Learning how to read more effectively will enhance your ability to comprehend and formulate your own ideas and conclusions on the material you are studying.  Here are some tips to get the most out of your reading. 

• Don't wait until the last minute, give yourself plenty of time to read and understand the material!
• Make sure you establish an atmosphere conducive to concentrating.  Each person’s preferences will be different so make sure to suit your needs.
• Look over the reading material first, note headings, bold-faced words, charts, and summaries. By previewing the material, you can develop a sense of the overall points being presented. This will help put the detail into context where it will make sense. At this point just skim the introductions and conclusions.
• Use the questions at the beginnings or ends of chapters as study guides to help focus your reading.
• Once you start reading, read everything, including those introductions and conclusions you skimmed earlier.
• Look up any words you don't understand and make sure you’re clear on the context.
• Make notes.  There are a number of methods for taking notes, you might try using a combination of them until you find a method that suits you.  A few are listed here that might help.
• Glossing - after reading a passage or section, summarise the main ideas in your own words. This can be done in a notebook or in the margins of the book (if you own it).
• Outlining - write down the key ideas either using the author's order or your own. Use phrases, abbreviations and numbering to keep it short.
• Synthesizing chart - chart key information when using more than one source, OR, when reading from a few sources, formulate questions from the main idea then apply those questions to the remaining information.
• Instead of highlighting or underlining the text, take notes in the margins or in a separate notebook. This will give you the important information at a glance. (If you take notes in a separate notebook, remember to note the page number for later reference.) Improving your reading skills may very well have a positive effect on your writing and comprehension skills.

The Study Skills Co-ordinator is available by phone on (02) 6055 6323 or by email studyskills@wodonga.tafe.edu.au if you have any questions on how to read more effectively.