FLIRT BEFORE READING

Do you know how to flirt? The actual process of flirting begins long before you talk to your love interest. Let’s say the person you like is in one of your classes. You wouldn’t just role out of bed and go to school. You would carefully choose the “right” outfit to make your eyes stand out. Spend extra time in the bathroom making sure every hair was in place and your breath smelled fresh. You might even prepare questions to ask and topics to discuss just in case you got close enough to talk.

If you know how to flirt with a human, you know the cognitive process a mature reader goes through before reading a text. Mature readers prepare their mind to read as you prepare to look your best for that special someone.

BREAKING IT DOWN
To flirt with means, “to take into consideration.” As a reader, you are taking into consideration the author’s style, the way the text is organized and the topic being discussed so you can hold a strong mental conversation and remember the important information. When you open the doors of your mind for interaction, conversation, and growth, you are able to remember what you read. Since there are five different steps your mind must go through when FLIRTing with the text I created an acronym to help you remember them. An acronym, means each letter in FLIRT represents a step. The next five chapters explain each letter in detail.

F: Fiction or Nonfiction: Genre does Matter
L: Look at Text Features: Check out Those Special Features
I: I Already Know: Search for Connections
R: Reveal the Purpose: Get Interested
T: Text Structures: Organize a Date

CUT IT OUT
FLIRTing with the text is not enough to comprehend or make meaning from the chapter.Mature readers know FLIRTing with a text is only the beginning of the reading process. If you expect to remember what you read, you must slow down and be an active reader by taking notes, highlighting and drawing pictures. Skimming and scanning the chapter are terrific for creating a curiosity to read. However, this is only surface reading.

Skimming is like watching for a cute face to walk by at the mall. You see a few cute faces but you never go up to talk with them. On the other hand, scanning is like watching for your friend. You are looking for a specific face in the crowd. Once you find your friend, you go and engage in a conversation.

Skimming is done first to grasp an overview of the chapter, activate schema, identify topics and establish a purpose for reading. Start at the top of the page and read the text features. As you reach the bottom of the page, stop and identify sections/ideas/words that are new to you by highlighting, writing notes or adding marks. These marks make your thoughts visible for future reference. The marked sections will need to be read with a deeper, slower process (see DRIVE).

Scanning is done to determine if the resource contains the information you need. You know what you are looking for and search for specific words and phrases. Once you discover the information, you interact with it by highlighting it or writing it down. When you are trying to answer the chapter questions by searching for key words instead of reading, you are scanning. (see RELAX for a more effective way to answer questions.)

TIME CHECK – Does your mind need a break? Stand up, walk around, get a drink and then come right back. You have two minutes.

REALITY CHECK
It’s time to apply your FLIRTing skills to your books. Yes, those dry, boring textbooks that weigh down your backpack and cramp your social life. I want you to get interested in reading by FLIRTing with those textbooks of yours. Go ahead; sneak a peak at the whole chapter. Take a good look at each page. Check out the titles, headings, pictures, captions and bold words. Then start asking questions and marking sections for further reading. Just like flirting, some sections are worth a second look. You may want to skim over a section because you need to build some background knowledge. Maybe you noticed a section that was discussed in class and you want to double-check your memory. However, other sections may only require one look because the charts, pictures or maps gave you enough information. Academic reading is about reading smarter, not harder.

The next time you pick up a text, take into consideration the external clues the author left so your mind can begin to make meaning. When you FLIRT before you read, you become more interested in the topic, which helps your mind stay focused and organized.