Part II - 5. Using Preview, Study-Read, and Review (PSR) Strategies.

Summary

The PSR technique (preview, study-read, and review) requires that you question yourself before, during and after you read. By asking questions, predicting textbook content, and hypothesizing about the main idea, you are participating in a conversation with the author. You also add what you know to the conversation by recalling related information. This will help you understand and remember more of your reading assignments. The PSR technique also requires you to respond to readings by writing in your journal. Review reading using your journal can helps you to understand an author’s ideas and helps you relate the material to what you already know.

Part II - 4. Textbook Methods of Organization.

Summary

Authors used different methods of organization in order to present information in a logical format that suits the subject matter and goals of their books. For example: the listing method, lists a series of ideas or items, alphabetically, by category. Analysis method, defines a concept to clarity meaning- may use examples and analogies. Another method is the cause/effect, method author use to show why something happened and the effects that occurred as result. The comparison/contrast method, that focuses on similarities and differences. The definition/example method that breaks apart a concept-presents basic elements. The Sequence method, that shows steps or ideas the chronological order of events. Another useful way to identify an author’s method of organization is to look for the organizational word clues (OWCs) that indicate which patterns he or she is using. Knowing the different patterns, or methods, of organization helps you make sense of what you are reading and remember the content more accurately.

Part II - 3. Using Inference to Identify Implied Main Ideas.

Summary

In order to understand a paragraph, you need to be able to pinpoint the topic and locate the main idea. The main idea is the "key concept" being expressed. Details, major and minor, support the main idea by telling how, what, when, where, why, how much, or how many. Locating the topic, main idea, and supporting details helps you understand the point(s) the writer is attempting to express. Identifying the relationship between these will increase your comprehension.
Chapter 7 is about Using Inference to Identify Implied Main Ideas
In order to fully understand a reading assignment, you need to read the material and combine what is stated with the additional information you generate using inference as tool. While inference is a skill you practice every day, inferring meaning from textbooks and other college reading material requires you to use specific strategies such as detecting an author’s bias, nothing comparisons, and recognizing information gaps.

Part II - 2. Finding Supportin Details.

Summary

Chapter 5 is about Locating Stated Main Ideas Being able to determine the main idea is like having the answer to a puzzle. In order to achieve this, you must first be able to tell the difference between the general topic and the more specific ones. A topic is the most general idea while a main idea is more specific in covering the idea of the piece of writing, such as food being a topic and fish being a main idea. Details are most specific and their job is to explain the main idea. Four things that help you accomplish this are question yourself (what is the meaning of what you’re reading?), locating clue words, searching in the usual places, and categorizing an author’s points. Doing these will help you find the main ideas more efficiently so the relationships between the topic, main idea, and details are more clear. Some main ideas are incredibly obvious, while others are more implied and need time to seek

Part II - 1. Locating Stated Main Ideas.

Summary

The ability to locate an author's main idea is key to understanding your reading. In order to see the relationship between the main idea and the details that support it, you must first distinguish between general ideas and more specific ones.

Managing Your Reading Time When reading it’s more important to understand the material than to skim or attempt to read as fast as you can. There are several steps to better manage your reading time. First, develop a schedule that shows the times you study and the length it is better to choose times when you are more alert and have the length of study using your reading average for each different subject. Secondly, keep track of your reading rates so you can make a realistic daily reading plan. These steps will help you become a better reader in ways that allow you to manage your time most efficiently while reading.

Part I - 4. Managing Your Reading Time.

Summary

Comprehension should be your main reading goal, not how fast you read. Develop a general study schedule that shows specifically when you plan to study for each class and for how long. Choose the times you study based when you are most alert, and determine the length of each study session using your reading averages for the subjects you are taking. Some classes will require more hours of study than others, and the amounts of time you need to set aside can vary from week to week depending on the complexity of the material for a specific course.

Track your reading rates so you can create daily reading plans that set realistic goals for several weeks, you will find that you begin to completeyour reading assignments on time. Your reading comprehension will also improve, and you may even read a little faster. The reading tips suggested in this chapter that will contribute to your becoming a more efficient reader are: reading quikly when appropriate, skimming, regressing or rereading, subvocalizing, pacing.

Part I - 3. Remembering What You Read.

Summary

Memory is the process of storing and retrieving information. You will have difficulty remembering what you read if you do not know the stages in the memory process, and purposely use strategies at each stage to ensure that newly learned information becomes permanently stored. The single most important aspect of memory is understanding what you are trying to remember. It is difficult, if no impossible, to remember concepts you do not understand. The three primary stages in the memory. Specific strategies you can use to enhance your sensory memory include the following: reading your text aloud, drawing pictures of the information you are learning, acting out a chapter in front of a mirror or an audience, visualizing information in your head, using your fingers to point to new words, and redaing while riding an exercise bike. Chunking is an effective strategy for organizing and remembering new information so that it remains in our short-term memory long enough to transfer into your long-term memory. In order to permanently store new information you can use strategies such as organizing newly learned information, mastering difficult vocabulary, creating a memory matrix, connecting new information with information you already know, going beyond the textbook, reviewing, and teaching the new information to someone else. Recall techniques called mnemonics can help you retrieve information once it has been learned and stored properly. Some mnemonics introduced in this chapter are key words, acrostics, and acronyms.

Part I - 2. Developing Your College Vocabulary.

Summary

Vocabulary building is one of the most important reading strategies you can learn. By increasing your vocabulary, you increase your understanding of textbook information. You also increase your ability to speak and write well-to communicate effectively. A rich vocabulary allows you access to many types of reading material, while a limited one prevents you from fully understanding what you read. Increasing your word power not only enhances your academic ability but also increases your chances of getting the job of your choice when you graduate. Although no one knows every word, or interrupts reading to look up every unfamiliar word in the dictionary, using the simple strategies presented in this chapter will help you figure out and remember the meaning of new words. These strategies include using context clues, word analysis, writing in your text book, creating word maps, understanding denotation connotation, journal writing, and the card review system (CRS). Don't skim over words you don't know. It prevents you from really understanding what you read, makes it difficult for you participate in class discussions, and can hurt you on exams. An important wqy to make new words a part of your regular vocabulary is to use them in your everyday speech and writing. Writing in your journal daily will help.

Part I - 1. Reading in College.

Summary
Reading is an active process based on an author's ability to convey meaning through the written word and your ability to extract meaning from those words. One way to read actively is to connect what you are learning. Active learners become involved in their learning experience by previewing their reading assignments, outlining chapter or lecture notes, creating visuals, and reading books, other than their textbooks, to learn more about the subject they are studying.
Keeping a learning journal is also an active learning task. It helps you identify what you understand in a reading assignment and what is still unclear. It can also help you to understand how you learn, which learning style work best for you, and how you can improve those with which you have difficulty. Using a learning journal will help you to identify, analyze, and correct reading and learning difficulties.
Concentration involves purposely focusing your attention on a task while simultaneously blocking our distractions. The first step in achieving this is to learn what internal and external distractions block your concentration. The second step is to record your concentration habits in your reading journal. Be using this information, you can learn to change your study environment and state of mind so that you can read and learn effectively.

Critical Reading for College and Beyond.

Introduction
Critical Reading for College and Beyond is organized so that it covered and divided into four parts which has fourteen chapters.
Part One.
Preparing to Read College Textbooks. (Chapters 1-4)
Part Two.
Key Strategies for Reading Comprehension. (Chapters 5-10)
Part Three.
Advanced Strategies for Critical Reading. (Chapters 11-14)
Part Four.
Application Selections.

Where do you stand about critical thinking?