"Poll: One in four adults read no books last year"
"One in four adults read no books
at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released
Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and older people were most avid, and
religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.
The survey reveals a nation whose
book readers, on the whole, can hardly be called ravenous. The typical person
claimed to have read four books in the last year — half read more and half read
fewer. Excluding those who hadn’t read any, the usual number read was seven."
[Source: Associated Press story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20381678/]
If
you're one of these people and you're interested in an online degree
program, you may need to reconsider if you're really ready to go back
to school. Why?
Some online courses require a great deal of
reading. Some online courses require alot of writing. Some online
courses require both.
My point is reading for pleasure is not the same as reading
a textbook, a journal article, or some other difficult or lengthy text.
If you're out of practice with reading for fun, then chances are, you
will struggle when it comes time to read academically ... and you
simply can't afford to be a poor reader. It is a major disadvantage and
you have enough to deal with already, adjusting to being a student again.
Don't despair. It's really easy to get back in the groove. All you have to do is pick up a book and dig in.
TIP #1
No
one is looking over your shoulder. Read something you will enjoy. Pick
a topic in which you are interested. Need a recommendation? Check out:
Still
not sure what to read? Go to your favorite bookstore and look at staff
recommendations. Or, even better, visit your local library and ask your
reference librarian for help. Ask a good friend or family member what
was the last good book they read ... and if they draw a blank, too, see
if you can recruit a "reading buddy."
TIP #2
Are
you familiar with the SQ3R Reading Method? According to Francis
Robinson of Ohio State University there are five steps for effective
reading:
Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review
- By survey, he means taking an overview of the reading assignment to get a sense of its overall thrust.
- By question, he means asking yourself what the author is trying to get at, going after the who, what, when, why, and where of the subject.
- By read, he means carefully reading for meaning, noting main points and key ideas.
- By recite,
he means stopping from time to time to recite to yourself from memory
key ideas in the reading, rephrasing them in your own words.
- By review,
he means looking over the chapter later, after you have read it, to
refresh your memory and help the ideas you have read stick.
[Source: University of Puget Sound]
TIP #3
Still
find reading a chore? Try an Audio Book. Yes, it's a different
experience, but no less valuable. According to Audiobookshelp.com,
"audiobooks provide you with an additional, cutting-edge language arts
tool to stimulate maximum student comprehension regardless of different
learning styles and individual needs." Not convinced: read this great article that offers a list of arguments supporting audiobooks as a valid alternative to a traditional book.
And, hey, if you're reading this ... you're already on your way.
Happy Learning!