AFTER YOU’VE READ

Most everyone can remember what came first and what came last better than they remember what was in the middle—be it a shopping list or scenes in a play. That’s why writers and teachers generally put the nitty- gritty, the main idea, of what you’re reading in the beginning, and repeat it at the end.

Every time you complete an assignment, think about what you got out of it. In your reading log, answer these questions:

• What was most useful or interesting about what you read? • How did the beginning compare with the end?

• What did you disagree with or find confusing?

• What ways of reading worked best for you (reading aloud, drawing pictures, etc.)?

To make sure you have understood what you’ve read, follow the steps listed in Chapters 7 and 8 on knowing what you know and don’t know. Make a picture, make order—and then record any questions you still have left so you can tackle them in your next study session.

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Here’s a secret to reading: Some words have two different kinds of mean- ings, literal and figurative. One meaning you can feel, see, hear, smell, or taste. It’s really there. A second meaning you have to figure out, based on the first meaning.

For instance, think about the word road. Imagine the road near you. You can see it; when someone walks or drives on it, you can hear traffic on it; if it’s a tar road and a warm day, you can even smell it. A word meaning something that’s really there is called literal. (You may want to review abstract and literal thinking in Chapter 2, Discovering How You Learn.) If you’re a literal (right-brain) learner, literal understanding generally comes readily to you.

Some words also have a symbolic or abstract meaning. With the example of road, what does a road do? It takes you somewhere, right? Now you see that you can use road in a different way, an abstract way, a way that does not have a picture—a way that is not literal. Because you have to figure out this kind of meaning, it is called figurative. Reading this book might be part of your “road to success.” You’re getting some- where—you just can’t literally see it. If you’re an abstract (left-brain) thinker, this kind of thinking generally comes readily to you.

To get from a literal understanding of a word to its figurative mean- ing, try this:

• First, picture the literal meaning in your head.

• Next, write (or tape-record) a description of what the word does. • Then, hold on to the idea of what the word does, and consider its

Try this approach in going from a literal to figurative understanding with other words. Think about the word chair. What does a chair do? It supports you. Were you ever chair of a committee? Get the idea?

Try this with titles, too. What is the literal meaning of a title? What could a figurative meaning be? Notice the title of a film, short story, poem, or play. Often there are two meanings to fiction, one literal—one you can easily picture—and another figurative—one you need to figure out. For example, the film “The Freshman” is about a young man who is in his first year of college (literal) and who is also naive, inexperienced, and “fresh” to the ways of the world (figurative).

If English isn’t your first language, be on the look-out for many words and phrases with figurative meanings. To say, “A bell went off in her head,” doesn’t mean she had an operation, a bell was placed inside her head, and it rang! Instead, ask yourself, What picture comes to mind? A bell ringing. What does a ringing bell signify? It might announce some- thing or call attention to something, right? It brings something to mind that wasn’t thought of before. “A bell went off inside her head” figura- tively means “She realized something.” You’ll find that the more practice you have, the easier it will be to go from literal to figurative understand- ing—from “seeing” something to realizing its figurative, richer meaning!

IN

SHORT

To make sense of what you read, first study the title and any illustrations to come up with the main idea of the reading. Come up with questions that the text should answer. You want to have clear images in your head, and a clear sense of the order of events of what you’re reading or listening to. Stop when you come to something new or confusing. Connect it with what you already know, to help your brain file it as something learned. After you read, you think back on what you read, and how you read it.

Practice Tips

Practice pre-reading the next time you’re reading a newspaper or magazine article, or even watching a film. Pre-read the title of the film or reading matter, and then pay very close attention to what’s happening in the beginning. Try to predict the ending, based on what’s happening or being discussed at the start. Have fun!

REMEMBERING

WHAT

YOU’VE

LEARNED

You’re studying a lecture you listened to, or something you’ve read. You understand it—and now you want to get it to stick! How do you make sure you won’t forget it by tomorrow? The trick is to start by identifying what’s important to you and relate it to something you know. Then use it in your conversations, write it down, or draw or record it. You get actively involved with the new material, using your learning style.

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here’s a difference between memorizing

something and remembering it. Straight memorization doesn’t usually stay with you very long. Real learning, on the other hand, lets you apply what you learned. Because you use it, it has meaning for you. Because it has meaning for you, you’re apt to remember it!

Memorizing vs. Remembering

In his Spanish class, Jeff was given a list of vocabulary words to learn. There were Spanish words in one column and their corre- sponding English words in the other. Jeff took the list and memo- rized all the Spanish words. He read them out loud. He put the list on his bedroom mirror, on his refrigerator, in his notebook, and on his TV set. Jeff felt he knew those words. Then came the test. He took one look at it and froze. His Spanish teacher had changed the order of the words, and Jeff had memorized the list in a certain order. He could repeat the exact list, but he couldn’t translate them at random. He hadn’t learned the words.