4 Steps Of Active Reading

Effective reading strategies are an essential component for the self-directed learner and independent learning. An private simply cannot be effective learners, capable problem-solvers, adaptable to learning environments and possessing the capability to employ new information without the best reading and comprehension skills. This four-stride process guiding the reader includes: 1) preparing for reading; ii) thinking through the reading; iii) extracting and organizing information; and lastly, 4) translating the data (Processed, 1991).

Preparing for Reading

The offset step, preparing for reading, is the basic foundation of understanding the construction of the information. The reader develops a basic, underlying comprehension of what they know and don't know. They accept identified their information gaps and understand what needs to be gained through the reading feel. They also will proceeds overall construction of the reading material including major concepts, outlines, graphs or diagrams. Additionally, any specialized vocabulary will exist identified.

Thinking through Reading

This is more simply reading. Comprehension is the essential component of reading to develop and heighten the cocky-directed learner. The reader will spend fourth dimension devoted to reflecting on the information. They may fifty-fifty seek out opportunities to discuss new knowledge, find ways to integrate the information into existing schemas and develop a methodology for disquisitional assay of the new knowledge.

Candy (1991) distinguishes comprehension within three different levels:

Literal comprehension
Interpretive comprehension
Applied comprehension

Of class, the goal for the self-directed learner is to reach the height of reading comprehension, ie: Practical Comprehension

Extracting and Organizing Information

This stage moves beyond agreement. It moves to the highest level of comprehension where the reader volition identify the "major themes, assertions, and principles and distinguishes these from examples, illustrations, or supporting evidence" (Candy, 1991, p333). The reader volition extract the information in the text, that may or may non be presented in a limited capacity, to create a new structure or meaning. The information will exist integrated and related to other information and noesis acquired by the learner from previous learning experiences.

Translating Data

This is the superlative stage of the reading process for the self-directed learner. The learner will move the information from acquiring to presenting. This type of presentation of information may exist in the form of writing, performing, speaking -simply sharing the new information. This is the ability of the learner to be able to take the information caused from the diction and point of view of the original author and transcribe it into their ain words.

Conclusion

Reading is often thought of as a passive projection. It tin can exist – if the reader is simply gliding their eyes across the page, but the ultimate goal of the consummate reader and self-directed learner should exist to motion it to a higher order cognitive process where the learner takes the knowledge and molds it to their needs.

Sources:

Candy, P. (1991). Self-Direction for Lifelong Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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By Tracy Atkinson

Tracy Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Southwest with her husband and spirited long-haired miniature dachshunds. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, belongings degrees in elementary educational activity and an EDS in higher education. Her passion is researching, studying and investigating the attributes related to cocky-directed learners and learning styles. She has published several titles, including MBTI Learning Styles: A Practical Approach, The Art of Learning Journals, Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Volume Two, Rachel'south eight and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of cocky-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.