Tracking a Writer’s Moves

When you’re reading for the conversation, it’s particularly important to track the moves the writer is making. Is he or she offering background? Mark it. Defining terms? Mark it. Here are some typical writers’ moves for the kinds of reading you’ll likely encounter in college: Offering Background Analyzing an Example Interpreting an Example Borrowing Expert Read More …

Marking Up Texts

When you read, focus your attention more on the flow of the intellectual conversation than on the specific pieces of information or materials the writers use to have the conversation. Remember, you’re reading to further the conversation, not merely to acquire and retain information. In order to participate in the conversation, you have to be Read More …

Chunking a Complex Text

Unless they’re very short, most pieces of writing are built from separate chunks.  In short pieces of writing, paragraphs are the chunk unit.  But in longer pieces, multi-paragraph sequences form distinct segments, which combined make up a complex text. Some emerging academic readers struggle with reading complex texts because they’re used to looking for a Read More …