By Ashton Phillips/reporter
Reading is about managing time because when one sets aside time to read, that person will read, a TR reading instructor told students last week.
Christi Duque, in her Managing Reading Assignments lunch workshop, said if people do not practice reading, like any other skill, they will not do well when engaged in reading.
“A student needs to allocate 30 minutes a day to reading,” she said. “The 30-minute session can be broken up into smaller increments until the student builds the focus and skill set needed to read in a longer session.”
Duque said one cannot sit down to read material, much less make the material stick, in a two-hour session the night before a test if one never practices reading.
“A runner cannot wake up the day before a marathon to train but must practice running many months beforehand,” she said. “Build your reading increments like a runner would distance increments.”
Students also have to know the type of learners they are to get the most of each reading session, Duque said.
“If a student is an auditory learner, they should read aloud,” she said. “If one knows their struggles, they can identify what reading tactics will or will not work for them.”
Duque said the first step before reading is to identify the purpose of each session.
“Whenever one reads, they need to activate prior knowledge,” she said. “Apply previous knowledge to interpret what the material is trying to convey and to decipher if the material aligns with the purpose of the session.”
Duque said these tips will help students be activated readers.
“It is not just about reading, but building yet another skill set that will help one be successful,” she said. “College is an entity of skills that build on each other to better students and their progress — reading is just one of these skills.”
Duque said she has a passion for what she does, and as a first-generation college graduate, she understands how each skill set is important to students’ success. She suggested students enroll in a reading techniques course to build a strong foundation.
“If you can get through this reading-intensive course, you can get through any course at this institution,” she said. “And if you read a class textbook, you will pass.”
There is no secret to being a good reader. If people want to be better readers, they must read, Duque said.
