Reading Strategies and History

Hello, Everyone!  I'm Julie Wilkinson and I'm majoring in History.  Reading is extremely important for my field, and students must be able to comprehend what they read.  This can be especially difficult if the student does not find the text relevant or interesting.  It is important to use reading strategies that relate the text to the student and the student's previous knowledge.  Strategies such as the point of view guide allow students to consider the text in new ways.  There are many points of view in history and it is important that students are able to discern them in their texts.  I can also have students write to learn the content, so that they review their thoughts of the content, and organize their understanding.  Another important aspect of history is understanding how to read visual information such as pictures, political cartoons, or flyers used at various points in history.  Using the "getting the most from visual information" strategy, I can have students review the visuals presented and draw conclusions.