Summary
Highlights
The video introduces 'previewing the text' as a reading strategy to help maintain focus and actively engage with reading material. This skill is common among good readers and helps prevent daydreaming, especially when facing extensive reading in college. It's presented as a first step for approaching new texts.
The presenter demonstrates previewing using the book 'Hidden Figures.' They start by examining the book cover, noting images of women and space-related elements. The importance of researching the author, Margolie Shetterly, is emphasized, as knowing about the author can enhance interest and understanding of the text.
The video moves to reading the summary on the back cover of 'Hidden Figures.' This summary reveals the book is about four African-American women who provided mathematical calculations for NASA during World War II, contributing to airplane production and space travel. The presenter connects this to personal interests in history, civil rights, and gender equality, noting how such connections engage the reader.
The presenter explains how making personal connections to the text, such as recalling past knowledge (e.g., historical events from schooling) or thinking about people one knows, helps activate metacognition – thinking about thinking. This process is crucial for active reading, even when the subject matter isn't initially interesting.
The next step in previewing involves looking at the table of contents. The presenter examines chapter titles (e.g., 'Setting the Scene,' 'A Door Opens,' 'Mobilization,' 'The Double V'), making predictions, asking questions, and acknowledging any unfamiliar words. This internal dialogue of questioning, predicting, and connecting is presented as a fundamental aspect of active reading.
The video reiterates that previewing activates metacognitive skills, which involve actively engaging with the text through questioning, predicting, and connecting. This internal conversation prevents daydreaming, improves memory, and enhances focus. The presenter advises against suppressing this internal dialogue, even when expressing confusion, as acknowledging what one knows or doesn't know signifies active reading.
In conclusion, 'previewing the text' helps readers connect, predict, and gauge their interest before diving into the material. This preliminary engagement makes for a better reading experience by allowing readers to return to their initial predictions and connections. The video encourages viewers to try this strategy for more active reading.