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Spelling and Pronunciation

	Spelling Rules
syllables	Every syllable has one vowel sound.
c	C can be prounced as /k/ or /s/.
c	C is pronounced as /s/ before an e, i, or y (cent, city, cycle).
c	It is pronounced as /k/ before everything else (cat, clip).
g	G is pronounced as /g/ or /j/.
g	G may be pronounced as /j/ before an e, i, or y (gem, giant, gym).
g	It is pronounced as /g/ before everything else (garden, glad).
q	Q is always followed by a u (queen).
f, l,s	Double the consonants f, l, and s at the end of a one-syllable word that has just one vowel (stiff, spell, pass).
k	To spell the sound of /k/ at the end of a word, we use ck or k. Use ck after a short vowel (sick). After everything else, use a k (milk).
a,e,o,u	A, e, o, and u usually say their name at the end of a syllable (a-pron, me, go, u-nit).
v, j	Words do not end in v or j. We add a silent-e at the end of the word (have).
I,o	I and o may be pronounced as /i/ and /o/ before two consonants (kind, sold).
j	/J/ is spelled dge after a short vowel (edge).

SQ4R Method

S	Survey
Q	Questions
4R	Read	Read the text. Use a pencil or pen to mark the text (Do not use a highlight marker!). Underline, star, or flag vocabulary words or ideas that you think are important.
	Respond	As you read, try to find the answers to the questions you asked. Remember, as you read, you might ask more questions. Be sure to write your answers in the margins.
	Review	When you finish reading, review the written text. Can you answer the questions that you asked? Do you understand everything about the written text? If the author(s) were sitting next to you, what other questions would you ask?
	Reflect	Close the text. Think about what your have read. Discuss the main points with someone. Do you agree or disagree with the author(s)? What surprised you about the written text? What did you find to be interesting? What did you find to be confusing? What did you learn?

Parts of Speech

n. (noun) - a name word; name of a person, place, thing, or idea
pn. (pronoun) - a word used in place of a noun
vb.(verb) - word for an action or state of being
adj. (adjective) - a describing word
adv. (adverb) - aa modigying word
prep. (preposition) - a word used to show a relation
intj. (interjection) - an interrupting word
conj. (conjunction) - a combining word

HAVE you ever heard anyone say, “I feel badly”? Of course you have, because almost everyone seems to have the mistaken idea that “I feel bad” is awkward and inelegant. In order to understand why “I feel bad” is correct, we must understand the difference between adjectives and adverbs.

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

As you recall, an adjective can modify either a noun or a pronoun; whereas an adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. The following chart of a sentence will enable you to fix these facts in mind. As you study the plan, remember that the subject and the object must always be nouns or other parts of speech used as nouns.

THE SENTENCE PLAN
Subject	Verb	Object
Adjective	Adverb	Adjective
Adverb	Adverb	Adverb

Two Positions of the Adjective

Few of us have any difficulty in identifying an adjective when it is close to the noun it modifies. In each of the four sentences at the top of Page 4, the adjective immediately precedes the noun it modifies.

Why English is Baffling

1	The bandage was wound around the wound.
2	The farm was used to produce produce.
3	The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4	We must polish the Polish furniture.
5	He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6	The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7	Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8	A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9	When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10	I did not object to the object.
11	The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12	There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13	They were too close to the door to close it.
14	The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15	A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16	To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17	The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18	After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19	Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20	I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21	How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Reading Strategies

Reading Strategies
1. Learn to read actively.
2. Understand the vocabulary in context
3. Look for basic structures in what you read
4. Make inferences
5. Appreciate the writer's craft: intros, conclusions, signal words, type of support, patterns of organization, tone, purpose, audience, signal words (connectors, time words, transitions)
6. Learn to outline or map and summarize
7. Discuss your ideas

Reading Comprehension Tips from How to be a Successful Student

How to Improve Reading Comprehension

Key Point

Good reading means building frameworks for connecting words to thoughts.

The Purpose of Reading.


The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. If you don't know anything about a subject, then pouring words of text into your mind is like pouring water into your hand. You don't retain much. For example, try reading these numbers:


7516324 This is hard to read and remember.

751-6324 This is easier because of chunking.

123-4567 This is easy to read because of prior knowledge and structure.



Similarly, if you like sports, then reading the sports page is easy. You have a framework in your mind for reading, understanding and storing information.


Improving Comprehension.

Reading comprehension requires motivation, mental frameworks for holding ideas, concentration and good study techniques. Here are some suggestions.


Develop a broad background.

Broaden your background knowledge by reading newspapers, magazines and books. Become interested in world events.

Know the structure of paragraphs.

Good writers construct paragraphs that have a beginning, middle and end. Often, the first sentence will give an overview that helps provide a framework for adding details. Also, look for transitional words, phrases or paragraphs that change the topic.



Identify the type of reasoning.

Does the author use cause and effect reasoning, hypothesis, model building, induction or deduction, systems thinking? See section 20 for more examples on critical thinking skills.



Anticipate and predict.

Really smart readers try to anticipate the author and predict future ideas and questions. If you're right, this reinforces your understanding. If you're wrong, you make adjustments quicker.



Look for the method of organization.

Is the material organized chronologically, serially, logically, functionally, spatially or hierarchical? See section 10 for more examples on organization.



Create motivation and interest.

Preview material, ask questions, discuss ideas with classmates. The stronger your interest, the greater your comprehension.



Pay attention to supporting cues.

Study pictures, graphs and headings. Read the first and last paragraph in a chapter, or the first sentence in each section.



Highlight, summarize and review.

Just reading a book once is not enough. To develop a deeper understanding, you have to highlight, summarize and review important ideas.



Build a good vocabulary.

For most educated people, this is a lifetime project. The best way to improve your vocabulary is to use a dictionary regularly. You might carry around a pocket dictionary and use it to look up new words. Or, you can keep a list of words to look up at the end of the day. Concentrate on roots, prefixes and endings.



Use a systematic reading technique like SQR3.

Develop a systematic reading style, like the SQR3 method and make adjustments to it, depending on priorities and purpose. The SQR3 steps include Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. See Section 14 for more details.



Monitor effectiveness.

Good readers monitor their attention, concentration and effectiveness. They quickly recognize if they've missed an idea and backup to reread it.



Should You Vocalize Words?



Yes, although it is faster to form words in your mind rather than on your lips or throat. Eye motion is also important. Frequent backtracking slows you down considerably.

Copyright 1991 Donald Martin, How to be a Successful Student