Just as writing consists of more than simply putting words on paper, reading consists of more than merely interpreting written words. Reading, in fact, involves identifying a writer’s main ideas and then retaining those ideas. However, the question is, how can readers identify and retain main ideas if they have difficulty comprehending the material?
The Skim, Read, and Review Method
William Barnwell and Robert Dees, coauthors of The Resourceful Writer: A Basic Writing Course (1999), suggest that if readers want to improve their comprehension, they should employ the technique known as the “SRR Method” (Skim, Read, and Review).
Skimming the Material Prior to Reading
The first step in improving reading comprehension is skimming the material before actually reading it. In the process, however, readers should follow certain guidelines:
- Read the entire first paragraph and try to identify the central idea or ideas the writer is going to make in the piece.
- As the material is being skimmed, try to pinpoint main ideas as they are presented.
- Try to determine the purpose of the piece; for example, is it persuasive, analytical, cause-and-effect, comparison/contrast, etc?
- Highlight or jot down any unfamiliar words.
- Skim any subheadings since they provide an overview of main points.
- Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph to help put paragraph topics in perspective.
- If anything seems confusing, stop a moment and think about why it might be confusing.
- Jot down main points and any questions that arise while the material is being skimmed.
Reading the Material Thoroughly
The second step is to read the material thoroughly instead of skimming over it, and as the material is being read, do the following:
- Underline the central idea of the piece and the main ideas within paragraphs.
- Relate the material to personal experience and make notes (either in the margin of the book or on a sheet of paper) about the experience and how it relates to the material.
- Jot down any additional questions that arise.
- Look up definitions of unfamiliar words that were highlighted or noted during step one.
Reviewing the Material for Comprehension
The final step is to review the material by asking these questions:
- What is the author’s central idea?
- What main points are presented to support this idea?
- What supporting ideas are presented to back up main points?
- What are the answers to any questions that arose during step two?
If the above questions cannot be answered, readers should again skim over the material as well as any notes that were taken during step two.
Although it might take a bit of practice to benefit fully from the SRR Method, in time readers will begin to see a marked improvement in their comprehension and, as a result, find they are able to give a concise, accurate account of whatever they have read.
Source:
Barnwell, W. & Dees, R. The Resourceful Writer: A Basic Writing Course. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
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