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                                                           A guest to our site  asks about ...

                                           Tips for Reading Textbooks

  " My son has auditory processing disorder
and has to rely almost completely on his reading
ability in order to process information.  He's in
   college now and it's getting very difficult for him.
   Can you recommend ways that he can maximize his
textbook reading abilities so that it becomes an
                                     even more effective compensating tool?"

     My heart goes out to you and your son!  Here are some simple, yet powerful tips for making his college text book reading more effective.  They are helpful for students of all ages when they begin facing chapters to learn and remember.

  1. Prepare your memory: Spend a few minutes surveying the chapter before starting to read.   This will promote long-term memory, because it encourages you to build a mental structure for the new information you'll be reading.  SO,  read the titles, subtitles, text on the front and back covers, table of contents, first and last pages of the chapter, boldface or italic print, material set off as boxes, figures or charts, summaries, previews, and review questions.  A book-walk like this will pay big dividends.

  2.  Notice trigger words:   This idea comes from the work of Paul R. Scheele, in which he suggests flipping through the chapter, and every couple of pages, noticing the words that jump out at you or catch your attention.   He suggests about 5-10 for an article.  I'd suggest the same for a chapter. Make a mental note of these, or write them down.  These words are important because, "they become targets for your brain during reading.  Your brain will highlight them in its search through the text, helping you quickly find meaning and accomplish your purpose."
 
    Make these two steps relaxed, and habitual.  They've proven very effective in maximizing the power to read and remember text book information, and feel comfortable using that information in papers and tests. 
    I wish you and your son the very best.  He sounds like a wonderful young man.