mo2 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 So, I read. I read all the time. But 2 weeks later you could ask me what a book that I read was about, and I would only be able to give you a very general idea. The details would all be gone from my memory by then. What might help me to retain more of what I read? Any tips or tricks that I could try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I keep a reading journal. It's a basic spiral bound notebook where I record the date, title, author, and a one sentence synopsis for each chapter (that's my goal anyway) for each book that I read. I also include any good quotes that I want to remember or reference later. Sometimes, I actually write in the margins of the book, which allows me to quickly flip through the book and re-read my notes to jog my memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I keep a reading journal. It's a basic spiral bound notebook where I record the date, title, author, and a one sentence synopsis for each chapter (that's my goal anyway) for each book that I read. I also include any good quotes that I want to remember or reference later. Sometimes, I actually write in the margins of the book, which allows me to quickly flip through the book and re-read my notes to jog my memory. I just started doing this too and it really does help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpupg Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Write up discussion questions for your students. That'll imprint it right in there :) Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moira in MA Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 I read with post-it flags available. I mark passages I think are significant. After I finish the book, I review the flags and select one or more to record w/my response in a commonplace book. I also record, title-author-pub date of everything I read at the back of the same book. This is not a lot of work but it makes me a much more active reader and it's really great to be able to find the stuff I want to share with dh and/or the girls. hth ~Moira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 I third or fourth note taking. If I don't write it I don't remember it. However, my dh can't remember as well unless he hears a thing, so getting your books on tape may also help. So can paraphrasing, even if you don't write it--try to think about how you would summmarize chapter or event. (Yes, talk to, and talk back to, your book! :D) Finally, maybe you could find a partner to read the book also, then discuss it. You may retain more, if you know you have a discussion coming up. I am much the same way, in that I can read a ton of books and not remember anything but the vaguest of outlines. I realized at some point that I was not really engaging the work--I was just "zoning out" with a book and not thinking about what I was reading, not making it mine or working to understand/retain any of it. When I started treating a book as a conversation rather than a preoccupation, my retention went up. BTW, I don't read everything that way. Some books are just preoccupations.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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