ActiveActive

ReadingReadingStrategiesStrategies

Reader Reception Reader Reception TheoryTheory

emphasizes that the reader emphasizes that the reader actively interprets the text based actively interprets the text based on his or her particular cultural on his or her particular cultural background and life experiences. background and life experiences.

Active reading involvesActive reading involves

AnnotatingAnnotating OutliningOutlining ParaphrasingParaphrasing SummarizingSummarizing SynthesizingSynthesizing ContextualizingContextualizing Exploring the Exploring the

significance of significance of figurative languagefigurative language

Looking for patterns Looking for patterns of oppositionof opposition

Reflecting on Reflecting on challenges to your challenges to your beliefs and valuesbeliefs and values

Evaluating logicEvaluating logic Recognizing Recognizing

manipulationmanipulation Judging the writer’s Judging the writer’s

credibilitycredibility

AnnotationsAnnotations

Your own marks or writings in a Your own marks or writings in a text are called text are called annotations.annotations. They They represent your reactions, represent your reactions, questions, key points, outlines, questions, key points, outlines, summaries, evaluations—in summaries, evaluations—in effect, a conversation you have effect, a conversation you have as a reader with the writer as a reader with the writer through the medium of the text.through the medium of the text.

Suggestions for AnnotatingSuggestions for Annotating

Circle words to be defined in the Circle words to be defined in the margin.margin.

Underline key words and phrases.Underline key words and phrases. Bracket important sentences and Bracket important sentences and

passages.passages. Use lines and arrows to connect Use lines and arrows to connect

ideas or words.ideas or words.

Annotations in the MarginsAnnotations in the Margins

Number and summarize each Number and summarize each paragraphparagraph

Define unfamiliar wordsDefine unfamiliar words Note responses and questionsNote responses and questions Identify writing strategiesIdentify writing strategies Point out patternsPoint out patterns

Take an InventoryTake an Inventory

Look for patterns and repetitions Look for patterns and repetitions such as recurring themes or such as recurring themes or images, stylistic features, images, stylistic features, repeated words and phrases, repeated words and phrases, repeated forms, examples, or repeated forms, examples, or illustrations, and use of specific illustrations, and use of specific writing strategies.writing strategies.

OutliningOutlining

ParaphrasingParaphrasing & &

SummarizingSummarizing

OutliningOutlining

Formal outlining helps you to Formal outlining helps you to distinguish between main ideas distinguish between main ideas and supporting materials such as and supporting materials such as examples, quotations, examples, quotations, comparisons, and reasons. comparisons, and reasons.

Scratch outlining helps to quickly Scratch outlining helps to quickly summarize material and is summarize material and is sufficient for most critical reading. sufficient for most critical reading.

ParaphrasingParaphrasing

Translate the reading into your own Translate the reading into your own words, putting quotation marks words, putting quotation marks around any words or phrases you around any words or phrases you quote from the original. quote from the original.

SummarizingSummarizing

To summarize, write a paragraph or To summarize, write a paragraph or more that presents the writer’s more that presents the writer’s main ideas largely in your own main ideas largely in your own words. Be sure to fill in the words. Be sure to fill in the connections between ideas to connections between ideas to indicate the writer’s purposes and indicate the writer’s purposes and strategies. strategies.

synthecizingsynthecizing

and and ContextualizingContextualizing

SynthesizingSynthesizing

SynthesizingSynthesizing blends your readings blends your readings from two or more sources. Look for from two or more sources. Look for patterns among your sources, patterns among your sources, possibly supporting or refuting your possibly supporting or refuting your ideas, and write a paragraph that ideas, and write a paragraph that presents the relationships you find. presents the relationships you find. Use quotation, paraphrase, and Use quotation, paraphrase, and summary to present what the summary to present what the sources say about the topic. sources say about the topic.

ContextualizingContextualizing

Describe the historical and Describe the historical and cultural situation as presented in cultural situation as presented in the reading.the reading.

Compare this to your own Compare this to your own historical and cultural situation. historical and cultural situation.

Consider how your understanding Consider how your understanding is affected by your own context.is affected by your own context.

