to acknowledge these thematic sentence formations and narrow in on the intended message or argument within the text. Ultimately this technique involves the study of literature, and its undertones that have been devised through careful word selection.

Critical Reading. This form of reading is at the forefront of literary studies, as it involves approaching a text with a keen observant eye, essentially judging the material for oneself rather than accepting it at face value, or assuming the content is factual. Instead of accepting the material as literal knowledge, a critical reader will bring welcomed bias to the reading, assessing the validity of the information, while questioning all the assertions or claims--interpreting the material and reaching their own conclusions or positions on the subject. Critique and determining whether the argument follows logical coherence, is up for the reader to decide.

Immersive Reading. This approach is essentially defined as complete absorption in the material, where ones full attention is heightened and the reader becomes fully engaged with the material. "Loosing oneself" in the reading, is synonymous to complete emergence into the depths of literature. Not only does this method result in a steady, unhurried, and complete submergence in a text or narrative, emotional involvement also heightens-- creating a pleasant, and highly engaging thoughtful experience. One becomes psychologically invested and its as if the reader is transported into the story.

Segmented Reading. Finally we come to the concept of segmented Reading. This is a powerful method in a readers toolbox, or cognitive arsenal. This approach when utilized effectively, ensures the reader a solid grasp of the material by studying a text incrementally, and focusing on small portions at a time. This method can be extremely beneficial when engaged in complex, or convoluted texts that can overwhelm a reader. To employ this technique, it is simple. One simply engages with smaller segments within a text, often spending 5 or 10 minutes until one maintains a solid grasp of the content, before moving on to the next part of the text. Directing your attention to important of pertinent details, and slowing down your pace can ensure you retain the information. Its important to acknowledge that if you do not understand the reading sections when you have spent upwards of 15 minutes decoding and interpreting, it's best to make a note and move on to the next portion! Note taking and summarizing will intensively improve the studying process.