Study Strategies for Reading Novels
Reading novels teaches us about different worlds, eras and people. For this reason, they are an integral part of getting educated. It’s important not to be intimidated by the language and issues in novels; instead, practice strategies that help you navigate the text.
Pre-reading:
A little research – Research can be simple, like a keyword search that gives some information about the genre you are reading; the author; the time period in which the novel is set; or the subject matter of the book. These key words can generally be found on the back or inside cover of the book and will give the reader outside information to help understand the story. Research can also be more complex, like checking out a book from the library that has essays written about the novel.
Predict – Flip through the first section of the book and look for a short piece of dialogue or text. Predict what has happened. Revisit your thoughts when you get to that piece.
While reading:
New words – Keep a graph of the new words you encounter. This graph should include a box for the word, its definition, how it’s used in the book and the final box for your interpretation.
Visualize - Turn on the movie projector in your head. Take a minute during the action to visualize what is happening and what the characters look like.
Conflict – All novels have conflict. Make a graph that has the six main conflicts (character vs. character, society, technology, self, supernatural and nature) at the top with space underneath. Write the conflict at the top and then pictures or stick figures demonstrating what’s happening in the text. If you like to journal, write about it instead of drawing a picture.
Compare - Don’t be afraid to compare the characters with yourself. What would you do in that situation? How might the story have turned out differently had the main or secondary character been you?
Post-reading:
Gossip about it - Get a group together of other students who are reading the same book. By discussing the book you’ll get a deeper understanding of what happened and what there is to learn from it. Keep a list of questions you had while you read and bring them to the group. If the conversation stops, have a ‘gossip session’ discussing the characters; what’s wrong with them and what they should have done differently.
Reread – go through and reread any section or part of the novel that didn’t turn out as you expected. Check the text for something you may have missed that made the ending unclear or confusing.
The most important part of reading a novel is to enjoy the process and the story. Always look for who and what you like about a story and keep a great attitude!
Tags: How to Study, Reading Skills