3.1: Pre-Reading Strategies

Questions to Consider:

• What habits help make enough time for reading?

• How does active and critical reading help, and how can it be done?

• Are there special reading expectations in each class or major?

Allowing Adequate Time for Reading

At the start of each semester, check the reading expectations for every class. It is also important to know why each text is assigned. Sometimes careful reading is needed to find details; other times, skimming helps with learning about the topic. Understanding the reason for each assignment guides how much time to spend, what notes to take, and how to read most effectively. 

Figure 4.4 If you plan to make time for reading while you commute, remember that unexpected events like delays and cancellations could impact your concentration. (Credit: The LEAF Project / Flickr, Public Domain (CC-0))

Class schedules may include reading primary sources like legal documents, historic letters, or diaries, as well as textbooks, articles, summaries, and essays based on those sources. Current news articles may also be important for understanding local and global events. Planning time to read and review each assignment helps manage a busy semester.

Making time for reading supports personal success. Many well-known people throughout history were strong readers. Harry Truman said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Thomas Jefferson said, “I cannot live without books.” Frederick Douglass believed, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” George R. R. Martin wrote, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”

Scheduling reading time, knowing usual reading speed, and using active and repeated reading can help fit reading into a busy routine.

Determining Reading Speed and Pacing

To determine your reading speed, select a section of text—passages in a textbook or pages in a novel. Time yourself reading that material for exactly 5 minutes, and note how much reading you accomplished in those 5 minutes. Multiply the amount of reading you accomplished in 5 minutes by 12 to determine your average reading pace (5 times 12 equals the 60 minutes of an hour). Of course, your reading pace will be different and take longer if you are taking notes while you read, but this calculation of reading pace gives you a good way to estimate your reading speed that you can adapt to other forms of reading.

Example Reading Times

Reader	Pages Read in 5 Minutes	Pages per Hour	Approximate Hours to Read 500 Pages
Marta	4	48	10 hours, 30 minutes
Jordi	3	36	13 hours
Estevan	5	60	8 hours, 20 minutes

Table 4.1

In the table above, you can see three students with different reading speeds. So, for instance, if Marta was able to read 4 pages of a dense novel for her English class in 5 minutes, she should be able to read about 48 pages in one hour. Knowing this, Marta can accurately determine how much time she needs to devote to finishing the novel within a set amount of time, instead of just guessing. If the novel Marta is reading is 497 pages, then Marta would take the total page count (497) and divide that by her hourly reading rate (48 pages/hour) to determine that she needs about 10 to 11 hours overall. To finish the novel spread out over two weeks, Marta needs to read a little under an hour a day to accomplish this goal.

Calculating your reading rate in this manner does not take into account days where you’re too distracted and you have to reread passages or days when you just aren’t in the mood to read. And your reading rate will likely vary depending on how dense the content you’re reading is (e.g., a complex textbook vs. a comic book). Your pace may slow down somewhat if you are not very interested in what the text is about. What this method will help you do is be realistic about your reading time as opposed to waging a guess based on nothing and then becoming worried when you have far more reading to finish than the time available.

Chapter 2, “Managing Your Time and Priorities,” offers more detail on how best to determine your speed from one type of reading to the next so you are better able to schedule your reading.

Scheduling Set Times for Active Reading

Active reading takes longer than reading through passages without stopping. You may not need to read your latest sci-fi series actively while you’re lounging on the beach, but many other reading situations demand more attention from you. Active reading is particularly important for college courses. You are a scholar actively engaging with the text by posing questions, seeking answers, and clarifying any confusing elements. Plan to spend at least twice as long to read actively than to read passages without taking notes or otherwise marking select elements of the text.

To determine the time you need for active reading, use the same calculations you use to determine your traditional reading speed and double it. Remember that you need to determine your reading pace for all the classes you have in a particular semester and multiply your speed by the number of classes you have that require different types of reading. The table below shows the differences in time needed between reading quickly without taking notes and reading actively.

Example Active Reading Times

Reader	Pages Read in 5 Minutes	Pages per Hour	Approximate Hours to Read 500 Pages	Approximate Hours to Actively Read 500 Pages
Marta	4	48	10 hours, 30 minutes	21 hours
Jordi	3	36	13 hours	26 hours
Estevan	5	60	8 hours, 20 minutes	16 hours, 40 minutes

Table 4.2

Practicing Recursive Reading Strategies

Reading for college often means reading and rereading. Rereading the same material helps find important points a writer makes or understand responses to other ideas. This process is called recursive reading.

Most college reading is for a specific purpose. Full attention is needed to understand complex material, and it is important to think about what the writer may leave out and why. Reading for understanding is not just a simple, one-way process. Usually, reading from start to finish is only the first step. Rereading helps find meaning and connect ideas to the course, college program, or field of study.

In writing, revision is key; in college reading, rereading improves understanding and supports good note-taking.

Strong readers use several steps:

• Use prior knowledge about the topic.

• Ask questions about the content, in speech and writing.

• Make inferences from the text.

• Learn unfamiliar words, especially those for the subject area.

• Judge the value and message of what is read.

• Apply information to other studies and real-life situations.

Breaking these steps down can make reading feel less overwhelming.

Figure 4.5 The six elements of recursive reading should be considered as a circular, not linear, process.

Accessing Prior Knowledge

Before reading, recall anything already known about the topic. Documentaries, previous classes, or hobbies may help to connect new material with what is familiar.

Asking Questions

While reading, write down questions about the topic. Questions help focus attention and encourage deeper thinking. Use a notebook or computer to track questions and leave space for answers after reading.

Inferring and Implying

Look for ideas that are not directly stated. Use clues from the text to infer new information. Writers might imply opinions or facts, so pay attention to hints and suggestions.

Learning Vocabulary

New topics often contain words specific to a discipline. Use context clues or look up words to understand their meanings. Keep a vocabulary list as a reference and add new words and definitions.

Evaluating

When reading, check facts and think critically. Scan headings, read through the text, and identify main points and supporting evidence. Notice the intended audience and look for any bias presented by the author.

Applying

Apply new knowledge to other subjects or life situations. Information gained from reading can help solve problems and support bigger learning goals.

Preparing to Read for College

Different classes have different reading expectations. Some may assign articles, chapters, or primary sources like original documents. Understanding the background and planning reading time helps with classroom participation and deeper learning.

Figure 4.6 Learning about the book you’re reading can provide good context and information. Look for an author’s biography and forward on the back cover or in the first few pages. (Credit: Mark Hillary / Flickr / Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0))

Researching the Author and Book

Quotations about books or authors found inside a book may help, but they are often used as marketing and may not be unbiased. Authors may have other books listed near the front of a book. Look for familiar titles. Try searching for the author or book online, and look past buying sites to find more useful information. Library article databases are often better for academic research than standard search engines. If using the library database is new, ask a reference librarian for help. Librarians can suggest the best resources for research.

Understanding Preset Ideas

Readers often bring their own ideas to topics, especially subjects they care about. For example, Laura studies environmental issues and brings her own opinions and experiences to new readings. However, personal biases can prevent seeing new or different viewpoints. Honest review of evidence helps check if old ideas are still valid. Keeping an open mind is important when reading material that gives different perspectives. New learning is possible by giving attention to all ideas, even when they challenge familiar beliefs.

Analysis Question

Think about any time reading for a college course was difficult. Which strategies from above could have made the content easier to understand? Explain why these strategies would help.

Remixed by Talley Caruso (2025).  The original version can be accessed for free at https://openstax.org/books/preparing-for-college-success/pages/1-introduction