Module 4: Metacognitive Strategies for Reading and Writing
Module Introduction
No matter what degree you are pursuing or what career you plan to go into; reading and writing skills are essential. Think of just about every job ad you see, usually they say that "Excellent communication skills" are a highly desired trait. What exactly are "excellent communication skills?" Well, at their core, it is the ability to clearly express your thoughts and ideas both verbally and in writing.
Another vital skill that employers need from their employees today is the ability to research, review and draw conclusions from data, reports and other informative sources. In order to do this, basic reading skills aren't always enough. A student or an employee must be able to read as well as understand and synthesize the information that they come into contact with.
In this module we will investigate and try out some methods for active reading and conscious writing that you may not have come into contact with before. While these strategies may seem strange or time-consuming at first; give them a try and you should find that you are remembering more of what you read and having an easier time getting your thoughts put into words.
Tasks for this Module * Investigate metacognitive strategies to increase reading comprehension * Utilize a framework for writing activities utilizing metacognition * Apply reading and writing strategies within current coursework * Complete Journal #4
Activity 1: Reading Comprehension Strategies
In the past, you may have come into contact with reading strategies such as SQ3R or SQ4R to help you understand and remember the things you read for class. Most people will tell you that SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. This method can be helpful with approaching your reading but we're looking for a method that will involve you, your thoughts and questions so that you become part of what you're learning.
We are going to investigate the KWL method for approaching reading assignments. KWL stands for:
Know
Want to know
Learned
So, when working through a reading assignment using KWL, you will be working on answering the following questions using the KWL Chart:
- What do I KNOW about this topic?
- What do I WANT to learn about the topic? (Ask questions based on what you know)
- What did I LEARN about the topic? What else do I want to LEARN about the topic?
Now that you are starting to get an idea of what KWL is all about; it's always helpful to see things in action before we try them out ourselves. To see an explanation and example of the KWL process, watch these videos:
KWL Part 1 and
KWL Part 2
When would you use KWL in your classes?
Activity 2: Metacognitive Writing Strategies
Writing metacognitively requires the writer to be thoughtful not only about what she/he is saying but also about the process of writing. We can break down this process into 3 seperate phases: pre-writing, writing (or drafting/revising), and editing. In each phase the writer must consider 4 things:
- What is the purpose of my piece? (Informative, Persuasive, Critical, etc)
- What do I know about what I am wriitng about? What do I need to research? (To get your points across)
- What do I want to say about what I have learned? (To express ideas/views?)
- Is my message coming across? (Are you achieveing your purpose? Is your writing clear and concise?)
Learn more in depth about the writing process by reading the following short articles:
How do you describe your writing process? Is writing easy for you or is it a challenge? By following the steps above, and thinking about what you Know, Want to learn, and have Learned (Woah! That's the same as reading!) about a subject, you will be better equipped to make your points; and you will find that the writing process comes a little easier as well.
Activity 3: Applying Reading and Writing Strategies
You are required to use your reading and writing skills all of the time in your classes. Choose an assignment, or a few assignments and work through the KWL and Pre-Writing/Drafting/Editing process with them. Complete the attached worksheet to include in your Personal Learning Plan. File:Reading and Writing Strategies Worksheet.pdf
Activity 4: Journal Entry
Putting it all together, what you have learned throughout this module. This Journal entry will be an opportunity for you to reflect on what you knew about your reading and writing habits before, what you have learned about your reading and writing process and strategies while working through the activities in this module and what aspects of reading and writing strategies you want to learn more about as we move on. Complete File:MSSCSJournal4.pdf and review it with your advisor in preparation for moving on to Module 5.
Go to Module 5: Reflective Assessment
Go back to Metacognitive Study Strategies for College Students