Preparing to read is a critical step in the active reading process, and previewing your reading is one method you can use to prepare. Previewing gives you a sense of what you’ll be reading, prepares you to absorb new information, and helps you read with focus.
Preview one of the chapters in this textbook that you haven’t read yet. Read the title, the chapter outline, and the first few paragraphs of the chapter (the introduction). Then look for the main headings and any bold-faced terms and read the chapter summary.
Finally, in the text box below, type five purposeful reading questions — ones you expect to be able to answer, or would like to answer, after you’ve read the full chapter. If you have trouble developing such questions, look at the examples in the Prepare to Read section of this chapter or try crafting Who?, What?, When?, Where?, How?, and Why? questions.
When you read the chapter later in the term, see if you can answer the purposeful reading questions you’ve developed.