Tips From a San Diego English Tutor: 4 Tips For Reading Assignments

San Diego English Tutoring Tips: 4 Strategies to Keep up with Lengthy Reading Assignments

Each student reads at a different pace. Some quickly skim through text looking for information while others become intensely involved in the material focusing on each detail, thus spending more time from start to finish. Some teachers will assign reading assignments while keeping in mind that students have other classes they need to focus on and that each student works through the material at a different pace. Others, however, will assign copious amounts of reading every week and expect that it is completed before the beginning of class. When a student ends up in a class with these types of intense reading assignments, they’ll need a strategy to get through all of the material promptly – our private San Diego English Tutors .

1. Read the synopsis first

It’s easy for a student’s concentration to wander when they’re reading chapter after chapter of verbose material, especially if they don’t have a personal interest in the subject. When this happens students often forget what they’ve read and end up rereading it, resulting in their time spent on homework becoming longer and longer. One of the ways to avoid that is to read the synopsis before starting the chapter. Textbooks have a list of summary items at the end of each chapter in one form or another. Students can read these bullet points or read the learning objective questions on the last page to focus on what’s most important in the chapter. If they can answer the questions accurately, they have a full understanding of the chapter overall.

2. Scan for important terms

Students should also scan for important items when reading several chapters in the textbook. Most texts have highlighted terms in bold along with a list of definitions at the back of the chapter or as a footnote at the bottom of the page. These are the terms that are most important. Most teachers only focus on certain terms, so students are encouraged to read their syllabus or their classroom notes to find out which vocabulary words they need to focus on.

3. Determine which chapters will appear on tests

If students are starting to fall behind on their reading, they should come up with a strategy as to which chapters will appear on tests and quizzes. Students may be able to catch up on less important assignments over the weekend or at the end of a section but need to make sure they have thoroughly read anything that’s going to appear on a chapter-ending quiz. If students are writing papers instead of taking exams, they are encouraged to read the prompt for their paper ahead of time and scan for ideas when reading through related chapters (READ: 4 Ways to Survive the First Week of a New Semester at College).

4. Incorporate reading assignments into group study

When it comes to extraordinarily long reading assignments, often found at the advanced placement level, students are encouraged to incorporate these assignments into their study group sessions. They can break up different sections and have each student focus on one part and then explain it to the rest of the group. Study groups can also work with a private tutor who can help them get organized and ensure they don’t miss any important points found in the reading.

Learning how to read critically and write proficiently are important skills for students to develop before entering college. Our private San Diego English tutors are here to help you succeed in your English classes. Call us today for more information on our San Diego English tutoring.

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