85 Study Strategies Strategies for Reading Sociology (and Other) Textbooks Like all others, sociology textbooks can be frightening. They are often long, with technical words and ideas that may seem complicated. Here are some strategies for reading and studying sociology texts (this one included) that can help you understand more of what you read and perform better on quizzes and tests. • Look at the Table of Contents pages in the front of the book to get an overview of what you will be studying. • Read the learning objectives (LOs) in the Prepare section at the beginning of the module. • Before reading the module, skim it for tables and illustrations that might give you an idea of its content and organization. • Read the outline in the Organize section at the start of the module. • Gather your tools, including a pen or pencil, highlighters, a copy of the assignment (so you’ll be sure to read the right material), and paper, index cards, or a computer for taking notes. • Give yourself enough time—and a quiet space—to do the reading. • Set a goal for how much you are going to read before taking a break. • Write while you read, jotting notes to yourself and marking the page with check marks, arrows, and diagrams. • Highlight and underline important points—but do this selectively. Mark only the key material. Highlighting everything is the same as highlighting nothing. • Stop and think after you read a section. Check that you have understood the material. • Pay attention to key terms. These are printed in bold type because they are important for understanding major ideas and concepts in sociology. To help you review these, they are gathered together at the end of each module. • Answer the Evaluate questions at the end of the module. • Pretend you are explaining the material you have read (e.g., telling a classmate who didn’t read the assignment about the material). • Answer the Rethink questions at the end of the module. • Read Recap at the end of the module. • Consult Key Terms at the end of each module as needed. • Look over the assignment again, along with any notes you took. If you do this within 24 hours of first reading the assignment, it can save you hours of work later.
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