Understand that there are two types of reading, active and passive. Skip the casual reading approach, as the demands of reading an academic text are different than reading an article in a popular magazine or a fiction novel. More time and attention will be required to understand articles in a textbook.
Review the book's table of contents, preface and introduction to get a feel for how the book is organized and its purpose. Notice if there are photographs, time lines or other content that might help you put information in context and improve understanding. Look ahead at the number of pages to be tackled to schedule enough reading time.
Expect to read assignments more than once to uncover layers of meaning. In "What is a Book" author David Kirby states, "great books contain, not many secrets, but too many secrets." Learn to appreciate that whether you are reading a poem, short story or chapter from a history book, the text is communicating important truths about life.
Capture your initial response to the text with annotations. Underline or highlight passages that provoke strong reactions or surprise. Write questions and insights in page margins or on a separate sheet of paper; these notes could become part of a paper.
Use a notebook to keep track of important information. Draw a line down the center of the page. Quote key or confusing passages and record unfamiliar words on the left side and use the right side to document your reactions, word definitions and other questions that arise.
Keep a reading journal and write notes daily. Rebecca Howard and Amy Taggart , authors of "Research Matters: A Guide to Research Writing" remind readers that "Writing while reading helps us discover both what we know and what we want to learn more about." Use the journal to free write, outline or otherwise organize your thoughts.