Research Skills: What is Pre-Reading?
Overview
This exercise introduces learners to the practice of pre-reading. While designed for FYE, it can be used in any course with a research component.
Introductory Exercise (Research Skills, Day 5)
Overview: What's Pre-Reading?
Context
Pre-Reading is an important skill to practice, and we do it for three reasons:
- to think about the topic of the reading before we read it carefully so we can know what the writer is going to say about the topic
- to identify what we already know about the topic of the reading so we can engage on a deeper level with what the writer is going to say about the topic
- to understand and remember more of what we read
In all of your classes, and ENGL 100 in particular, begin to practice pre-reading. It will make learning more enjoyable and beneficial! Moreover, pre-reading will help you efficiently conduct research (it helps you save time and choose the best sources).
Directions
Prior to a thorough reading, spend 10-15 minutes completing the following steps. Use a dedicated notebook for class to capture your thoughts:
- Make note of the:
- Title
- Author
- Pictures, graphs, other visuals
- Italicized words
- Key concepts (from subheadings)
Write in your notebook:
- A brief, 2-3 sentence pre-reading summary (predict what the chapter will be about)
- Specific questions for directed reading (using chapter subheadings)
- All new vocabulary
2. After reading:
- Research key terms collected in Step 1
- Watch a few YouTube videos on the subject
Write in your notebook:
- A brief, 2-3 sentence response to the reading
- If possible, write brief answers to the questions you asked in Step1
- Record new vocabulary you think will broaden your previous and new knowledge of the topic
Pre-Read: My Substantive Sources
Context
For this writing assignment, we'll focus on searching for substantive sources only (that is, we'll avoid "popular or commercial" sources and scholarly or academic" sources).
Directions
Before we begin this task, review “Overview: What’s Pre-Reading” (page 1). It will greatly help us determine what we should pay attention to as we pre-read each of our three substantive sources.
- Open a Word document.
- Write the author and title of your first substantive source at the top of the page. Be sure the title is formatted properly. [Note: put title in quotation marks and capitalize all the words in the title, except prepositions and conjunctions.]
- Use the following questions to write a 100-150-word entry for each of your three substantive sources (300-450 words total):
- What do you already know about the topic of the source based on your pre-read?
- What are some key terms of the source? [Note: Recall, when pre-reading a source, key terms or important words are often found in the title, section titles, topic sentences, concluding sentences, subject heading, and so on.]
- What did you learn from a quick YouTube or Wikipedia search about the topic of the source? How do you predict this new information will help direct your reading of the source?
- What are two focus questions for each source you created based on your pre-read?
- Why might this source be the most appropriate out of the three to deepen your understanding of your "happiness-enhancing practice" and the topic of well-being?
- Once you complete #1-3 for each of your three substantive sources, upload the document as a Word file (.doc or .docx) or a .pdf.