General Tips for Learning Success

Ways to Improve Your Reading Efficiency and Retention (policy/workbooks)

Reading is a skill necessary in the Workforce Development and Income Maintenance environment. Policy manuals and handbooks provide the information needed for day-to-day operations. Learning to use these policy resources efficiently is critical. In the training environment, these policy resources may be used in tandem with workbooks. Use the following sections on improving reading efficiency and taking notes if  you need to brush up on your reading efficiency.

Improving Your Reading Efficiency

Cruise through the barrage of information by using key reading and skimming skills.

• Preview the text by reading the introduction and the concluding chapter.
• Reread difficult material. Complex ideas are not always easily caught on the first reading.
• Use additional resources. Consult the dictionary, other training materials, your ATL, and coworkers.
• Use the index or table of contents to locate key words or topics quickly.
• Survey the layout of your reading material. Look at the section headings and piece together the logical flow of the materials.
• If you need to skim, try reading the first sentence of each paragraph to get a general idea of the content.
• Practice reading more quickly by moving your index finger down a row of text at a speed slightly faster than your normal reading speed.
• Sign up for a speed-reading course or seminar.
• Take breaks. Studies show that most people can maintain good concentration for about 50 minutes, after which they need a 10-minute break to absorb information and prepare for further work. Forcing yourself to continue reading when you are mentally tired is ineffective and inefficient, as you tend to reread the same material over and over, and at a slower pace, without retaining the information.

For more information on reading efficiency, go to www.ehow.com and enter “read quickly and effectively? in the “how to? line, or visit your local library to find books, tapes, or videos on this subject.
 

Taking Notes

Taking good reading notes goes a long way toward helping you retain what you’ve read. Here are steps and tips on taking notes.

• Allow enough time for taking notes.
• Date your notes, and write down where you found the information (the resource).
• Format your notes in a way that is comfortable for you. This could be in outline form, circular form, or using different colors. Experiment with note taking to find the style that works best for you.
• Note pertinent information. Usually this information comes in the beginning or the ending (paragraphs, chapters, etc.)
• In policy references, note the musts versus the mays. This is an important distinction for what is expected and allowable in your daily operations.
• Review your notes the next day, and again a few days later. This is a time-efficient way to retain the information.
   

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