CRCB-IM-CHAPTER FOUR: MANAGING YOUR READING TIME

CRxCB-IM-CHAPTER FOUR: MANAGING YOUR READING TIME


Those in a hurry do not arrive.
                                               Zen Saying



·         Chapter Outline (for transparency) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   55
·         Chapter Summary (for transparency) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   56
·         Chapter Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
·         Table 4.1 and Table 4.3 (to print hardcopies for use with exercise 4a, page 114 of text). . 62
·         Supplemental Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
·         Supplemental Vocabulary Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 66


OUTLINE

Chapter 4: MANAGING READING TIME



I.                   What is Efficient Reading?

II.                Tips for Efficient Reading

·         Know Reading Averages

·         Track Your Reading Rates

·         Understand Speed Reading 

·         Reading Quickly
·         Regression
·         Subvocalization
·         Pacing

·         Developing a Reading Plan


III.             Test Taking and Time Management

IV.             Practice with Reading

V.                Chapter Summary

VI.             Post-Test
















SUMMARY

Chapter 4: MANAGING READING TIME




Comprehension should be your main reading goal, not how fast you read.

·         Develop a general study schedule that shows specifically when you plan to study for each class and for how long.

·         Choose the times you study based on when you are most alert, and determine the length of time of each study session using your reading averages for the subjects you are taking.

·         Track your reading rates so you can create daily reading plans that set realistic goals for your classes each week.

The following reading tips are presented in this chapter and will contribute to your becoming a more efficient reader:

·         reading quickly, when it is appropriate
·         skimming
·         regressing or rereading
·         subvocalizing
·         pacing







CHAPTER OPENER: READING RATES

Goal

To emphasize that different reading rates are appropriate for different types of reading.

dIRECTIONS


For this exercise print out the two, 535-word readings, A (p.57) and B (p.59) that follow. Make an equal number of copies of both, mix them together and distribute one reading to each student.

1.      Pass out the readings face down and let students assume they all have the same selection.
Tell them not to turn the readings over until directed to do so.

2.      Once all the readings have been distributed, tell students to turn the selections over and begin reading.

3.      After one minute, tell students to stop and to circle the word they are reading at that moment.

4.      Have students write down in their learning journals the number at the end of the sentence the circled word is in.

5.      This number is their word-per-minute reading rate.

6.      Engage students in a discussion about their reading rates. Were they pleased with their scores? What may have prevented them from reading faster? Do they think a test like this accurately reflects their reading rates? Why or Why not? Was the selection easy for them to read? (Due to the very different reading levels of the selections, half of the class will probably say yes, and half will say no. There may be some confused faces.)

7.      Ask students if they had an "A" or "B" reading selection.

8.      Ask those with the B selection why they might not have been able to read it as fast as those with the A reading selection? Write the reasons down on the board.

9.      Finally, write on the board or Smartboard: SLOWER IS SOMETIMES FASTER and ask students to discuss what they think this means, based on what was just discussed about the two different selections.

The goal of critical reading is to "slow down" and take time to digest what you are reading. It is a thinking process. Thinking takes time. Explain to students that although they should be aware of how fast they read so they can pace themselves, plan their study time accordingly, and improve their reading efficiency, speed is NOT the goal of critical reading. In this chapter they will learn that different rates are appropriate for different types of reading. Most speed-reading programs are neither too concerned with comprehension nor designed for textbook reading. Have students go back to their learning journals to write about what they just learned.

chapter four: Reading practice a


The difference in the way Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake,                             10
both 21, have been living their post-breakup lives is no more apparent                     22
than in the way they party. Recently linked on and off to actress Alyssa                 36
Milano, 30, a confident Timberlake - whose Justified album has sold 2                     47
million copies and is in Billboard's top 10 - has been tearing up New York              62
City and Los Angeles, taking in Kelly Osbourne's performance on December 29    71
at the Roxy in West Hollywood along with Courtney Love and the Osbourne        83
clan; clubbing with Milano, and, of course, enjoying the adoration of female          95
fans. Just last month, during a routine night out at a New York City lounge,           109
a source says, “Every woman in the place was trying to get to him. They                 124
were lined up in front of him, trying to get his attention."                                         136

Meanwhile, Spears - - nearing the end of her six-month hiatus - - has been              147
opting for more low-key girls' nights out (her brother Bryan, 25, seems to               160
be the sole male in her posse.) "She's been hanging out with her family                    174
and friends," says a source who spotted Spears at Suite 16, her favorite New          187
York City nightspot. "She always has a hat on, and it's always pulled down            201
real low. You probably wouldn't notice her if she didn't have all those body           215
guards." In fact, one regular at the New York City club Lotus mistook the              229
blonde for a Britney look-alike. "It didn't occur to me that it could have                 243
been her because no one was making any fuss," says the source. "She's                    256
very low-key."                                                                                                             258

