Active Reading in the Arts and Sciences

Active Reading in the Arts and Sciences is designed to develop students' critical thinking abilities as they apply to the reading of college textbooks and other academic materials. The art of questioning with extensive demonstrations of what questions to ask in reading discipline-specific materials and which answers to look for forms the underlying structure of the book. The book is divided into four general sections. Part I introduces students to basic reading skills required for college work such as the connections between thinking and reading, words and ideas, generalizations and supporting material, and previewing and efficient reading. Part II moves students through the analytical reading skills of recognizing and working with the organization of material to the critical reading skills of determining an author's purpose and methods of evaluating an author's evidence and reasoning and ends with a chapter on general reading and strategies studies. Part III follows with chapters on the application of the skills and techniques learned to reading in specific academic fields. Part IV applies the skills learned to specific disciplines—the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences and history. Students learn the roles of patterns of thought and the roles of evidence in these areas.

Table of Contents:
Preface. I.  BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR CRITICAL READING. 1.  Reading for Ideas. Making Connections. Thinking and Reading What is Reading? Reading and You. Questioning. Defining Your Purpose Associating Predicting. 2.  Previewing. Previewing a Course Syllabus. Previewing a Textbook. Previewing a Chapter. Previewing an Article. 3.  Developing Vocabulary: Connecting Words and Ideas. Words and Meaning. General Vocabulary. Using Context Clues Using Association Clues Using Word-part Clues. Academic Language. General Words Same Words/Different Meanings Technical Words. Moving from a Passive to an Active Vocabulary. II.  BASIC COLLEGE READING SKILLS. 4.  Finding the Topic. The Topic in Sentences. The Topic in Paragraphs. Topics and Subtopics in Longer Readings. Inferring the Topic from Clues. 5.  Discovering the Key Idea. The Key Idea of a Sentence. The Key Idea of Paragraphs. Placement of the Key Idea. Inferred Key Ideas. Key Ideas of Longer Readings. Writing Summaries. 6.  Identifying Supporting Ideas and Supporting Details. Supporting Words and Phrases in Sentences. Supporting Ideas and Supporting Details in Paragraphs. Supporting Ideas and Supporting Details in Longer Readings. Mastery Exercise I. III.  ANALYTICAL AND CRITICAL READING SKILLS. 7.  Recognizing Basic Structure. The Introduction. The Development of the Topic. The Conclusion. Signal Words for Basic Structure. 8.  Analyzing Patterns of Organization. List Pattern. Signal Words for List Pattern. Order Pattern. Chronological Order Process Size or Place Importance Signal Words for Order Pattern. Compare/Contrast Pattern. Signal Words for Compare/Contrast Pattern. Cause-and-Effect Pattern. Signal Words for Cause-and-Effect Pattern. Problem-Solution Pattern. 9.  Becoming a Critical Reader: Determining the Author's Purpose. Distinguishing between Informational Writing and Persuasive Writing. Informational Writing. Persuasive Writing. 10.  Becoming a Critical Reader: Evaluating Evidence and Reasoning. The Author's Credibility and Bias. Evidence. Distinguishing between Fact and Opinion Evaluating Facts. Reasoning. Emotional Appeal. Propaganda. 11.  Putting it Together: Flexible Reading and Active Learning. The Three Approaches to Reading. Reading Strategies. Skimming Reading and Sectioning Studying and Organizing. Mastery Exercise II. IV.  CRITICAL READING SKILLS APPLIED TO ACADEMIC FIELDS. 12.  Reading the Humanities. The Nature of the Humanities. Informational Writing. Factual Writing Descriptive Writing Process Writing Patterns of Organization. Imaginative Writing: Fiction. Previewing Fiction Analytical and Critical Reading of Fiction. Persuasive Writing and Critical Reading. Criticism Argument. Application to Career Fields. 13.  Reading the Natural Sciences. Characteristics of the Natural Sciences. Reading Mathematical and Scientific Material. The Textbook Scientific Reports. Analytical and Critical Reading. Patterns of Organization Organizing for Study Problem Solving Evaluation of Evidence. Application to Career Fields. 14.  Reading the Social Sciences and History. The Nature of the Social Sciences and History. The Social Sciences History. Previewing. Textbooks Nontextbook Material. Analytical and Critical Reading Skills. Vocabulary Patterns of Organization Reading Graphic Aids The Research Report The Evaluation of Evidence. Applications to Career Fields. Kinds of Reading Evaluation. Appendix A:  List of Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes. Appendix B:  An Active Reader's Glossary. Appendix C:  Answer Key. Index.