Use the REAP Method to Learn Completely New Information
How you learn something will likely depend on how familiar you are with the subject. If you are familiar enough with the basic concepts, you can induce active memorization by using flashcards , or improve your understanding of the topic, such as by teaching it to someone else . But what about when you encounter new information for the first time and you have no real context for it?
Many reading methods require you to ask questions or hypotheses before you even begin reading, but this is not easy if you are new to the subject. In such cases, the REAP method can help. This is a method that instructs you to read first and leave the deeper work for later. Here’s how it works.
What is the REAP method?
REAP is an acronym that stands for Read, Code, Annotate and Reflect. Like methods like SQ3R or KWL , it asks you to approach each new passage with a strategic plan. But unlike these methods, you don’t need to know anything about your subject to get into a reading session. Instead of skimming a chapter, coming up with ideas about what you think it will be about and what you want to get out of it, and relying on what you already know before you start, you admit that you don’t know much. about the subject in general, and intended to learn more about it and then think more about it to find out which parts were most important before committing it to memory.
How does REAP work?
With the REAP method, you first read a passage, chapter, or section of text on your own. Don’t think too hard here; The goal of the reading-based approach is not to read too critically, but to absorb the information as a whole. You then encode the information into your own words. You can do this by writing a paragraph-long summary in your notes or by describing it out loud to someone else. Then annotate the text, recording only the main ideas—as keywords, pieces of data, quotes, or salient elements of the introduction or conclusion.
When it’s time to reflect , review the text, your summary, and general notes, developing additional research questions prompted by what you read. That’s when you can start making connections between information and real-world applications. Only at this stage can you rely on critical reading and reflection: compare your coding and annotation with the original text and consider whether you have accurately identified the most important themes and overall messages in your rewriting.
The REAP approach is a good place to start before moving on to something more detailed like SQ3R. This allows you to read the full text instead of immediately focusing on the details of subheadings and tables. This will help you get the general idea before you dive into the weeds. To ensure maximum retention, try skimming the text again and using a critical reading technique such as Thieves to extract all the important details.