Workshop teaches students how to read their textbooks

You too can learn to read.

The Learning Assistance Center offers a workshop that helps people effectively read a textbook.

Many students "don't do a lot of reading in high school," said Dr. Genevieve Ramirez, director of the Learning Assistance Center, and workshop facilitator. "So, [students] don't have a lot of responsibility for learning from textbooks. And oftentimes they don't even realize what exactly they should know from a reading assignment."

Students in the workshop, which, Ramirez said, has been presented since the Learning Assistance Center was started around 1973, are taught to examine their chapters before reading the textbook.

Gallimore said she enjoyed the idea because "a lot of people, including myself, just jump right into the reading."

When most students read a chapter, they only get the basic framework, Ramirez said.

"So, rather than reading the whole thing once to get [the framework] you can do it the simple way by thinking through a visual survey."

Breaking up the reading is also essential to learning because there is only a certain amount of time that can be spent concentrating, Ramirez said.

"Whatever that time is, you have to respect it because if it's 20 minutes, and you sit there for 40, you just wasted 20 minutes because you probably weren't really concentrating," she said.

Reviewing the material is another key to success, she said.

"It's a lot easier to review and refresh your memory than it is to forget it and read it over again," Ramirez said.

Two freshmen said the interactive workshop helped them.

"It was nice being a freshman, getting to know how to work everything," said Simone Gallimore, a freshman psychology major.

"It was cool that she gave us different steps on how to do it," said Mekisha Kester, a freshman graphic design major.

Ramirez said students would get a lot out of the program.

On Monday, 20 people enrolled in the workshop, Ramirez said.

Other workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.