How do you need to connect the new information (details) to what you already know when reading a chapter from the textbook?

Answer 1

There are several techniques you can use to help you associate new information with known information, but my favorite is interacting with the text.

Disclaimer: don't write in a school textbook if someone else is going to need it after you! If this is a class textbook, interact with the text by writing in a notebook instead.

As you go through the chapter in the textbook, try this:

1. Underline thesis and topic sentences and look for connections to information you already know. Making connections at this point creates a framework for everything that comes after (usually - but not always - the thesis is in the first first paragraph and topic sentences are at the start of each supporting paragraph).
2. Read the thesis and topic sentences one after another as if they create a paragraph of their own. In well-crafted textbooks, the ideas will flow from one to the next and help you make connections between the paragraphs.
3. As you begin reading the chapter from beginning to end, write comments and reactions in the margins. You may be reminded of an article you read online or a youtube video you saw. You may disagree with a claim or find fault with evidence. The important thing is make connections that hold meaning for you.

Interacting with the text will improve retention, understanding, and hopefully your own interest in what you're reading!