STUDY HABITS & SPEED READ

Grace Malek – Fall 2011

Recognizing AnalogiesChoose the word that best completes each analogy.

Think of the relationship between each pair of words. moon : night as sun : ________

A. fun B. day C. light D. lunch

engine : car as heart : ________ A. lungs B. love C. body D. mind

Recognizing SynonymsRead each of the following sentences and its four word choices. Then

replace boldfaced word in the sentence with each of the four choices. Finally, select the word that is closest in meaning to the boldfaced word.

While Anthony worked at his station on the automobile assembly line, doing the same task over and over again became tedious. A. exciting B. boring C. educational D. stimulating

The emerald skirt matched the shade of rainforest plants. A. rose B. green C. purple D. Tailored

Recognizing AntonymsSelect the word most opposite in meaning to the boldfaced word.

Which of the following words is the ANTONYM for the word deep? A. dark B. intense C. for D. shallow

Which of the following words is the ANTONYM for the word delicate? A. fragile B. fine C. sturdy D. Breakable

Determining Vocabulary in Context He never read his homework assignments. Therefore, he failed

all his daily quizzes and learned to ________ ancient history. A. reprimand B. deplore C. enhance D. appreciate

Through studying the leaf identification chart, Jennifer learned to _______ poison ivy from Virginia creeper.

A. differentiate B. discrepancy C. recognize D. produce

Signal Words: SUPPORTING OPPOSING Words found in

True Statements

More However Some

Furthermore But Usually

Also Yet Seldom

And Nevertheless Sometimes

Likewise Otherwise Probably

Moreover Although Mainly

1,2,3… Contrary Often

Not Except

Despite rarely

SEQUENCES ABSOLUTESWords found in false statements

MAIN IDEA/ CONCLUSIONS

Now Never In conclusion

Later None In summary

Before, after No one The major point

Earlier All As a result

Last Always Thus

First, second Everyone Because

Then, next, finally Only Consequently

Yesterday Every Therefore

Today, tomorrow

Be a Speedier Reader

Get Flexible:1. Careful, analytical reading (50-300 WPM). Textbook

material- stuff you’ll be tested on later.

2. Rapid reading (300-600 WPM). If the material is easy for you, if you already know a lot about the subject, and if you’re not going to be tested on it, go ahead and read quickly. Magazine articles, newspapers…

3. Skimming (up to 1500 WPM). Preview a chapter, zip through a newspaper article, or race through a magazine piece using this reading rate. Your eyes may stop on a word here or there, or a paragraph that’s especially interesting to you.

4. Scanning (up to 3000 WPM). Use this supersonic rate to find a name in a telephone book, a word in a dictionary, a movie in the TV guide, or the answer to a textbook question after you’ve already read a chapter.

Be a Speedier Reader – cont’dBreak Bad Habits:

1. Do you point your finger at every word? Do you move your lips? These habits can slow you down. Instead, hold a card under every line as you read it.

2. Do you always go back and reread? Sometimes this can improve your comprehension. But you shouldn’t have to read everything twice. Try highlighting or take notes. Do something! This will help you to focus your attention

3. Do you read every word on the page? It’s much faster and more efficient to read in word groups. Don’t let your eyes stop on every word, instead focus on three to four words at a time.

Be a Speedier Reader – cont’d

Practice:

1. Try the four reading rates with different materials. Get a feel for each one. You’ll soon discover which to use when.

2. Mark off 100 words and time yourself when you read. Use a stopwatch. Start with articles that are easy for you . Try to remember what you read.

3. Practice rapid reading on a newspaper article, magazine article, or short story. Write a two or three sentence summary.

4. Skim a newspaper or magazine article. Write a one-sentence summary.

Be a Speedier Reader – Practice cont’d

5. Scan the telephone book for your name and your friends’ names. Scan sports articles for high-action verbs.

6. Read mysteries. Trying to solve “whodunits” will speed up your reading rate.

7. Gradually move on to more difficult material. Try reading your textbook pages a little faster, but make sure that you can mentally summarize each page before you go on to the next.

8. Try word-group reading a newspaper, where the columns are thin and the words group naturally.

Test – Taking Skills As soon as a test is announced, write it in your

agenda, then on your monthly planner. Plan daily to study for the test You have a place to study where you are comfortable

and not distracted. You can easily find your notes, homework

assignments and papers. Your notes make sense, otherwise fix them. Study for the test 3 – 4 days ahead. Make sure you understand everything in case you

missed a session for absence reason you can check with the teacher.

Type of QuestionsTrue or FalseMatchingMultiple Choice QuestionsWord Box and questions – fill in the

blankShort answers or responsesEssay answers: 1 – 3 paragraphs

Multiple Choice Questions Read all choices before picking an answer. Use the process of elimination. If you know

that “b”, “d” and “e”, are wrong, then answer must be “a” or “c”.

When in doubt, guess. Your guess may be right; leaving a blank won’t be.

If one choice is much longer than the rest, and it seems likely to be right, go with it. Longer answers tend to be right more often than shorter answers.

STAY SHARP! Relax. Take a deep breath. Read all the directions – carefully. Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher to explain

any directions you don’t understand. Read all the answer choices—even if you

spot the correct answer right away Skip over questions you can’t answer quickly,

then go back later. Take your time—it’s not a race. Proofread your answers before you hand in

your paper. Go for the extra credit!

Five Ways to Conquer Test Anxiety

Memorize important facts, figures, formulas, and dates ahead of time.

Practice the test-taking strategies in this section. The more prepared you are, the less anxious you’ll feel.

If you start getting anxious, take a brief relaxation break. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Think about tensing, then relaxing, every part of your body from toes to the top of your head.

Five Ways to Conquer Test Anxiety - continued

If other students finish before you do, ignore them. It’s a myth that top students finish first, average students finish in the middle, and poor students finish last.

If you finish early, use the time to check your answers.