Knowing that I must learn to deal with the difficulty of absorbing and understanding textbook materials since I am studying humanities, literature and english language, I goggled (but of course!) and found helpful hints and suggestions that tackled the subject about reading textbooks effectively.
Survey. Question. 4R (Read. Respond. Record. Review.)
Survey. Skim ahead. Read the introduction of the text and browse through the chapter contents and index. Surveying a chapter helps to get an overview of the subject. You will learn what the chapter is about quickly. To survey a chapter, read the title, introduction, headings and the summary or conclusion. Also, study any visuals such as pictures, tables, maps, and/or graphs and read the caption that goes with each.
Question. Create questions and answers while reading a text. Questions give you a purpose for reading and help you to stay focused on the reading assignment. You need to have questions in your mind as you read. For example, if you are reading a chapter about the elements of weather (Geography), ask yourself "What are the elements of weather?"
Read. Read carefully, actively engaging the text to find the answer to each question that you have formed. Be cautious not to skim for the answer to your questions as you might end up missing important information. Stay focused and flexible so you can gather as much information as you need to answer each question.
Respond. Once you have read the chapter, close the textbook and answer your questions in your own words. Reread the chapter again if you are unclear of the answers. State key facts and concepts clearly.
Record. Once you have understood the material and can summarize in your own words, take notes. Write down the questions and its answers. You could highlight and/or mark the text, or take notes, or a combination of both. Note taking encourages you to be concise and more selective of important information.
Review. Review notes regularly. Integrating a weekly review period into your study routine can be a very effective strategy for retaining information. Reviewing helps you to remember more of the information longer, therefore it will take only minutes to skim over your notes and recall key points.
written extract taken from
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/a-strategy-for-reading-textbooks.asp
and http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/handouts/SQ4R.cfm
Novel Reading vs. Textbook Reading
"I am always surprised by the fact that many students read their textbook the same way they would read a novel, starting on page one and reading straight through to the end. Try reading your textbooks more like you would read a newspaper or magazine. Start by skimming through a section, reading the subject headings and any definitions that appear in boldface print. Study the pictures and figures carefully -- these are chosen to illustrate and highlight the essential points of the text. Next, read the introduction and summary and finally go back and read the text itself. Start with the material that most interests you, but be careful not to skip a section. Keep some scratch paper handy for jotting down important terms and working out problems. Leave your highlighter pens in the drawer. Most importantly, don't try to digest too much information at once. Read in 30 to 45 minute blocks of time with frequent breaks. This will help you to stay alert and focused."
- By Brian Zimmerman
(http://www.academictips.org/acad/literature/readingandhighlighting.html)
