Active Reading Strategies

1. Underline selectively, marking only essential words and phrases.

2. Use boxes, circles, or stars to highlight key names, dates, and events.

3. Put brackets [ ] around longer sentences and paragraphs you believe are important.

4. Paraphrase important ideas in the margins. (If you can’t paraphrase, maybe you don’t
completely understand what you’re reading!)

5. Create mini-diagrams in the margins that represent readings organized by categories

or classifications.

6. Draw arrows to show connections between examples and cause and effect
relationships.

7. Create “train boxes” or “chains of circles” to show a sequence or chain of events.

8. Use numbers above words to itemize individual parts of a definition, process or

procedure.

1 2 3 4.
Emotions have four components: feelings, physiological responses, cognitions, and goals.

9. List individual parts of a definition, process or procedure in the margins.

Four Components of Emotions

1. Feelings
2. Physiological responses
3. Cognitions
4. Goals

10. Identify possible quiz or test questions (Q.Q. or TQ).

11. Use symbols, such as question marks (?), exclamation points (!), or happy / sad /
laughing faces to show your feelings about the author’s point of view.

:-) :-( :-D :-0 :- /

12. Circle vocabulary words that are central to the subject. Write brief definitions in the
margins or double underline the textbook definitions if available.

13. Make notes in the margins combining what you’ve learned from class lectures and
other readings with what you are reading in the current article.

14. Note personal connections to movies, songs, novels, other readings, or any other
experiences related to the same subject matter.

15. Check your “active reading” markers at the end of each chapter section to determine
if you’ve gotten the “gist” of the reading.

16. Use the top margin to create your own headings or summaries of the page.

17. If you are having difficulty with a paragraph, write RR or ???. Then come back later
for a second and slower reading.

18. Remember, any symbol used in notetaking or mathematics could be useful as you
communicate with yourself during the reading (e.g. =, ~, +, -, etc.).

19. Use different-colored pencils, pens, or highlighters to add a little something extra.

20. A picture is worth a thousand words! Drawing little pictures that represent what
you’re reading can create deeper connections with vocabulary and ideas and help you
retain the information better. If you’re a natural “doodler”, take advantage of this skill!