Example: Factual text

Ecology! Exciting! If you want to understand and learn new things when you read factual texts, you need to be an active reader. Aren't you even curious? Think about what you already know on the subject.

Then it will be easier for you to understand -- and remember -- what you read. Use the strategy Predict. Before you start reading the book, read the headlines: "Ecology" and "What is an ecosystem?" The headlines tell you that this text is about ecology and ecosystems. And you might already know that ecology and ecosystems are about plants and animals. Leaf through the chapter, to the end and read the summary. "Ecology is the science of interaction in nature." "In an ecosystem living factors (plants and animals) interact with other living factors and also with Non living factors (climate, water, air and nutrition)." Now you know that ecology means the interaction between plants and animals in nature.

You also know that you are about to learn what an ecosystem is. Now that you've done a little predicting, it should have sparked your curiosity. It's time to open the book. "The science that researches the relationship between living organisms and their environments is called ecology. What is an ecosystem? You don't need to study ecology to notice that plant and animal life looks different in different places.

A coniferous forest differs a good deal from a deciduous forest. Every habitat has its typical communities of plants and animals." Now try to imagine a coniferous forest and a deciduous forest. Try to visualise, see them as Inner images. This will help you remember facts better. It will be easier to notice the differences that the text describes.

Can you see the forests before you? - Do they look different? - Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! But why does the plant and animal life differ this much? "The differences between plant and animal life forms in different habitats depend on differences in light, warmth, water and nutrition; the environmental factors." Environmental factors? That's difficult. What does that mean? Now you need to stop and use the strategy Understand difficult words and expressions Split it into smaller parts.

Environment - al factors Environment is often used to mean "to do with nature". Factors are things that -- together -- affect something. So environmental factors are things that affect nature depending on how they are combined. "An ecosystem may be as small as a cow pat, as big as a coniferous forest... ... and the whole world can be considered as one large ecosystem." Does this make you visualise any inner images? So, soon you'll have read through a lot of facts.

But, to make these facts become your own knowledge - and not only the book's - you need to pull it together. Restate the most important facts from the text in your own words. Use the strategy Summarise. What do you know about ecology? Say this in your own words: Uuuuh, well, anyone studying how a pine-tree and an attack-squirrel conspire against innocent handsome guys, are working with ecology.

Uh, ok, and in your words, what is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is when people and shit - that has been heated by sun - affect each other when they are in the same place. Not in a good way! Well done Tommy! You might not have got it all right, but you have summarised the book in your own words.

And that is how you make the book's knowledge into your own... knowledge.