5 Strategy: Asking Questions before Reading

Asking questions before you begin reading is a great strategy to help your brain retain what you read and save time.

• What is my purpose for reading?

• • • • to scan for specific information.
      • to skim to get an overview of the text.
      • to relate new content to existing knowledge.
      • to write something (often depends on a prompt)
      • to critique an argument.
      • to learn something.
      • for general comprehension.

• What will I need to know when I finish?

• What will I be expected to do with the information?
  • • • Summarize the information
      • Take a Quiz on the information
      • Respond to the information
      • Use the information to compare with other information
      • Add to a project, report, or research paper.

• What is the topic of the material?
• What do I already know?
• Is this new topic a small part of a larger idea or issue that I have thought about before?
• How is the material organized?
• Is the author listing reason, explaining a process, or comparing a trend?
• What will be my plan of attack?
• What parts of the textbook seem most important?
• Do I need to read everything with equal care?
• Can I skim some parts?
• Can I skip some sections completely?
• Turn the headings into questions so you have a plan for finding the main ideas.
• Make sure you have room to annotate for either finding vocabulary or developing a response.

In the following chapter, you’ll have a chance to practice this strategy.