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English 111 G/H Rhetoric
and Composition
Reading Procedure and Learning Logs
Good readers read with a purpose: to prepare
to understand a class lecture, to review important information
for a test, to find material to support a position when writing
a paper, to find out about interesting subjects, or to relax.
In this class, you will read closely to find the main ideas of
each assigned reading and the supporting evidence for those ideas.
You will also read to make connections to your own experience.
The Learning Logs will help you summarize difficult essays and
identify and evaluate arguments and evidence. Use the "Suggestions
for Improving Your Reading Process" on pages 24-26 of Writing
Arguments. When completing the LL assignments for class,
follow the procedure below.
Learning Log writing assignments
There are six steps to a full Learning
Log assignment. As you work through the essays on the reading
list, you will work toward writing full Learning Log entries.
You will begin by following the first three steps—preview
and two questions, review, and summarize—for the first two
essays (Steele and Penelope). By the time you get to the last
two essays (Hu and Seymour), you will complete all six parts
as your instructor directs.
Use the following procedure when completing
LL assignments. Put "Learning Log" at the top of every
assignment you submit. Label the parts of your entry with the
appropriate subhead. In the upper right hand corner, put the
following: your name, the section number of your class, the number
of the reading (#1 for Steele, and so forth), the author and
title of the essay (Steele, "The Recomposed Self"),
and the date.
Completed LL assignments will be the basis for discussion
and further analysis in class. Make sure to complete the assignment
as directed by your instructor before class. In order to leave
room to make additional notes in class, write only on the right
side of the sheet. Reserve the left side for class notes and
writing down notes that help you clarify your understanding of
the essays or that answer questions you had, as well as other
information you need to record to improve your comprehension
of each essay. See the example on the next page.
Step 1: Preview and two questions
Use the title, introduction, conclusion, headings, visual
aids, review questions, and so forth, to preview a reading assignment
and prepare yourself for the information to follow. Previews
will help you anticipate what you will read. When you have completed
your preview, formulate and write down two specific questions
you want to be able to answer after completing the reading. Write
answers to these questions once you’ve completed the reading.
Step 2: Review
After completing a reading, brainstorm a list of the important
points of an article. Determine which points are crucial and
make notes about them so you can remember and integrate them
with other materials. Use the brainstorm to help you write answers
to your questions.
Step 3: Summarize
After completing a reading assignment, reduce the entire
article or chapter to a few sentences by writing a concise summary
(see Writing Arguments page 31). Remember that a summary
represents what the author has written, not your personal opinions
of the author’s main points or topic. Make this summary
as comprehensive as possible, but have it reflect what you read
as the main points. Writing summaries is an art, and you will
spend time in class writing and revising your summaries to make
them as concise but complete as possible. Write the summary as
a paragraph of about five sentences or so (about 100 words).
Step 4: Evaluate/analyze the writer's rhetoric
How does the writer make the argument? In what ways is it
persuasive? What examples and evidence does the writer provide?
Evaluate the writer's support, use of language, and structure
of the argument.
Step 5: Question
After reading, formulate two specific, critical questions
you would ask the writer to clarify your understanding
of the text if you were given the opportunity. Answer them as
you believe the writer would. In class discussion, you will share
these questions with other students to discuss and evaluate and
come to a greater understanding of the article.
Step 6: Apply
After reading, spend some time writing about how the main
points of the article either affirm or contradict your experience
and attitudes. How does this new information relate to things
you already knew? Plan a specific application of the article’s
main point. How will it change the way you have thought about
or dealt with the material previously? If your application includes
specific actions, evaluate their success after trying them.
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Copyright 1997 Department of English |
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New Mexico State University |
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Use only with permission |
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