Being an Active Reader
Being an active reader is an important skill when you are completing a distance-learning course. The better your readings skills are, the more likely you are to process and retain the course materials. The act of reading information can be broken into three stages:
| Stage | Action | Skill |
| Before you read | Think about why you are reading and what you already know, and what you think the story or article might be about. | Predicting |
| While you read | Think about what you’ve learned so far and what will you learn as you continue to read. What questions do you still have? |
Predicting Questioning |
| After you read | Think about what you’ve read, making connections to yourself, the world around you, and whatever work / assignment you might now have to complete. | Reflecting and connecting |
This reading strategy is based on active reading: reading that requires you to think about the information while you read. Reading in this way is far more effective than reading a passage, wondering what was actually said, and then having to read it again.