No doubt, one possible reason for Spear's more subdued ways these days               270
grew apparent when, right after the new year, Timberlake - after months                 281
of innuendo both in interviews and his hit "Cry Me a River" single and video         296
- made his most direct suggestion, on the record, that the reason for their                309
split was her alleged infidelity. (Sources have said that Spears had a fling               322
with choreographer Wade Robson.) Saying also that he had two prior                     344
girlfriends before Spears who cheated on him, the pop heartthrob told                    355
Rolling Stone. "I've had my heart broken plenty of times……It was the                  367
same with Britney as with the first girl who broke my heart and the second.           382
They've all gone down the same way." However, the still-wounded star also           394
confessed about Britney, "When we were together it was bliss, like something        406
from a damn fairy tale..I really do still love that girl."                                               418

While some have argued that Timberlake has capitalized on their three-and-a-         331
half-year relationship (and its fallout) to further his career, Spears has remained      344
mum. But when reached in L.A., where she is writing songs for her next album,     359
Spears finally opted to break her silence. "I'm very touched that he still loves          373
me," she told Us exclusively. "There's a part of me that will always love Justin        388
too because he was my first love." And she's not the only member of the                403
Spears family with room in her heart for the "NSync hunk turned solo star.             417                 
Says Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, 47: "Britney will always care about              427
Justin, and so will I."                                                                                                 432

So what's with Timberlake's bitter public response to the split? "In the wake          445
of betrayal the first reaction is revenge. And that's what went on for Justin,"         459
asserts New York psychotherapist Dr. Jane Greer. "The flip side is the loving        471
feelings that remain. That love doesn't disappear in one final explosive                   482
moment." While a reconciliation isn't imminent, it's not impossible either.   492
"Once the rage simmers and the loving feelings start to emerge again, it                 515
makes it possible to reconnect," adds Greer.                                                             522

Weekly Us. January 20, 2003. Issue 414. Pgs. 46-47. Us Magazine:New York City


















chapter four: Reading practice b



The NCREIF organization publishes a quarterly index of value-weighted                9
real estate returns. The NCRIEF Property Index (NPI) measures the                       19
historical performance of income properties held by (or for) pension                        29
funds and profit-sharing plans. The NPI includes both income (NOI)                      39
and capital (value appreciation or depreciation) components which                          47
are combined to generate quarterly total returns. The NPI is calculated                    58
before management fees are deducted and is standardized with a value                  69
of 100 representing the fourth quarter of 1977.                                                         77

Properties included in the index may be wholly owned or joint ventures,                 89
but they must be existing, investment-grade, income-producing properties              97   
held by fiduciaries on behalf of tax-exempt institutions. Development                     106
projects and agricultural properties are specifically excluded. The                            114
universe of properties upon which the index is based changes each quarter              126
as new members join NCREIF and existing members alter their holdings                137
through sales and acquisitions. At the end of 1999, there were 2,469                       149
properties in the NPI, with a combined market value of $77.4 billion.                      161
The properties in the NPI are also used to calculate 37 subindexes,                          173
including separate indexes for the five major property type in the aggregate.           185

One potential weakness with using NCREIF data is that the quarterly increase       197
or decrease in the market value of each property is determined by an                       210
appraisal of the property, unless the property happens to sell during the quarter,      223
in which case the transaction price is used. This methodology for determining        235
the quarterly change in property value has received substantial criticism -                245
empirical evidence suggests that using appraisal estimates rather than transaction    255
prices may smooth the indicated changes in value and therefore bias estimates        267
of the return volatility downward. Nonetheless, the NCREIF Classic Property       277
Index remains a primary source for information on the risk-return characteristics     287
of income-producing property.                                                                                   290

An alternative source of historic commercial real estate return information is the    302
National Association of real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) Index. The          312
NAREIT Index is a value-weighted index that tracks the total return (income        324
plus capital) pattern of all exchange-traded REITs.                                                   231

The NAREIT organization groups all qualified REITs into three main                     241
categories for reporting purposes. First, and Equity REITs Index is calculated        252
for those REITs whose primary assets are direct property investments.                    262
Second, a Mortgage Index is reported, based on the performance of those              274
companies whose primary assets are mortgages, mortgage-backed securities,           282
or both. Third, a Hybrid Index is calculated for those firms that hold a mixture      297
of direct property and mortgage investments. Detailed information regarding         306
the return performance of specific property types (apartments, warehouses, etc.)     316
also is available. NAREIT, which was established on December 31, 1971,              326
covered, as of year-end 1999, 203 publicly traded REITs with a total market          339
capitalization of $124.3 billion. Equity REITs account for nearly 95 percent of       351
this total market value. In the analysis presented below, we use the Equality           364
REIT Index to measure real estate returns.                                                                371

