Reading, like writing, is an active process that happens in steps. Most texts, such as those assigned in college, don’t yield their meaning with one quick reading. Rather, they require you to read and reread to grasp the main points and to comprehend a text’s many layers of meaning.

When you read actively, you pay attention to details you would miss if you just skimmed a text and let its words slip past you. First you read to understand the main ideas. Then you pay attention to your own reactions by making note of what interests, surprises, or puzzles you. Active readers preview a text, annotate it, and then converse with it.