TABLE OF CONTENTS

• PREFACE

• INTRODUCTION

1. GETTING STARTED Reading skills, Writing Skills, Listening Skills.

2. LEARNING Developmental Levels of Learning.

3. THE TEXTBOOK Title, Copyright Page, Table of Contents, Preface, Chapter Titles, Subheadings, Chapter Summaries, Study Questions, Appendix, Glossary, Reference Page, Index, Study Guide.

4. NOTES Highlighting, Lecture Note Taking, Textbook Outlining, Study Sheet, Flash Cards, Tape Recording Notes.

5. TIME MANAGEMENT Calendar, To Do List, Studying Time.

6. STUDYING PROCEDURES Study Place, Work Area, Study Method, Studying with Others.

7. TESTS Types of Tests, Multiple Choice, True/False, Matching, Sentence Completion, Fill in the Blank, Essay, Open Book Tests, Study Strategies for Questions, Test Taking Techniques, Things to Do Beforea Test, Relax After a Test.

8. MANAGING STRESS Ways to reduce stress.

9. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE GRADE

Copyright 1992, 2005 Lamon H. Small

Text used by permission.

Chapter 3

The Textbook

Even though there are no set standards for the writing of textbooks, all of them follow similar guidelines. Having a working knowledge of a textbook will aid you in preparing to study.

When examining a book for the first time, use the following approach:

1. Read the title. This will sometimes give you a clue as to the difficulty of the text. Such as Introduction to . . . or Advanced . . .
2. Read the preface and introduction. This gives information about what you can expect from the text.
3. Look through the table of contents. From this you will get an overview of the layout of the entire book at a glance. It will also allow you to find information easily by listing page numbers for chapters and subheadings.
4. Skim the book from cover to cover, including the pictures. This will make you more familiar with the contents.
5. Read the chapter summaries if the book contains them.

Becoming familiar with the textbook can save you valuable time.

The following is a quick overview of the layout of a textbook:

TITLE

The title describes the contents of the entire book. It offers an idea of what to expect from the contents. For example the title Introduction to Psychology lets you know that the text is one that will cover the entire discipline of psychology. A book titled The History of Psychology is going to cover the history of the discipline. Therefore the title is very important and should not be overlooked.

COPYRIGHT PAGE

This page gives the year the book was published.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The table of contents is found in the front of the book and lists each chapter with subheading. It lists page numbers for fast reference.

PREFACE

This is usually an introduction or review of the book.

CHAPTER TITLES

The textbook is divided into separate sections. These sections are referred to as chapters. Each chapter is titled separately. It will also be broken down into separate sections called subheadings.

SUBHEADINGS

The subheadings break down the chapter into even more specific topics.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

Some textbooks will summarize each chapter. The summary gives an outline of the entire chapter. It is a good idea to read this section before you read the chapter itself.

STUDY QUESTIONS

Some textbooks offer study questions at the end of each chapter. This is a very good way to check your progress after reading and studying each chapter. Take advantage of this study aid. It will prove to be very helpful.

You may find answers to these questions in the back of the book. Check these answers only after you have completed the work. Always work the question out before referring to the answers. The answers are only there to check your answers against.

APPENDIX

If the book contains an appendix, it is usually located after the last chapter. An appendix usually contains exercises or examples that are in some way supplemental to the text.

GLOSSARY

A glossary is an alphabetical listing of terms and their definitions.

REFERENCE PAGE

The reference page is a listing of all published material the author has referred to in the text. This is a good listing to consult if additional information is needed.

INDEX

The index is usually the last entry of a book. The index is an alphabetical quick reference listing of important subjects and persons found in the text. It gives page numbers where the information is found within the text. Sometimes this listing is separated into two different indexes—subject and name.

STUDY GUIDE

Some textbooks are supplemented by a work book or study guide. I strongly recommended that you obtain a copy and use it, even if it is not required by the instructor.