Painless Reading Comprehension - Darolyn “Lyn” Jones Ed.D. 2021
How is the textbook set up?
Different types of reading
Knowing how the textbook is set up is like stretching before you run or roll. If you don’t stretch, your muscles and body won’t get as much out of the run and you will be sore afterwards. In fact, you may never want to run again.
When you first receive your textbook or e-textbook, imagine you are an explorer and have just discovered a treasure map that will lead you to a bountiful treasure. Think about and try to find out what all the mysterious marks on the map mean so that you can find the treasure quickly and successfully. The treasure is, of course, being able to understand how your textbook is set up.
Textbook Treasure Hunt
When you first receive your textbook, follow these five steps.
Step One: Title and author
What is the title of the textbook and who is/are the author(s) or editor(s) of the textbook?
Step Two: Table of Contents
Find the table of contents in the front of the book. How many chapters are there? What is the title of the longest chapter? What is the title of the shortest chapter?
Step Three: Index
Is there an index? (An index is an alphabetized list that points out on what page names, places, or topics can be found in the textbook.) Where in the book is the index located? Look up any topic under the letter C and locate it in the textbook.
Step Four: Glossary
Is there a glossary? (A glossary is an alphabetized list of words and their meanings. It’s like a dictionary that includes just words used in that book.) What page is it on? Look up any word that starts with W. Read the definition.
Step Five: Appendixes
What else is in the back of the textbook? Are there any other special sections like maps or lab guidelines or literary elements? If yes, list them and choose one word or one map or one set of guidelines to read.
Let’s practice!
This book is a kind of textbook. Stop right now and take a treasure hunt with this book using the five steps in the Textbook Treasure Hunt.
How did you do?
1. You should have Painless Reading Comprehension by Darolyn “Lyn” Jones.
2. There are nine chapters and the longest one is this one—Chapter Six! (It might be hard to tell as Chapters Seven and Three are almost equal length minus a few words.) And the shortest chapter is Chapter Nine.
3. There is an index and it is located in the rear of the book. Under C, you may have found caricature which is located in Chapter Four!
4. There is no glossary.
5. Chapter Nine, “Further Reading for Teachers and Parents,” is a special section for parents and teachers. Additionally, Chapter Eight, “Books, Books, and More Books,” discusses how to find good books to read. It has some interesting subtitles like “Teens Battle Social Injustice” and “Graphic Novels,” which lists and discusses good books on those topics.
Let’s practice!
Choose a different textbook, one you are currently using in a class. If you are struggling with the material in a class, you might want to choose that textbook. Complete the Textbook Treasure Hunt for that book.
Finding the textbook treasure
So, what does working through the five Textbook Treasure Hunt steps mean? What does it tell you about a textbook? Again, look at this textbook, Painless Reading Comprehension, and think about what your answers mean.
TITLE AND AUTHOR:
How is the title of the book related to the class you are taking? For example, how does Painless Reading Comprehension fit with your class? Perhaps you are using this book in a study-skills course or at home as a resource so you can do better in school. Why might your teacher, your parent, or even you have chosen this book for you? Why might your teacher have chosen this book? Probably because the book is about reading and learning about reading in ways that are painless or fun! There is only one author so you know that only one person compiled and wrote the information. Sometimes with multiple authors or editors, the different sections or chapters may not use the same style of writing or tone, so when you have a new author or editor, it may not sound the same.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Are there many chapters or only a few? The table of contents lets you see how many topics are covered in the book, including everything from your reading attitude to using reading organizers. You can also see which chapter has the most information and the least information. You can see ahead of time which topics have more pages devoted to them. You will know right away that you might have to spend more time on those topics in and out of class.
INDEX:
An index points to names, places, and topics covered in the book. If you need to review for a quiz or a test or write a paper and you can’t remember where to find information, for example, on Berlin, Sticky Notes, or the quadratic equation, you can simply look up the name, place, or topic alphabetically in the index. It will point you to the page or pages where that information can be found.
GLOSSARY:
A glossary is handy because, if you need to look up a word while you are reading, you can simply use the glossary instead of going to an outside dictionary source. The glossary is a specialized dictionary with just the words used in the textbook. It won’t have all the words, just words the author thinks you might not know. This book does not have a glossary because difficult words are defined with their use in the book.
REFERENCE SECTION:
Finally, knowing what other reference material is available is helpful. Most literature textbooks have a reference section of literary terms. It’s a glossary of literary elements complete with examples from the works in the book. Many history textbooks have an atlas or collection of maps that can be used to help you with the geography of historical places and events. Math textbooks might have conversion charts you can look at instead of figuring out the relationships in your head or on paper. Because some teachers and parents will use this book with their students, I included some ideas and help for the teachers and parents.