Exploring the Exploring the SignificanceSignificance

Of Of Figurative Figurative LanguageLanguage

Exploring Figurative LanguageExploring Figurative Language

Figurative language—Figurative language—similesimile, , metaphormetaphor, and , and symbolismsymbolism——enhances literal meaning by enhances literal meaning by conveying ideas in vivid images conveying ideas in vivid images and evoking feelings and and evoking feelings and associations.associations.

SimileSimile compares two different compares two different things by using things by using likelike or or asas to signal to signal the relationship between the two.the relationship between the two.

MetaphorMetaphor makes a more direct makes a more direct comparison by identifying two comparison by identifying two different things.different things.

SymbolismSymbolism compares two things compares two things by making one stand for the by making one stand for the other.other.

Exploring Figurative LanguageExploring Figurative Language

Exploring Figurative LanguageExploring Figurative Language

Annotate all figures of speech.Annotate all figures of speech.

Group figures that express Group figures that express related feelings and attitudes.related feelings and attitudes.

Explore what these patterns tell Explore what these patterns tell you about the text.you about the text.

Looking for PatternsLooking for Patterns

Of Of OppositionOpposition

Looking for Patterns of OppositionLooking for Patterns of Opposition

Annotate for words or phrases that Annotate for words or phrases that indicate opposition.indicate opposition.

List the pairs in opposition.List the pairs in opposition. For each pair of opposites, indicate For each pair of opposites, indicate

which one the writer prefers.which one the writer prefers. Explore what the patterns of Explore what the patterns of

opposition tell you about the opposition tell you about the reading.reading.

Reflecting on Reflecting on ChallengesChallenges

To Your Own To Your Own

Beliefs and ValuesBeliefs and Values

Reflecting on challengesReflecting on challenges

Annotate places in the text where Annotate places in the text where you feel your values and beliefs you feel your values and beliefs are being opposed, criticized, or are being opposed, criticized, or unfairly characterizedunfairly characterized

Reflect on why you feel Reflect on why you feel challenged.challenged.

Analyze your feelings to see Analyze your feelings to see where they come from.where they come from.

EvaluatingEvaluating

The The LogicLogic of an of an

ArgumentArgument

Evaluating logicEvaluating logic

Test for Test for appropriatenessappropriateness by checking that by checking that the reasons and support are clearly and the reasons and support are clearly and directly related to the thesis.directly related to the thesis.

Test for Test for believabilitybelievability by deciding if you can by deciding if you can accept the reasons and support as true.accept the reasons and support as true.

Test for Test for consistency consistency and and completeness completeness by deciding if the argument has by deciding if the argument has contradictions and whether any important contradictions and whether any important objections or opposing arguments have objections or opposing arguments have been ignored.been ignored.

Recognizing Recognizing EmotionalEmotional

ManipulationManipulation

False or exaggerated emotional False or exaggerated emotional appealsappeals

Are overly sentimentalAre overly sentimental Use alarming statisticsUse alarming statistics Use frightening anecdotesUse frightening anecdotes Demonize othersDemonize others Identify with revered authoritiesIdentify with revered authorities Use emotionally loaded symbols Use emotionally loaded symbols

and words and words

Recognizing emotional Recognizing emotional manipulationmanipulation

Annotate places in the text where Annotate places in the text where you sense emotional appeals are you sense emotional appeals are being used.being used.

Assess whether these are unfair Assess whether these are unfair or manipulative.or manipulative.

Judging the Writer’sJudging the Writer’s

CredibilityCredibility

Judging credibilityJudging credibility

Test for Test for knowledge knowledge by examining the facts by examining the facts and statistics the writers present, the and statistics the writers present, the sources they rely on, and the depth of sources they rely on, and the depth of their understanding.their understanding.

Test for Test for common groundscommon grounds by assessing if by assessing if the writers’ base their reasoning on the writers’ base their reasoning on shared beliefs and values.shared beliefs and values.

Test for Test for fairnessfairness by analyzing how writers by analyzing how writers handle opposing arguments and handle opposing arguments and objections. objections.

Judging credibilityJudging credibility

Annotate for writer’s knowledge Annotate for writer’s knowledge of the subject, how well common of the subject, how well common ground is established, and how ground is established, and how the writer meets and handles the writer meets and handles objections and opposing objections and opposing positions.positions.

Decide what you find credible and Decide what you find credible and what you question.what you question.