Chapter 7: Supporting Details and Transitions

        Chapter 7 provided many beneficial information such as recognizing supporting details, identifying types of supporting details, using transitional words to guide your reading, and how to paraphrase paragraphs. I would use these elements throughout my education because as a reader and a writer I would be able to pay attention to important details. In order to recognize supporting details the reader first has to identify key details which will lead you to the main idea/topic of the paragraph. Secondly, look for minor details which provides additional information to the key details. Lastly, there are different types of supporting details to look out for and they are examples, facts or statistics, reasons, descriptions, and steps or procedures. Examples are used to support and make an idea understandable. Facts and/or statistics provide evidence that will make the main idea correct. Reasons is given to explain why the main idea is correct. Descriptions is used to describe a person, object, place, or process in the main topic of the paragraph. Steps and/or procedures are used to list steps of details. 

        Additionally, I found transitions to be helpful. Transitions are connected words or phrases that lead one idea to another. There are many types of transitions used for specific tasks in writing. For instance, time/sequence is a type of transition that is used to arrange ideas in order (first, last, next, finally). Another, would be example which is used to lead a following example to the idea (for example, for instance, to illustrate, etc.). Cause/effect is also a type of transition which is used to show a connection between two things (because, thus, therefore, since, consequently). However, these three types of transitions aren't the only ones that are used in writing. Enumeration, continuation, contrast, comparison, and summation are also types of transitions. Overall, there were so many important elements that I learned in the chapter and how I can use them to improve my writing as well as my reading comprehension. 

Chapter 5: Reading As Thinking

Now and then, when I read I usually forget to preview a book, textbook, etc. This chapter refreshed my memory in having to preview before reading. Preview before reading is very essential because it provides strategize thinking of what you're about to read. There are many ways of previewing a book such as reading the title and subtitles, chapter introduction, boldface headings, topic sentences, typographical aids, graphs, charts, pictures, summary, and end-of-chapter material. These will help guide you along and to have a clear understanding of what you are reading and what you have learned as well. It is also a good idea to ask yourself questions of what you read and how you can relate it to your own personal experience. What I didn't know before reading this chapter was the SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite, and review) method. This method also helps you to build up more as a comprehensive reader. The next time I read a book or textbook I will look forward in using the preview and the SQ3R methods.