Building Strategies for College Reading A Text with Thematic Reader

by McGrath, Jane L., Professor Emerita

• ISBN13: 9780131848894
• ISBN10: 0131848895
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-12
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This valuable book informs readers about the skills, strategies, attitudes, and habits associated with effective reading that are vital for success in every walk of life. Readers will see themselves as active participants in the reading process. Updated to include even more practice materialnumerous excerpts, examples, and articlesBuilding Strategies for College Reading, 4/Estresses the importance of learning strategies to expand vocabulary.Nine chapters of this useful guide to effective reading are devoted to the development of skills and strategies. Topics include: reading as a process, building vocabulary, understanding main ideas, reading multi-paragraph selections and graphics, author's point of view, and organizing information. The selection of readings is divided into thematic sections, giving a context for understanding the skills presented; they include: "First Amendment Freedoms," "Today's Workplace," "Violence and Crime," and "Biodiversity."This book is a valuable tool and reference for anyone who needs to develop better reading, comprehension, and vocabulary skills.

Author Biography

Jane L. McGrath earned her undergraduate degree and M.A. in education and mass communications and her Ed.D. in reading education from Arizona State University. During her more than twenty-five years with the Maricopa Colleges, McGrath taught a variety of reading, English, journalism, and computer applications courses. She was named Innovator of the Year by the Maricopa Colleges and the League for Innovation in Community Colleges for Project Read-Aloud, a college-community service program, and has received Outstanding Citizen awards from the cities of Tempe and Phoenix, Arizona, for her community service activities. McGrath's other books include Basic Skills and Strategies for College Reading: A Text with Thematic Reader, second edition, and Strategies for Critical Reading. In addition to her work in reading education, McGrath and her husband Larry write for the high-performance automotive industry. Their work has appeared in magazines such as Drag Racing Today and Circle Track, and their monthly column appears in Performance Racing Industry.

