Try the THIEVES Technique to Make Reading More Fun While Studying
Did you know you can customize Google to filter out unwanted results? Follow these steps to improve your search results, including adding Lifehacker as your preferred source for tech news .
There are many popular study methods , and all of them can be effective depending on your learning style. One method that’s not often discussed is the THIEVES method. Use it the next time you’re studying a new chapter or need to memorize a lot of new information for work.
What is the THIEVES method?
The THIEVES reading method, recommended by universities like Kent State University , is designed to teach you to think critically while reading. THIEVES is an acronym that stands for the following elements of your content:
-
Headline
-
Headlines
-
Introduction
-
The very first sentence in the paragraph
-
Visual materials and vocabulary
-
Questions at the end of the chapter
-
Summary
The goal of this method is to understand what you want to learn from a chapter and how the information within it relates. By writing down each of the seven categories before you begin reading, you’ll set the stage for a more complete understanding of the content before delving deeper, similar to the SQ3R or KWL methods.
How to use the THIEVES reading method
Write down all seven categories—and I mean write them down, as handwriting helps you remember them . Of course, you can use your phone or a Word document, but if you need convenience and portability, I recommend writing by hand and then digitizing your notes .
Once you’ve written down the categories from Title to Summary , leaving some space under each, begin writing down what you want to gain from each. In the Title section, ask yourself what you think the text is about and what you already know about it based on the title. In the Headings section, ask yourself why the information is divided this way, what you think you’ll learn in each section, and how the subtopics might relate to the overall picture. From there, begin reading, but take notes every time you encounter one of the THIEVES points. For example, after the introduction , write down what made you interested in the rest of the chapter after you read it, and make sure you do the same after the very first sentence in the section. Every time you reach a graph, figure, or table, write in the Visuals section about what each represents and what it can tell you about the content and the overall picture.
Finally , write down how the author concluded the chapter, what you learned, and what you might learn in the future that relates to what you just read. Finally, summarize what you’ve read by writing down the author’s main idea and your overall understanding of the main themes and concepts.
This is a more structured form of close reading , a reading technique that forces you to stop and consider every minute detail of the text. The author, publisher, and teacher all have their reasons for wanting you to read something, why details were omitted or overlooked, and why the material presented in the text is relevant. Everything in it is important in one way or another, and that’s what close reading is for. Using THIEVES, you gain a guiding light that makes close reading even easier.
During the “summarization” phase, try to blurt out or write down everything you can remember, then compare your notes with the material. You can also try creating a mind map to help visualize the connections between concepts. If you find this difficult, reread the material until you’ve remembered enough to proceed to the summary. This may take several passes.
Doing this before and during reading will help you stay engaged with the material and create notes to refer back to when reviewing in the future. Use the distributed study method to determine how often you need to reread these notes before your next important test.