It is important to realize that NAREIT return data are based on publicly                 384
traded securities. To the extent that these security prices represent factors               395
not inherently attributable to the underlying property (such as the stock                  406
market's opinion of the REIT manager's ability), observed performance patterns     416
may not be representative of the true risk and expected returns associated               428
with investing in the underlying real estate.                                                               435

The NCREIF and NAREIT indexes described above provide useful information   445
on historical returns. Exhibit 5-5 presents the mean total returns for five                  456
different asset classes over four different time periods. In addition to the               468
NCREIF Property Index NPI) and the NAREIT index, stock and bond returns     480
are derived from the S&P 500 Index, the Russell 2000 Index and an index of        495
returns on long-term government bonds. The S&P 500 is a value-weighted index   507
of the 500 largest U.S. stocks, which account for over 80 percent of the total         522
market capitalization of all firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange.              534


Corgel, Ling, Smith. (2001). Real Estate Perspectives, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill: Boston. Pgs. 138-139.




















table 4.1

Number of Pages Read


Subject: ___________________
Session Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Date















Number of Pages Read
















TABLE 4.2
GRAPHING READING RATES

Session
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Date














60





























55





























50





























45





























40





























35





























30





























25





























20





























15





























10





























5














Pages Per
Hour
















supplemental exercises


There are three supplemental exercises for this chapter. Information about each is provided on this page and the related material follows on separate pages that you can print out for use with your students.

Exercise 4-1: Academic Tracking Calendar. (Student material on page 63)

Have students get into the habit of marking down important dates (appointments, events, exams, and deadlines) for each month. This teaches them that it’s important to be aware of time. The more conscious they are of due dates and other important events, the more they will be in control of their time, and the more effective they will be in using it. This calendar is used to flag unusual dates, unlike a semester schedule that doesn’t vary.

Exercise 4-2: Goal Setting Exercise #1: Goals and Professional Commitment

Have students respond to the following four questions in their learning journals:

1.      What do you intend to accomplish by the end of today?

2.      What do you intend to accomplish by the end of the week?

3.      What do you intend to accomplish in twelve months?

4.      What do you intend to accomplish in five years?

Then ask them to answer questions five.

5.   If you won a million dollars tomorrow, how would you rewrite goals 3 and 4?
      (Give students five minutes to rewrite these goals.)

Explain to students that if they changed their goals as a result of winning money, especially #4, they probably don’t have a strong commitment to pursuing them. If they are planning on becoming a teacher, for example, but would not choose this career if they became rich, they may not have chosen goals that are sufficiently meaningful to them.

If their goals changed dramatically, have them discuss why in class. If they aren’t really committed to a profession, they may benefit from career counseling.

Exercise 4-3: Goal Setting Exercise #2: Defining Specific Goals (student material on page 64)

Have students complete this worksheet which is designed to help them clarify their goals.


 chapter four: exercise 4-1

ACADEMIC TRACKING CALENDAR


Month _______________ Important Dates (Deadlines, Meetings, Exams, Events)


Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday



































































chapter four: exercise 4-3

GOAL SETTING WORKSHEET

In order to manage your time effectively, you need to be clear about your goals. The more clearly defined they are, the more likely it is that you will achieve them. The purpose of this worksheet is to have you think about and select a series of goals, and learn how to write clear objectives to help you attain them.

DAILY GOALS

First: Brainstorm

List five goals – things that you intend to accomplish today.

Second: Prioritize

Number the goals, listing them in order of importance.

Third: Identify

Identify each goal as “M” (mine) or “O” (someone else’s goal for you).

Fourth: Specify

Detail how you will achieve the goals you have selected. Be specific – for example, indicate time, place, reason, method, and priority.

Example: Attend reading class on time

Priority
Goal
Identify
Place
Reason
Method
1
COLLS 053
M
MC-115
Keep grade up
Get up one hour earlier

Intermediate Term Goals:

Using the same method as you did for your five daily goals, select three goals you want to accomplish by this time next week.

Long Term Goals:

Finally, brainstorm two major goals that you want to accomplish by this date next year. For example, select a major, get your own apartment, apply to UM Law School. Prioritize your goals, identify them as “M” or “O”; and specify how you will accomplish each (when, how, where etc.).

supplemental vocabulary quiz


There is one supplemental vocabulary quiz for this chapter in the form of a crossword puzzle.



Answers












Chapter FOUR vocabulary QUIZ


Across

1              at fault, blame
5              compassion, feel how someone feels
9              thinking about what you are reading
12           comprehending text at an appropriate reading rate

Down

1              struggled
2              reading groups of words
3              using your finger to guide your reading
4              rest, relief
6              small amount
7              diagnose the reason for own demise
8              deep, wise, insightful
10           reading only some of the words
11           summon, call up