Reading Skills:

1
Reading Skills

• Getting more
• out of your
• study time

Chris Hays, Writing Counselor
2
The Four Stages of Reading

• Elementary
• Inspectional
• Analytical
• Syntopical

3
Inspectional Reading Surveying a book

• Title page
• Preface
• Table of contents
• Index
• Blurbs
• A page here and there, especially conclusions

4
Analytical Reading Questions to ask

• What kind of writing is it?
• What is the unity of the writing (in a sentence
  or two)?
• What is the structure of the writing?
• What was the authors problem?

5
Analytical Reading Questions to ask

• What are the key terms?
• e.g. eschatology,
• faith-based initiative,
• family systems theory,
• RBIs
• What are the major propositions?

6
Propositions Example

• Pauls epistles display an imminent eschatology,
  whereas Johns gospel tends toward a realized
  eschatology.
• i.e. Paul thought that the Kingdom of God was
  coming very soon, but John thought that it had
  already arrived.

7
Analytical Reading Questions to ask

• What are the major arguments?
• What are the authors solutions?

8
Analytical Reading The Big Questions

• Is it true? Does the author make his or her case?
• What difference does it make?

9
Analytical Reading Making a book your own

• Underlining / vertical lines
• Stars / asterisks
• Numbering points
• Page numbers for reference
• Circling key terms or phrases
• Writing in the margins

10
The Four Stages of Reading

• Elementary
• Inspectional
• Analytical
• Syntopical