How do I need to read?

You should decide how you will read before reading the literature. We already have explained that part of this decision is based on why you want to read. Other factors include: your reading skill, the type of literature, your familiarity with the type of literature, the writer’s style, and your knowledge of vocabulary.

Let’s compare two examples. First, you need to read a 16th century poem written in old English for an introductory university course. Second, you need to read the sports section of a newspaper, so you can talk about sports with your friends. The poem will be very demanding because it has unfamiliar vocabulary, different writing style, unfamiliar literary devices, and its organization is unique to poetry. The sports section, on the other hand, is less demanding because you have read it daily for the past three years, you have played many of the sports yourself, the style is easy to read, you are familiar with the vocabulary, and it has been written so that readers can scan the articles. For the poem, you will need to reread it several times, read it slowly, learn about the structure of poetry, learn about the author and the 16t1 century, and use a dictionary to learn the meanings and pronunciation of new words. For the sports section, you will be able to read quickly.

Introduction to the “Reading Process”

So you know why you are reading, what you want from the experience, and generally how you need to read. Now it is time to look more specifically at how you read. Reading is a process, which is similar to the writing process.

The reading process has three parts. They are the pre-reading step, the reading step, and the post-reading step. Each step requires you to use a different reading skill. Start the pre-reading step for this section by looking at the diagram on the next page, looking at bolded titles, and quickly reading the first sentence of a few paragraphs. After you have finished the pre-reading step, begin reading the section more slowly and carefully.