Contrary to the belief of some tweens, textbooks are useful beyond propping up wobbly desks or carrying lunch in the fashion of a tray. In fact, as students move up through the grades, textbooks and course readers become fundamental learning tools. Students are expected to learn and gather information from the pages of dense text. The transition from reading for pleasure to reading for information is difficult for many students. Often students are overwhelmed by the sheer number of pages, complicated language, and enormous amount of information. As a result, textbooks are either banished to the backs of lockers or used as peripheral modes of learning. Here are five steps to help your child gain a better understanding of dense text:

    * Preview - before jumping in and reading from start to finish, flip through the chapter. You may find it helpful to review the chapter summary at the end of the unit. Go over the headings and subheadings. Look at the pictures and the captions. Get an idea of what the chapter is about and in what kind of order the information is presented. Pay special attention to anything in bold or any sidebars.
    * Break It Up - now that you've got a general sense of the unit, you can begin making a reading game plan. Instead of planning on reading the whole chapter, break it up into units (such as paragraphs or headings) and take a short break in between to fill up your water or stretch your legs.
    * Skim - read the smaller unit that you've selected. Don't worry about understanding or memorizing every detail. Instead, just skim the paragraph to understand the general idea. It is important to see how the smaller ideas relate to the big picture.
    * Take notes - Now, carefully re-read the passage. Write down any important information in your notebook. You may want to use the Cornell or outline methods to take down notes. Or if there is another note-taking technique that you're comfortable with, use that. Be careful to not copy over the textbook: the purpose is to create a review of the text that you can refer to for homework and studying.
    * Review - when you're done with the smaller unit, review your notes. Make sure that you have the general ideas and supporting details. Check to see that you understand that passage. When you feel comfortable with the material, move to the next section.
Like any new method of studying, your child may receive these suggestions with whining or a little hostility, and insist that he or she has his or her own method of reading. For students who are used to just answering questions by going back into the reading, the actual reading of the text and taking notes, will seem like a big undertaking. Consider breaking up the reading into two days or splitting the activity with dinner time. Once your child gets the hang of the process, she will see that completing homework and studying for tests is actually easier. In the long-term, these techniques will grow with your child and she will be able to tackle any type of reading.