Rank	Status	Risk
2	2	3

4.# Reading Tips Interface

4.#.1 The tips document will be displayed on a white background.

4.#.1.1 The passage title shall be black, 16pt Times New Roman Font, bolded

and shall be centered 2 lines above the passage.

4.#.1.2 The passage shall be black, 10pt Times New Roman Font, left and right justified, and paragraphed and spaced as in source file.

4.#.2 Centered below the passage shall be a windows push button.

4.#.2.1 The button will be gray filled.

4.#.2.2 “OK” shall appear centered in the button in 16pt black text.

4.#.3 The tips document shall read as follows:

READING

Most college students have fair to good reading skills; however, occasionally reading is a major problem. Even when reading is not a major problem most students can benefit from a review of effective reading procedures. The two major considerations in reading are comprehension and speed. Speed reading is not necessarily the goal, but excessive time for reading must be avoided. Comprehension is the primary objective in reading.

A proven method of reading is the SQ3R Method, which is similar in concept to the note-taking methods described earlier. The SQ3R method contains the following sequence of steps: (1) survey, (2) question, (3) read, (4) recite, and (5) review. The survey step is simple; glance through heading, figures, pictures and other clues to obtain and overview of the information. This process is similar to “buzzing” the runway of a remote landing strip in Australia to check for kangaroos and other obstacles. The next step is to turn the heading into questions, which sets up the need to read and understand what is written. This step will cause the reading to have a purpose and a structure. The next step is to read to answer the questions. The information should be read in sections, and at the end of each section, you should attempt to recite the important information just read. It is useful to write brief notes or cue phrases to help you review. The final step is to review the information. This step is the same as for note taking.

The SQ3R method is similar to the way researchers search reading material. They usually have a specific need for information. They, therefore, have predetermined questions that they want answered. They often are impatient in their reading—they want the answer without interference from other unimportant information. They, thus, scan or survey the material looking for clues to where the needed information may be contained. When they find the right location, they slow down and read carefully, taking detailed notes about the answers to their questions. Researchers may not recite the information, but they do reflect on the information, which is a strong influence on understanding and memory.

It should be obvious now that any of the ideas for note taking and reading have value for either note taking or reading and that students should adopt the method or combination of methods that work best for a particular course. If students have specific reading difficulties, they should seek professional evaluation and help. The key is to read with need and process for tests.