Chunk, Read, Summarize, Test

Tired of those long boring reading assignments that are assigned in almost every class? Well, there’s a resolution! The Charlie Reads SmarT strategy is the way to go when you must get a reading assignment done and done well! Many times I find myself reading my assignments over and over again because of the fact that I did not grasp t

he information the first time reading through it. With the use of Charlie Reads SmarT you are guaranteed to have remembered all of the readings if you follow all of the steps required in this strategy. I have two exams coming up in the next two following weeks for my HTW 303 and CHE 106 courses. In preparation for my examinations, I reviewed this strategy.

For HTW 303, my professor has a list of assignments in the syllabus she wants us to have done. Listed are those long and tedious readings that we must read before coming to class. To make these reading assignments easy and not seem like a task, I chunked each reading assignment into topics and chapters. This step is necessary just once per source. By doing so, I was actually able to COMPLETE my readings. I noticed that the most number of pages I can read without wanting to close the textbook right there and then, were 20 pages. SO if my readings were more then 20 pages I would stop at every 20^th page and take a break. Then I returned back to the readings. However, I wasn’t reading aimlessly. I read with a purpose! To fully understand what ideas and concepts my professor wanted us to gain from reading each assignment, I checked the syllabus to see the topics for each listed reading assignment. This helped me get an overall idea of what I needed to know from reading this assignment. As I read through the pages and came across new heading topics, I turned the heading into questions. I then read for the answer, which helped keep me interested in the readings and remember what important details I was reading for. Because my HTW 303 professor posts lecture slides on BlackBoard that are highly detailed and contain almost all of the important information from each chapter, I related how the reading selection relates to material presented in class. After each reading, I would create an outline of words, definitions, and/ or examples to summarize what I just read. I then anticipated 3-5 questions based on the outline I made.

I followed the same procedure for my CHE 106. I read a chunk at a time ( 20 pages) and read section-by-section. Like many of my other professors, my professor for this course posts lecture slides on BlackBoard. making it easier for me to know what ideas & concepts (aside from what is said in the syllabus) I should focus on while completing my reading assignments. When completing these reading assignments, I am essentially reading for clarification and to gain a better understanding of the material. At the end of each chapter, I summarize and create an outline of key words. To test myself and see if I understood the material I complete several of the questions that are at the end of each chapter and I try to create questions similar to those questions.

I am both a visual and kinesthetic LEARNER so this strategy was the perfect way to get me started on studying for examinations while actually getting me to read the book! I took ACTION and read for my classes using the all of the MATERIALS provided to me. If you are one of those students like I am who have a hard time with getting reading assignments completed then The Charlie Reads SmarT is the strategy for you!!!!!!!!!