CRCB - chapter 1

Summary Chapter 1- Critical Reading for College and Beyond

Chapter 1 it's about Reading in College.Reading is an active process that depends on both an author’s ability to convey meaning using words and ability to create meaning from them. You need to constantly connect what you already know about the information to the words the author has written.

Learning Journals is a technique that helps you to analyze reading strategies and assess your learning. Using a learning journal helps you remember 80-90% of what you read. It also helps you to

Concentration is a skill that can be learned with patience and perseverance. Like any reading strategy, concentration takes practice before it will kick in automatically every time you open a textbook.

Learning Styles, most of what we learn comes from what we hear (auditory learning) in lectures or on audiotapes; see visual learning) through reading or watching people, videotapes, or television; or touch and do (kinesthetic learning) by practicing techniques, drawing maps, creating outlines, or making models Concentration Blocks, to recognize what distracts you when you are reading is an important way to improve your concentration.

There are two kinds of distracters: Internal (comes from inside you) and external (comes from your environment).

Concentration Techniques, to improve your concentration there are five techniques:

1. Checkmark Monitor System; helps you monitor how many times you lose your concentration as you read.

2. Creating a Study Environment

3. Creating a Positive mental Attitude

4. Using your Journal as a Worry Pad or

5. Writing a Letter is especially helpful if you are distracted by internal or external distracters.

Exercise 1a)
Concentration Survey
1. I know that concentration is a skill that can be learned.- yes
2. I have a study area, complete with study supplies, and this area is used only for studying. - yes
3. I try to concentrate as I read, but my mind usually drifts to other things, such as bills I have to pay or people I have to call. - yes
4. If I get angry, I am unable to concentrate on my reading. - yes
5. I know how to minimize all distractions. - yes
6. I cannot read unless my house, or study environment, is immaculate. - no
7. I have a system to let others know when I'm reading and that I do not want to be disturbed.- no
8. I lose concentration easily when I'm bored with what I'm reading. - yes

Exercise 1b)Active and Passive Learning Strategies
1. Copying down everything your professor says. (P)
2. Revising lecture notes. (A)
3. Reviewing sections of your textbook by summarizing and reciting information. (A)
4. Reading each chapter straight through. (P)
5. Always begin reading by previewing each chapter and developing questions to help you focus. (A)
6. Testing yourself on the information in your notes. (A)

Exercise 1c) External Distracters: Come from our environment and can include television, loud radio music, constant phone calls, or unexpected visitors.
Internal Distracters:Preoccupation with boy or girlfriend, family problems, worry about rent and tuition bills for next semester, or excitement about an upcoming event....
Exercise 1d)Finding Your Concentration Baseline I read my International topic for 30 min. and lost concentration a lot of times. A lot of difficult and new definitions made me bored. The checkmark technique remind me how many time I lost my concentration as I read. And after I put my checkmark in my journal I began reading again.

Exercise 1e)Worry Pad ( Writing a Letter)This technique writing down my worries in a letter and than throw it away let me feel I throw my worries away. So I can focus on my study