Reading With A Purpose (1963)

[Music] when you go to a school library it isn't hard to guess what your will find most of the students doing there reading a library is a place for reading we've brought you to this library to introduce you to a very good reader Dick Dick is also a good student partly because of his good reading habits there are many reasons why he is a good reader but one of them is probably more important than any other to show you the key to Dick's effect Ive reading we're going to use this balloon over his head in the balloon you'll see why dick is reading to find out who were the Aztecs dick is reading with a purpose a purpose is often a question you ask yourself when you read dick reads many different things in many different ways but he always reads with a purpose for example one time he might read a sports story in the newspaper in this way quite rapidly he might have one purpose such as this in mind to find out who were the stars another time dick might read a science book in this way slowly and carefully now his purpose might be to try to understand how plants manufacture food perhaps you've noticed that each time we mention Dick's purpose for reading we also called your attention to the material he was reading and to how he was reading in what way do these three ideas go together what is the relationship between your purpose for reading the material you read and how you read to see let's take a book that is easy to read suppose your purpose for reading it is fun how would you read it probably rather fast wouldn't you but suppose you have a book that is hard to read if your purpose for reading this book is to study it then your reading should be slow and careful shouldn't it now perhaps you can see how these ideas go together let's put it this way your purpose for Reading Plus the material you read equals how you read it's a simple formula isn't it but the key to it remember is purpose perhaps you're like dick skillful at discovering purposes and using them or perhaps you're like Fred who doesn't seem to know his purposes for reading or how to find them just look at his balloon empty it's empty because Fred usually reads without having a purpose clearly in mind he just reads what do you suppose this does to Fred's reading well he usually reads without getting much pleasure or understanding from his reading but Fred would like to be a better reader and he is trying to learn to find purposes for reading by watching Fred you'll see how you can learn to discover your purposes for reading at home Fred has some reading to do he knows that having a purpose will help him read better but what is his purpose why is he reading this book well because his teacher Mrs Green told him to but is this really the purpose what about this question that Mrs Green also wrote on the board how did Communications help our country grow this is what Mrs Green really asked the class to find out Fred Finds that he can answer Mrs Green's question better if he keeps it in mind as he reads now do you see what's happened Fred has discovered a purpose for his reading and what material is he reading a textbook with much information that has to be understood for such a purpose so how should he read it perhaps in more than one way Fred has learned that in Reading to study a textbook it helps to look over the material rapidly first reading mainly the titles of the different sections this gives him a general view of what the key ideas are how they follow each other and how they fit together so while reading rapidly or while reading slowly Fred tries to keep in mind his purpose good teachers like Mrs Green often give you purposes for reading you're also given a purpose for reading when you're told to find some very specific information in a reference book suppose your purpose is to find out what is the area of Central America what is your material an encyclopedia a book with a great deal of information much more information than you need if you just want to find a single fact so how should you read you should skim rapidly of course in this case you don't have to read every word carefully to find the one fact you want in other cases the material helps determine your specific purpose as in following instructions in a recipe for making fudge the recipe carries with it a purpose for reading so if your purpose is to find out how do you make fudge you'll study each step carefully it's easy to know your purpose when you're following instructions but suppose you're reading something else suppose you're reading a newspaper did you know that in newspapers specific purposes for reading are often suggested by the headlines here's a news item in reading the headline Venus rocket launched what questions might you ask ask perhaps you want to find out who launched it or what does it carry these questions could be your purpose for reading the whole article you get the same kind of help in finding purposes in your school books as Fred is discovering now although he's keeping his main purpose in mind he's finding that in his book The section titles are also useful in suggesting other purposes to help him get more from his is reading take this one for example two uses for signals if Fred thinks what are the two uses as he reads about signals in communication he'll be more likely to find the answer and remember it so Fred is learning how to use the idea of purpose in his reading and how to find purposes which may be given to him or suggested to him by what he is reading he knows your purpose for reading plus the material you read equals how you read but what about this kind of book a story Fred will begin reading it later how will he find his purpose for reading a story we'll see now Fred is going to begin reading Robinson cruso does he have a purpose he'll have to discover one for himself he knows he should have a purpose but his balloon is empty he can find a purpose if he just asks himself why am I reading this there's a purpose enjoyment his general purpose is enjoyment his material is a story not too hard to read so how should he read it fairly fast and as he goes along he tries to think of other purposes to help him enjoy the story more such as what will happen next whose footprint is it will Robinson cruso be rescued and so Fred is beginning to take the most important step of all in reading learning to discover his own purposes we leave Fred well on his way to becoming a better reader but what about you is your balloon filled when you read remember your purpose for Reading Plus the material you read equals how you read good reading means asking yourself questions to help discover your purposes for reading having a purpose when you read is the key to effective [Music] reading