Reading is a fantastic journey of exploration that engages one’s cognitive, emotional, and sometimes even sensory faculties. It’s no wonder that everyone has their unique ways of deriving the best experience from reading a book. One such effective method is the previewing strategy. This article will detail the steps to implement the ‘previewing’ strategy to optimise your reading experience and maximize comprehension and memory retention.
What is Previewing?
Previewing is an approach to reading that encourages the reader to glance over the material before engaging in a detailed read. It provides an overview or “preview” of the content, pointers to main ideas, the style of writing, and crucial points. It’s an effective technique to prepare your brain for the content that is to come, make connections, and develop a plan for further reading.
Steps To Implement The Previewing Strategy
1. Survey the Material
Begin by taking a high-level view of the book. Consider the title, the author, and the blurb at the back of the book. Glance at the table of contents to grasp the organisation and main points of the book. Do these initial steps swiftly, like scanning through the material.
2. Read the Introduction and Conclusion
Next, take some time to read through the introduction and the conclusion. These sections usually provide a good nutshell explaining the aim of the book and the major conclusions drawn by the author.
3. Pay Attention to Headings and Subheadings
Headings and subheadings are outlines of the main points of a chapter. They’re clues that help you to anticipate what’s coming next and to understand the structure of the book better. Flip through a few critical chapters and scan these elements.
4. Examine Visuals and Sidebars
If the book includes graphs, charts, or images, take a moment to study them as they often reinforce or highlight key points. Similarly, any boxes or sidebars usually provide supplementary information or emphasise critical ideas.
5. Notice the Layout and Book’s Structure
The book’s layout, including the use of bold or italic text, bullet points and numbered lists, provides clues about what the author thinks is essential. Pay attention to these elements and consider why the author might have highlighted them.
6. Formulate Questions and Predictions
After gathering all this overview information, take a moment to create questions you hope the book can answer. Make predictions about the book content as this engages your mind actively in the reading process.
Following these steps can help enhance both understanding and retention since your brain has a scaffold to build upon when it encounters more detailed information. Remember, the previewing strategy doesn’t entail understanding the entire book, instead, it’s about being prepared and setting a roadmap for thoughtful and systematic reading.
Reading a book is an adventure of its own. And just like on any exciting journey, it’s always worth having a compass at hand. In reading, previewing is that compass – guiding and enriching your journey through the book. Happy previewing, and even happier reading!