There are usually clues in the chapter headings. For example, if a heading starts with “The Problem with…”, you can anticipate that this section will be about shortcomings or failures. If your textbook doesn’t have a table of contents for each chapter, check the book’s main contents section at the beginning. This might have a heading breakdown for each chapter.
Textbooks are very straightforward, so there won’t be any surprise twists or endings. This is why chapter introductions are important to read. The author will give a clear summary of what to expect, and the rest of the chapter fills in the details. If there isn’t a clear introduction section, try reading the first few paragraphs of the first section. There might be a chapter summary hidden in there.
You don’t have to write down each question. But you should write down the key themes to look for in each question. For example, if a question says “What were the main reasons that the British lost the American Revolution?" you know that you should be looking for those reasons in the chapter. History textbooks usually have a lot of vocabulary words, so it’s a good idea to have a vocabulary section of your notebook where you jot down important terms. This way, all the vocabulary you need is in one place.
The author’s point might be a clear statement, like “The outbreak of World War I showed that Europe’s diplomatic system had failed. ” This tells you exactly what the author’s direction and conclusions are. The chapter title could also be a clue. If the title is “The Failure of the Roman Empire,” you know that the chapter is probably about problems, bad decisions, and defeats.
A heading might be something like “Abraham Lincoln and the Issue of Slavery. ” That one heading tells you exactly what you’re about to read. By the end, you should know Abraham Lincoln’s stance on slavery. If another heading was “France’s Defeat” in a chapter on World War II, it’s clear that you’ll get an explanation of France’s failures in the war. Some keywords to look for in headings include success, failure, causes, results, effects, shortcomings, and tensions. These all tip you off to the section argument.
The first sentence of a paragraph might say “Despite some changing political opinions, Abraham Lincoln always opposed slavery. " The conclusion might be “Lincoln’s antislavery views stuck with him up until the Civil War. " The middle part of the paragraph likely just elaborates on this point, so you don’t have to read it. Don’t, however, keep doing this if you feel like you’re missing important information. If you’ve gone a few pages and realize you can’t remember what you just read, then slow down and read more than just intro and conclusion sentences.
If the term isn’t defined in the text, check the glossary in the back of the book for the definition. You may have already done this if you checked the end of the chapter for a vocabulary list. Not all textbooks have a list at the end of the chapter, though, so it’s good practice to write them down as you read.
For example, you might see a graph titled “Steel output in the United States, 1860-1920” showing a dramatic increase in steel production. The surrounding text might explain that steel production grew as part of America’s industrialization, but you already got that information from the graph. Timelines are another common graphic in history textbooks. This lays out all the major events you need to know, so you probably don’t have to read much explanation about it. Don’t skip the written sections if you don’t understand the image, though. Sometimes you’ll need some more explanation to really get what’s going on.
If you’re having trouble remembering what you’ve read, you might need to adjust your reading style. If you’re skipping around a lot, try going slower and reading whole paragraphs instead of just a few sentences. Writing things down in your own words can help make it easier to digest what you just read. [10] X Expert Source Alexander Ruiz, M. Ed. Educational Consultant Expert Interview. 4 August 2020 To remember what was in a passage you just read, write down your summary on a sticky note, then place the sticky note in the text next to that passage. [11] X Expert Source Alexander Ruiz, M. Ed. Educational Consultant Expert Interview. 4 August 2020
You don’t have to read the whole chapter at once. If you’re getting bored or have trouble paying attention, read the chapter in 10-page chunks so you don’t tune out. [12] X Research source The only exception is if your teacher only assigns certain pages in a chapter. Then you can just stick to those pages.
Try to focus on the information that supports the section argument. If a section is titled “The Success of the New Deal,” look for information that proves the New Deal was a success for your notes. If you have any questions, write them down as well. For example, “Is the author ignoring something when they make this point?” is always a worthwhile question to ask if the textbook says that relations between Native Americans and European settlers were peaceful.
Make sure you use a highlighter that you can easily read the text through. Light colors like yellow are best. If you’re renting your textbook or borrowing it from the library, then don’t write in it. Instead, stick post-its to the page and jot notes there instead. [15] X Expert Source Alexander Ruiz, M. Ed. Educational Consultant Expert Interview. 18 June 2020. [16] X Research source
For example, your history textbook might use the term Manifest Destiny, but not highlight or define it. If you don’t know what this means, you might have trouble getting the author’s point. Look this up before moving on. Sometimes, a key term was defined in a different section of the book. Try checking the book’s glossary for the definition, or use the index to find the first mention of it. If you can’t find the definition for a term, don’t hesitate to ask your teacher.
If you have questions because you don’t understand the text, then definitely ask your teacher for an explanation so you’re prepared for your assignments. Questions about the author’s conclusions, like whether they’re ignoring evidence, can be used for discussions or assignments. They show that you’ve critically engaged with the text.