Table of Contents

Preface	vi
Credits List	xi
The Big Picture: Approaching Reading As a Process	1	(28)
Chapter Focus	2	(1)
Approaching Reading as a Process	3	(1)
Why Plan→Do→Review?	4	(11)
Plan to Read	5	(1)
Planning Strategies	6	(6)
Do the Reading	12	(1)
Reading Strategies	12	(3)
Review Questions	15	(1)
Use Your Strategies: Exercise 1	15	(3)
Use Your Strategies: Exercise 2	18	(5)
Use Your Strategies: Exercise 3	23	(4)
Reflect and Connect	27	(1)
Log On to the Web	27	(2)
Building Vocabulary	29	(34)
Chapter Focus	30	(1)
Using Context Clues to Define Words and Phrases	30	(4)
Types of Context Clues	31	(3)
Using Parts of a Word to Help Define It	34	(5)
Using a Dictionary to Define Words and Phrases	39	(5)
Connotative Meanings	44	(1)
Figurative Language	45	(3)
Defining Words and Phrases While Reading	48	(3)
Remembering Words	51	(1)
One Strategy for Learning the Meanings of Words and Phrases	51	(1)
Review Questions	52	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	52	(2)
Use Your Strategies 2	54	(2)
Use Your Strategies 3	56	(2)
Use Your Strategies 4	58	(2)
Reflect and Connect	60	(1)
Log On to the Web	61	(2)
Understanding Main Ideas	63	(24)
Chapter Focus	64	(1)
What Is a Main Idea?	64	(4)
Identifying the Topic	65	(1)
Identifying the Contolling Idea	66	(2)
Understanding Stated Main Ideas	68	(4)
Making Inferences While Reading	72	(1)
Understanding Implied Main Ideas	73	(5)
The Need to Be Flexible	78	(1)
Chapter 3 Review Questions	78	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	78	(2)
Use Your Strategies 2	80	(2)
Use Your Strategies 3	82	(2)
Use Your Strategies 4	84	(2)
Reflect and Connect	86	(1)
Log On to the Web	86	(1)
Identifying Supporting Details and Using Relationships Among Ideas	87	(33)
Chapter Focus	88	(1)
Understanding How the Ideas and Sentences in a Paragraph Relate to One Another	88	(6)
Keep Your Purpose in Mind	92	(2)
Understanding How the Ideas and Sentences Are Organized	94	(16)
Text Structure: Compare and Contrast	96	(1)
Text Structure: Classification	97	(1)
Text Structure: Cause and Effect	98	(1)
Text Structure: Sequence or Process	99	(1)
Text Structure: Definition	100	(1)
Combination of Text Structures	101	(1)
A Caution	102	(8)
Review Questions	110	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	110	(3)
Use Your Strategies 2	113	(2)
Use Your Strategies 3	115	(1)
Use Your Strategies 4	116	(2)
Reflect and Connect	118	(1)
Log On to the Web	118	(2)
Reading Multiparagraph Selections	120	(34)
Chapter Focus	121	(1)
Primary Reasons Writers Write	121	(9)
Exposition	122	(1)
Description	123	(1)
Narration	123	(1)
Persuasion/Argumentation	124	(2)
Multiple Reasons for Writing	126	(4)
Identifying the Thesis of a Multiparagraph Selection	130	(10)
Review Questions	140	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	140	(4)
Use Your Strategies 2	144	(2)
Use Your Strategies 3	146	(4)
Use Your Strategies 4	150	(2)
Reflect and Connect	152	(1)
Log On to the Web	152	(2)
Reading Graphics	154	(37)
Chapter Focus	155	(1)
Reading Graphics	156	(1)
Graphs	156	(6)
Bar Graphs	157	(1)
Pictographs	157	(1)
Stacked Bar Graphs	158	(1)
Line Graphs	159	(2)
Pie Charts/Circle Graphs	161	(1)
Tables	162	(2)
Diagrams	164	(5)
Venn Diagrams	165	(1)
Flowcharts	165	(1)
Maps	166	(3)
Illustrations	169	(8)
Photographs	169	(1)
Drawings	170	(7)
Review Questions	177	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	177	(6)
Use Your Strategies 2	183	(2)
Use Your Strategies 3	185	(2)
Use Your Strategies 4	187	(2)
Reflect and Connect	189	(1)
Log On to the Web	189	(2)
Understanding the Author's Point of View	191	(31)
Chapter Focus	192	(1)
Knowledge and Reliability	193	(1)
Tone	194	(5)
Identifying Tone	194	(2)
Irony	196	(1)
Satire and Sarcasm	197	(2)
Fact, Opinion, Reasoned Judgments	199	(8)
Facts	200	(1)
Opinions	200	(1)
Reasoned Judgments	201	(6)
Reading Editorial Cartoons	207	(3)
Strategies for Understanding an Editorial Cartoon	208	(2)
Review Questions	210	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	210	(2)
Use Your Strategies 2	212	(3)
Use Your Strategies 3	215	(2)
Use Your Strategies 4	217	(3)
Reflect and Connect	220	(1)
Log On to the Web	220	(2)
Organizing the Information You Need	222	(40)
Chapter Focus	223	(1)
Annotate	224	(7)
Create a Graphic	231	(9)
Informal Outlines	232	(2)
Information Maps	234	(6)
Summarize	240	(5)
Review Questions	245	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	245	(3)
Use Your Strategies 2	248	(5)
Use Your Strategies 3	253	(3)
Use Your Strategies 4	256	(4)
Reflect and Connect	260	(1)
Log On to the Web	260	(2)
Becoming a More Critical Reader	262	(23)
Chapter Focus	263	(1)
Becoming a Critical Reader	264	(1)
Keep an Open Mind	265	(1)
Monitor Assumptions and Biases	265	(1)
Examine the Information and Evidence	265	(1)
Examine the Reasoning	266	(1)
Reach a Reasoned Judgment	266	(1)
Apply New Information	267	(7)
Review Questions	274	(1)
Use Your Strategies 1	274	(3)
Use Your Strategies 2	277	(2)
Use Your Strategies 3	279	(2)
Use Your Strategies 4	281	(2)
Reflect and Connect	283	(1)
Log On to the Web	284	(1)
THEME 1 FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS	285	(54)
First Amendment Freedoms	286	(24)
James Burns
J. W. Peltason
Thomas Cronin
David Magleby
David O'Brien
Paul Light
Tests of Your Freedoms, USA Weekend	310	(5)
State of the First Amendment 2003	315	(6)
Ken Paulson
How Much Religious Freedom Is Too Much?	321	(3)
Charles Haynes
`Free' and Other 4-Letter Words	324	(3)
Ken Paulson
Dilbert	327	(1)
Scott Adams
Well, Would You Rather Have an Unfree Press?	328	(2)
Bill Thompson
Our Right to Petition	330	(7)
Adam Newton
Log On to the Web	337	(1)
Reflect and Connect	337	(1)
Further Reading	338	(1)
THEME 2 TODAY'S WORKPLACE	339	(74)
Tomorrow's Jobs, U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics	340	(17)
Editorial cartoon	357	(2)
Brad McMillan
Managing Human Resources and Labor Relations	359	(30)
Ricky Griffin
Ronald Ebert
Judgment Day	389	(4)
Kim Clark
Stop Stereotyping: Overcoming Your Worst Diversity Enemy	393	(3)
Sondra Thiederman
What Should I Do With My Life?	396	(8)
Po Bronson
Money and Motivation	404	(7)
Thomas Petzinger
Log On to the Web	411	(1)
Reflect and Connect	412	(1)
Further Reading	412	(1)
THEME 3 VIOLENCE AND CRIME	413	(76)
The Moral Circle	414	(2)
James Garbarino
Crime and Violence	416	(50)
William Kornblum
Joseph Julian
Editorial Cartoon: The Four R's	466	(1)
Don Wright
A Well-Regulated Controversy	467	(5)
Justin Fernandez
Hatred: Too Close for Comfort	472	(3)
Jack Levine
Much Ado About Violence	475	(3)
Charles Gordon
Why Rocky III?	478	(5)
Mike Messner
Prologue: New Year's Eve	483	(4)
Greg Lichtenberg
Log On to the Web	487	(1)
Reflect and Connect	487	(1)
Further Reading	488	(1)
THEME 4 BIODIVERSITY	489	(62)
Imagine	491	(3)
Chris Howes
Is Earth Experiencing a Biodiversity Crisis?	494	(34)
Colleen Belk
Virginia Borden
The Politics of Biodiversity	528	(6)
Julie Majeres
Editorial Cartoon	534	(2)
Steve Greenberg
A Grizzly Future	536	(4)
Todd Wilkinson
Sustainable Agriculture Depends on Biodiversity	540	(4)
Kevin Parris
The Silent Casualties of War	544	(4)
Paul Richards
Louise Sperling
Log On to the Web	548	(1)
Reflect and Connect	549	(1)
Further Reading	549	(2)
APPENDICES	551	(8)
Strategies for Taking Control of Your Time	553	(3)
Using Textbook Design Clues	556	(3)
Glossary	559	(4)
Index	563

