Active reading tips Learn to skim and scan - Skills Active

Active reading tips Reading is an important part of most jobs. In the recreation, sports and fitness industry you will have to read some or all of these types of information: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••

Safety notices Work rosters and timetables Client fitness programmes Accident forms Reports Workplace rules and policies Client files Training materials

These are sometimes written in technical or difficult language. These tips will help you be an ‘active’ reader. Active reading means using special tools or tips to get the information you need.

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Learn to skim and scan Skimming and scanning are ways of reading that can help you ‘get’ the information easily. Skimming Skim-reading means reading lightly over a page, looking for: •• •• •• •• ••

Tips for reading

Headings, like this Words in bold type or Bulleted or like this • Numbered text like this i. ii. iii Icons (symbols), like this TIPS

All of these will help you get an idea of the main topics being covered.

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Scanning To scan means to look for a particular piece of information. When you read the weather forecast in a newspaper you may skim over all the headings until you find the place you are looking for. You then scan the information about that place looking for the information you need, such as ‘heavy rain’ or ‘cloudy’. There is often a picture to help explain the text. You know that this picture means thunderstorms – not a good day to go cycling!

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Remember what you have read You can often remember something better if you write it down. Here are some tips to help you remember important pieces of information. XX Write some notes in your own words about the topic XX Use a highlighter or draw a circle around important ideas XX If you like to remember things in pictures XX Rather than words, draw a diagram or mind XX A mind map has the main idea or topic in the middle and ‘branches’ where you can add related points and ideas. It looks like this

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© Skills Active 20100210 version 2 Workplace literacy: Information Sheet Number 1

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Learn new words Every job and workplace has its own special language. These words are called the ‘vocabulary’ (or vocab) you need in your job. For example, if you work in a fitness centre, your vocab will include words like ‘rotation’ and ‘repetition’. If you work as a park ranger you will use words like ‘herbaceous’, ‘noxious’, ‘ecology’ and ‘herbicide’. When you first start work, or begin some new training, these words may seem very frightening. You may not be able to even say them. However, once you have some ‘clues’ for learning new words, you will be able to use them comfortably. Here are some tips for learning new vocabulary: Look for the root or base word inside a bigger word. EXAMPLE: ‘Herbaceous’ and ‘Herbicide’ both contain the root word ‘herb’. Herb comes from a Greek word for ‘green plant’. A herbicide is a chemical liquid or spray that is used to kill green plants (usually weeds). The ‘cide’ part of the word means killer. So ‘suicide’ means ‘killer of oneself’; ‘homicide’ means killer of another person.

HERBICIDE

It can be fun finding out what words mean. Think of yourself as a detective. There are lots of patterns, like the ‘herb’ and the ’cide’ in the herbicide, to give you clues about a meaning.

Learn ‘families of words Once you know the root word you can learn a family of other words around it. EXAMPLES: Herbaceous and herbicide belong to a ‘family’ based on the word ‘herb’. ‘Repetition’ comes from the word ‘repeat’. Other words in this ‘family’ include repetitive, repeating and repeatedly.

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Pronounced means said or spoken.

Break it up Long words are easier to deal with if you break them up. Herbicide is pronounced ‘herb-eesyde’. Herbaceous is pronounced ‘herb-ay-shiss’. If you are not sure how a word is pronounced, ask your supervisor or workplace trainer. Make your own word list Make a list of new words as you learn them. Writing them down will help you to remember them. You can use a notebook to make your own dictionary, or just some blank sheets of paper. Draw some columns like this.

Look it up If you can’t work out what a word means, ask someone (at work or at home) to explain it, or look it up in a dictionary. A Dictionary (pronounced dik-shon-erry) is a book listing words and their meanings

TIPS

A dictionary like the Oxford Concise Dictionary shown here is a good book to have at home – the whole family can learn how to use it. Some very special technical words that relate to your work may not be in the dictionary. Ask a supervisor or workmate to explain the meaning of any words you don’t know.

Think of learning new vocabulary (words) in the same way that you would think about learning a new sport or a musical instrument. New skills need lots of practice before you get good at them!

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© Skills Active 20100305 version 3 customer service info book