WEST VIRGINIA DEPATMENT OF EDUCATION

If the book weren't ideal, would it be better to find a better one?

Take 1-2 minutes to skim through the article to find the core idea. Know what is being expressed. Do you need more details? If not, find another article.

Read lightly and flexibly. Know what you need. Slow down to fulfill your purpose, answering questions that are most important to you.

Since very few words carry the meaning, speed up to pass redundant or useless information.

Getting the main idea in reading is central to effective studying.

• You must learn what the author's central idea is, and understand it in your own way.
• Every paragraph contains a main idea. Main ideas are perfect for outlining textbooks. Make it a habit to find the main idea in each paragraph you read.
• Extracting Important Details.

Extracting important details mean that you locate in your reading main and most significant ideas.

• There is usually one important detail associated with every main idea. The more important details you can identify, the easier it will be to review for examinations because you have made a link between an idea and information that supports it.
• The more links you can make between details and ideas, as well as ideas themselves, the more powerful will be the efforts of your study.