Excerpts

If we are going to talk about teaching reading comprehension, then we are going to have to look for methods of teaching that create active rather than passive readers .... Learners must be provided with materials that motivate them to become actively involved in constructing meaning, strategic guidance and support when their own repertoire of strategies is not adequate, a connection to writing as a similar meaning making activity, questions and discussion that help them focus on both the content being created and the strategy being used, and meaningful interactions with other readers so that meanings and strategies can be shared. - (Irwin, J. W.Teaching Reading Comprehension Processes,2nd ed. 1991. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.)The revisions in this fourth edition ofBuilding Strategies for College Readingevolved from answering the question, What changes will better prepare students to succeed in American history, biology, business, sociology, and every other course of study?I am convinced that adopting the skills, strategies, attitudes, and habits associated with effective reading are vital for success in college and in life and that those skills, strategies, attitudes, and habits can be developed and improved through relevant and applicable instruction and guided practice. This text provides the foundation for that instruction and practice.Firmly focused on helping students develop strategies for reading college-level expository prose, this is a "textbook" reading text: it mirrors typical content-area texts in form and structure, and it includes a wealth of authentic text excerpts and four complete textbook chapters. In addition, its thematic approach promotes a meaningful, connected understanding of topics that allows students to profit from more sophisticated material than is possible with isolated readings.This text, like the introductory textBasic Skills and Strategies for College Reading,second edition, and the next-level textStrategies for Critical Reading,encourages students to see themselves as active participants in the reading process--readers who can set and accomplish reading and study goals and objectives. Therefore,Building Strategies for College Reading,fourth edition, presents detailed instruction in and examples of the reading skills students must master to be successful in college; encourages students to develop a repertoire of reading and study strategies and provides guided activities as they learn to select and use different strategies for different tasks; provides abundant authentic practice with complete articles, essays, text pages, and textbook chapters; stresses the importance of transferring skills and strategies to other readings and other classes; encourages students to realize that expanding their vocabulary is fundamental to college success; provides extensive practice opportunities in four topical thematic units so that as students broaden their conceptual background knowledge, they see themselves as successful readers; and persuades students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning.This explanation of askilland astrategyby Alexander and Jetton clarifies how I use the terms in this text: "During the 1970s, when it first dotted the reading landscape, the term strategies signified a form of mental processing that deviated from traditional skills-based reading. However, any distinctions between skill and strategies that seemed apparent then have begun to fade, leaving many to wonder where skills end and strategies begin. As a way to unearth those contrasts, we propose two differences between skillful and strategic processing, relevant to text-based learning: automaticity and intentionality... Skills are, in essence, essential academic habits. They are routinized, automatic procedures we employ when we en