<p>TIPS FOR READING DIFFICULT MATERIAL</p><p>Read the title and the first paragraph</p><p> If there is a summary at the end of the chapter, read it.  Get a grasp of how the material is organized.  If you need more background, seek another source.  If you have enough background, begin reading.</p><p>Look for main ideas</p><p> Look for titles, headings, and subheadings.  Pick out topic sentences.  Examine graphs, charts, and diagrams.  Take notes while or just after you read.  Look up words whose meaning you cannot discern from the context.</p><p>Monitor your comprehension</p><p> Stop and ask, “What have I just read and learned?”  Connect new information with what you already know.</p><p>Reread</p><p> If you are not comprehending an idea, go back and reread.  Restate difficult ideas in your own words.</p><p>Read to the end</p><p> Do not get discouraged and stop reading.  Review to see what you have learned.  Reread those ideas that are still not clear.</p>