Reading Strategy: Chapter Summaries

Creating Chapter Summaries in Notes:

• Your notes are informal, idea generation places. You need to actively generate ideas from:
• the language you are reading

• the plot points/ actions that are happening, including conclusions

• the visuals that are provided by the text

• any drawings, colors, etc.
• spatial orientation
• fonts and font sizes

• BE CURIOUS: every single word and image can provide you with meaning. You have to have a curious mindset and believe that what you are reading has a lot of connotations that you can get.
• You have to want to get information out of a subject.
• You have to understand that there is always the ability to get more out of a reading than "the one thing the teacher wants me to get" or "there is only one meaning in here from the author." 

• Isolate/Identify elements:  in your notes, write outlines for each chapter that include:

• Main characters and their characterizations
• Major plot points
• connect actions from page to page, chapter to chapter, start to finish
• Significant images

• Re-reading with intent/a focused purpose: "How to find those mains, majors, significants.............."

• With short texts, you can give yourself a purpose each time, and you can record your thoughts and evidence each read:

• 1st read: get basic comprehension down.
• 2nd read: focus on one element, such as plot, imagery, or language
• 3rd read: focus on a different element.

• Write using analysis verbs and analysis language:

• click to look at analysis verbs
• no more "is" language:  ______ is __________ when it coms to crafting larger ideas....

• __________ symbolizes/illustrates/represents/(analysis verbs)....

• At the end of reading each chapter:  if you have a prompt given by teacher, or the teacher has given you a focal point for discussions, keep thinking about that prompt/focal point--> Remind yourself by asking, as you read, "What is the purpose of reading this?"--the answer lies in the prompt

• Write down questions you have about the actions taken by characters
• Write down new knowledge the chapter has presented to you about the subject (culture, such as Iran).  
• Write down key images (they are "key" because the author mentions them repeatedly or they stick out in some other way to you as a close reader).