Advanced Reading

Strategies for
Scientific Texts
Dr.Rr. Astri Indriana Octavita, M.Hum.
Advanced Reading Strategies :

1. Active Reading Strategies

2. Critical Reading Strategies

Active Reading Strategies : Remember and
Analyze What You Read
Active reading is a reading comprehension strategy that helps students or
other readers evaluate and remember key points in a text.

Active reading occurs when a reader does more than just consume the words on
the page.

An active reader is someone who questions a text, summarizes a text, and tries
to determine the author's purpose.

There are many active reading strategies. Examples of these strategies include:
analyzing the author's purpose, reading and thinking aloud, annotating, making
predictions, chunking, questioning, clarifying, using references, and
summarizing.
The SQ3R method is a study technique that breaks down reading and studying into five steps:
Survey, Question, Read, Recall, and Review. It's designed to improve comprehension and retention
by actively engaging with the material before, during, and after reading.
How to be active reader? (1)

1. Ask yourself pre-reading questions. For example: What is the topic, and what do you
already know about it? Why has the instructor assigned this reading at this point in the
semester?
2. Identify and define any unfamiliar terms.
3. Bracket the main idea or thesis of the reading, and put an asterisk next to it. Pay
particular attention to the introduction or opening paragraphs to locate this information.
4. Put down your highlighter. Make marginal notes or comments instead. Every time you
feel the urge to highlight something, write instead. You can summarize the text, ask
questions, give assent, protest vehemently. You can also write down key words to help
you recall where important points are discussed. Above all, strive to enter into a dialogue
with the author.
How to be active reader? (2)
5. Write questions in the margins, and then answer the questions in a reading
journal or on a separate piece of paper. If you’re reading a textbook, try
changing all the titles, subtitles, sections and paragraph headings into
questions.
6. Read each paragraph carefully and then determine “what it says” and “what it
does.” Answer “what it says” in only one sentence. Represent the main idea
of the paragraph in your own words. To answer “what it does,” describe the
paragraph’s purpose within the text, such as “provides evidence for the
author’s first main reason” or “introduces an opposing view.”
7. Write a summary of an essay or chapter in your own words. Do this in less
than a page. Capture the essential ideas and perhaps one or two key
examples. This approach offers a great way to be sure that you know what
the reading really says or is about.
How to be active reader? (3)

8. Write your own exam question based on the reading.

9. Teach what you have learned to someone else! Research clearly shows that
teaching is one of the most effective ways to learn. If you try to explain aloud
what you have been studying, (1) you’ll transfer the information from short-
term to long-term memory, and (2) you’ll quickly discover what you
understand — and what you don’t.

10.Make outlines, flow charts, or diagrams that help you to map and to
understand ideas visually. See the next slide for examples.
Sample of Mind
Mapping in Active
Reading
Critical Reading Strategies : Strategies for
effective analysis

Critical reading is a more ACTIVE way of reading. It is a deeper and more complex engagement with
a text. Critical reading is a process of analyzing, interpreting and, sometimes, evaluating. When we
read critically, we use our critical thinking skills to QUESTION both the text and our own reading of it.
Different disciplines may have distinctive modes of critical reading (scientific, philosophical, literary,
etc).
 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN READING AND CRITICAL READING?
READING CRITICAL READING
Purpose To get a basic grasp of the text. To form judgments about HOW a
text works.
Activity Absorbing/Understanding Analyzing/Interpreting/Evaluating
Focus What a text SAYS What a text DOES and MEANS
Questions What is the text saying? What How does the text work? How is it
information can I get out of it? argued? What are the choices
made? The patterns that result?
What kinds of reasoning and
evidence are used? What are the
underlying assumptions? What does
the text mean?
Direction WITH the text (taking for granted it AGAINST the text (questioning its
is right) assumptions and argument,
interpreting meaning in context)
Response Restatement, Summary Description, Interpretation,
Evaluation
 WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PREPARE
FOR CRITICAL READING?
There are two steps to preparing to read critically:
1. Self-Reflect: What experiences, assumptions, knowledge, and perspectives do you bring to the
text? What biases might you have? Are you able to keep an open mind and consider other points
of view?
2. Read to Understand:
a. Examine the text and context: Who is the author? Who is the publisher? Where and when
was it written? What kind of text is it?
b. Skim the text: What is the topic? What are the main ideas?
c. Resolve confusion: Look up unfamiliar words or terms in dictionaries or glossaries. Go over
difficult passages to clarify them.
 WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR READING
CRITICALLY?

To read critically, you must think critically. This involves analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. Each
of these processes helps you to interact with the text in different ways: highlighting important points
and examples, taking notes, testing answers to your questions, brainstorming, outlining, describing
aspects of the text or argument, reflecting on your own reading and thinking, raising objections to the
ideas or evidence presented, etc.
 How to read critically?

Before During After

Reading Reading Reading
 Before
Reading

1. Read the task. What are you going to have to do after reading the text? (i.e. write a
summary, compare/contrast with another text)
2. Scan the text (title, images, sub-headings) and make prediction. (i.e. what do you think the
text will be about? What do you already know about this topic? “I think the text will be
about….”
3. Number the paragraph.
4. Read the first and the last paragraph. Add or change your prediction. “Now I think it will also
include…”
 During
Reading

1. Read the text. Pens down.

2. Read again. This time use your pen to mark the text (Circle
key words/underline claim, insert symbols, write in the
margins – annotating, highlight stand-outs)
 After Reading

1. Reflect your own ideas. Consider: how close my prediction? Did my

opinion change? What did I learn/enjoy/dislike? Can I make personal
connections?
2. Reflect your understanding of the text. Consider: do I understand the
information? Can I identify the author’s main points or argument? What do
I need to clarify about my understanding?
3. Revisit your marked-up text in order to complete the task. Consider: Do I
understand the task? Am I ready to complete the task?
 Practice
Given one text/article,
• You write a summary of the text/article (Task)

• Apply strategy in three approaches:

Before, During, After Reading

References
https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/undergraduates/resources/resource-library/active-reading-
strategies
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-active-reading-definition-strategies.html
https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf
https://www.stetson.edu/other/writing-program/media/CRITICAL%20READING.pdf
https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/what-is-critical-reading-definition/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJPea7Ogy6w