Pre-Reading

Seite 1

The purpose for reading affects how you read.....

Previewing:

BOOKS?NOVELS: Look at the title and graphics, reviews, summary and Author info., dedication

Textbooks/websites/magazines/newspapers - Researching:

Skimming: Look at a text/chapter quickly in order to get a general idea on the contents

Scanning: Look at text to find some particular info.

Text Book:

Read the questions at the end of the chapter first. This helps you focus on the specific important info.

Creat a chart as you read

What is this about?

What do I already know?

What kind of text is this? (Fiction/non-fiction, entertainment, informative etc?)

What do the heading tell me?

What visual aids do the provide? (Charts Graphs, pictures, diagrams etc.)

Highlighted words or paragraphs?

Can be used for both fiction and non-fiction

Read titles, headings bolded and highlighted words, and try to make a prediction from there. You repeat this with every new item you come across

When doing this with non-fiction pretty the much the same as fiction.

Here are some strategies that you can use as you read to help you to better understand the novel:

As soon as possible, try to determine setting, both the time and place, of the story. You may need to do further research if the novel is set in either a time or a place with which you are unfamiliar.

Be aware of the central conflicts that evolve as the plot develops.

Remember that the internal conflicts of characters may be far more

significant than obvious external conflicts in helping you discover the

underlying themes of the novel.

Determine the point of view being used to relate the plot. Then carefully consider why you feel the author chose that particular point of view to relate the story. How does the chosen point of view slant or bias the 'truth'? Does the point of view shift?

Determine the protagonist (central character). Remember that the protagonist may be more than one person. Then, determine what the protagonist is trying to achieve, or, in other words, what his or her goal is. Then consider what forces, including other characters, are hindering the protagonist from achieving that goal.

Considering the nature of the protagonist(s) and that of the

antagonist(s) and reflecting on the types of conflicts that develop

provides important clues to help a reader make meaning of a novel.

Be aware of any changes that occur in the essential nature of any of the major, or dynamic, characters as the plot develops. If changes do occur, reflect why a character is motivated to undergo such a change.

If, on the other hand, the essential nature of a central character

never changes, consider how such a static nature determines that

character's fate.

Identify images that recur throughout the novel. Such recurring images are referred to as motifs and are often important keys to discovering the novel's themes.

Watch for other literary devices, particularly the use of foreshadowing (hints of what is to come) or irony. These, too, can be helpful clues to lead the reader to a more insightful understanding of the novel.

Be sensitive to the general tone and mood of the story, and to changes in the tone or mood.

Consider the author's style of writing and how that style reinforces

the mood and general tone that the author is seeking to create.

The title of a novel is usually carefully chosen. Speculate on the significance of the title the author chose.

Most good novels deserve more than a single read. Re-reading a book usually allows readers to deepen and expand their understanding of the story and its underlying themes.

Try to find someone else who has also studied the novel you are studying. Sharing various ideas, reactions and interpretations about a novel is an important way of expanding your perspectives.

Reading critical reviews and watching movie adaptations of a novel may offer new perspectives and insights. However, challenge yourself to read and interpret the novel before you consider how others have interpreted the book.

Then you will be better able to critique how effectively you feel a

director has adapted a novel to a movie or how perceptively a critic has

reviewed a novel.

Keeping these ideas in mind as you read the novel will help to enhance your insight into its theme(s). Remember to keep your notes up-to-date as you read.

Pre-Viewing

Questioning

Predicting

Studying the novel