How to use a textbook

 

The art of using a textbook is to be selective:

  • Look through the book to see how it breaks the subject down into chapters, sections and sub-sections.
  • Make good use of the index, and do not be afraid to start reading in the middle of a chapter. 

 

  • Look up significant words - 'keywords' - and see where they link into your understanding; independent study can help you to do this.

There are also different styles of reading that you should employ when appropriate:

Scanning

Scanning simply means running the eye rapidly down a page to search for particular words or phrases. To see how quickly you can scan a page, try this exercise.

 

 

·         Look up a word in the index of your textbook, say 'electron'.

 

 

·         Turn to the first reference and look down the page so rapidly that the words are just a blur.

 

·         Then slow down and look at the page again.

 

·         Keep doing this, more slowly each time, until you can pick out the word you are looking for.

Skimming

Skimming is slower than scanning and involves reading a passage to get an idea of its contents. Having skimmed through it, you should know whether or not the passage would repay closer study. If you cannot find what you want in one book by skimming, try another book.

Intensive

Intensive reading means reading every word and studying the passage, sentence by sentence, until you have gained all the relevant information it contains. Do remember that reading, at whatever depth, must be an active process.

 

·         Be clear about what it is that you are looking for (learning objectives are useful here).

 

·         Read for a purpose.

 

·         Avoid sitting with glazed eyes at an open book and learning nothing!

 


A Reading Strategy

 

Research on how people learn shows that effective reading can be divided into stages. Here are five things you should do:

 

1.       Survey the material you are going to read to get an overall view (e.g. scan the index and skim the more promising references).

 

2.       Question yourself: "Why am I doing this reading? What am I trying to find out?

 

3.       Read intensively the passages that you have chosen.

 

4.       Recall: try to remember the main points from the passage you have just read. This may be an effort but it is an important step in learning.

 

5.       Review: check your notes against the passage to make sure that nothing important has been missed and then look through your notes from time to time during the next day or two. Students who take two or three minutes to review notes within 24 hours of making them retain more of what they learn.

 

This reading strategy is known as the SQR3 method.