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Main Idea, The: Reading to Learn, 2/E
Myrna Bigman Skidell, Nassau Community College
Sidney Graves Becker, Nassau Community College

ISBN-10: 0205283225
ISBN-13: 9780205283224

Publisher: Longman
Copyright: 1999
Format: Paper; 453 pp
Published: 07/02/1998

6th - 8th grade reading level. Based on interactive reading model, the text presents "game plans" in each chapter so that students know what to do before, during, and after reading; game plans are summarized again in an appendix. Readings of varied length throughout plus a thematic casebook at end with longer selections. More help with critical reading (Pt.IV) Includes help with learning vocabulary for specific disciplines.

“Game Plans” in each chapter help structure students' activities before, during, and after reading, allowing them to become actively involved in the reading process. Appendix B reviews all of the “Game Plans” presented.
Readings within each chapter are of varied lengths, so that instructors can begin with short selections in order to build students' self-confidence, and then move to longer, “college level” selections.
Critical Reading is an important aspect of the text. By learning to analyze the familiar milieu of print media, students can transfer their critical thinking abilities to less familiar texts.
Instruction on specific behaviors to develop new vocabulary is included for courses such as Mathematics, Psychology, and History, familiarizing students with the language used in classes they will take.
Many group activities provide opportunities for discussion and collaborative learning.
Cumulative lessons help students see reading as a process, not as a compendium of isolated skills.

In response to user feedback, many readings have been replaced in order to provide more level-appropriate practice.
Coverage of inference in Chapter 10 has been expanded to provide practice with longer selections.
Chapter 11 has been expanded to include the TIPS strategy (formerly in Ch. 1) as well as additional comparison/contrast exercises.
40% of the readings in the casebook on intergenerational relationships have been replaced. More academic and biographical readings have been added to the narrative pieces.
The vocabulary unit, “Five Methods to Learn New Words,” has been moved to an appendix so it can be used more flexibly.

* Denotes selections new to this edition.

Preface.

I. BEFORE YOU READ.

1. Getting Started.
Developing a Mind Set.
Freewriting • Practice 1 • Listing • Practice 2.
Previewing.
What Is Previewing? • Previewing College Textbooks • Practice 3 • Practice 4 • Review: Previewing a College Textbook • Previewing Textbook Chapters • Practice 5 • Practice 6.

2. Getting Started with Reading Selections.

Practice 1: Lost in a Vitamin Maze? Graham • Practice 2: Spread the Mood, Kaylin. Questions about the Preview Selections.
Practice 3: Death and Justice, Koch • Practice 4: I'm Listening As Hard As I Can, Gallaway. Review: Previewing a Reading Selection • Questions about Previewing.

3. Setting a Reading Purpose: Developing Questions.
Developing Questions When There Are Headings.

Practice 1: Rereading Lost in a Vitamin Maze? • Practice 2: What Indian Cultures Developed in the Americas? Wood, Gabriel and Biller.

Developing Questions When There Are No Headings.

Practice 3: Garbage Overboard, Stoller.

Review: Developing Questions before You Read • Questions about Developing Questions.

II. WHILE YOU READ.

4. Locating the Main Idea.
Questions.
The Main Idea.
Finding Topics or Subjects • Practice 1 • Finding Stated Main Ideas in Paragraphs • Practice 2 • Practice 3 • Finding Unstated Main Ideas in Paragraphs • Practice 4 • Finding Details in Paragraphs • Practice 5 • Finding Controlling Ideas in Longer Selections • Practice 6.

(Example) *American Families Today, Woolfolk • The Purpose of a Résumé, Beatty • Cardivascular Fitness (Open Water Diver's Manual) • Gypsies, Kephart & Zellner • Are You Sick of Those Phony Sweepstakes? Bowe • Latinos, Hess, Markson & Stein.

Review: Main Idea • Questions about Finding Main Idea.

5. Writing to Read and Remember.
Marking Important Information.
Practice 1.

(Example) Choosing a Wet Suit (Open Water Diver's Manual) • Language, Lederer • Managers, Haiman, Scott, and Connor • Computers, Leedy.

Annotating Text.

Practice 2 • (Example) American Democracy, Bassis, Gelles, and Levine • Types of Warranties, Gerver and Sgori • “Illiterate? Who, U.S.?” Bassis, Gelles, and Levine.

Questions about the Selections • Review: Writing to Read and Remember • Questions about Writing to Read and Remember.

6. Using Game Plans with Longer Selections.

Practice 1: Early Settlers in the Americas, Eibling et al • Smoking — A Slow Suicide, Simone.

Questions about the Textbook Chapters.

*Practice 3: Culture Clash: Foreign Parents, American Child Rearing, Ojito.

Essay Questions.

III. AFTER YOU READ.

7. Organizing Information.
Questions.
Outlining.

Practice 1: (Examples) *Gender Differences in Aggression, Wood and Wood • Practice 2: A Nation of Beepers, Kiplinger • *Gender Stereotyping — Who Wins? Who Loses? Wood and Wood • Risk Factors for Becoming an Alcoholic, Plotnik • A Function of Education: Socialization, Conklin • *Federick Douglas, O'Connor and Sabato.

Review: Outlining • Questions about Outlining.
Mapping.

Practice 3: (Examples) Purpose of a Résumé, Beatty • Choosing a Wet Suit (Open Water Diver's Manual) • Heartening Health News, Vimont • Alternative Medicine, NEA Today • Mayan Culture, Risjord • Depression, Smith • Profit, Ebenstein and Fogelman.

Review: Mapping • Questions about Mapping.
Summarizing.

Practice 4: (Example) *Gender Differences in Aggression, Wood and Wood.

Questions about Summarizing.

Practice 5: Women and Karate, Becker • Amelia Bloomer and Women's Dress Reform, Risjord • Drowsiness and Driving (National Safety Council) • The Concept of Occupational Crime, Greene.

Review: Summarizing • More Questions about Summarizing.

8. Organizing Information with Longer Readings.

Practice 1: *Lifestlye Patterns in Adulthood, Wood and Wood • Practice 2: Packaging, Diamond and Pintel.

Questions about the Two Textbook Selections.

Practice 3: *Eating Disorders — The Tyranny of the Scale, Wood and Wood • Group Activity • Practice 4: The Big Fat Lie, Stern.

Essay Question • Group Activity.

IV. CRITICAL READINGS.

9. Reading Newspapers.
Newspapers: Critical Thinking and Reading Strategies.

Practice 1: Newspapers and Critical Thinking, Skidell.

Making Sense of Information.

News Stories • Practice 2 • Group Activity • Editorials • Practice 3.

Evaluating Information.
Following a Writer's Argument and Reasoning • Practice 4 • Working with Complete Editorials • Practice 5 • Tougher Standards for College Athletes (New York Post) • *Air Safety Need Not Be Pie in the Sky, Francillon • Group Activity 1 • Group Activity 2.

10. Make Informed Decisions about Information.
Separate Fact from Opinion.
Facts • Opinion • Facts and Opinions • Practice 1 • Group Activity.

Practice 2: Blacks Need Uncle Sam, Malveaux.

Make Inferences.
Practice 3 • Practice 4.

*Delivering Your Speech, Beebe and Beebe • A Party for Mickey Mouse, Mamet.

Make and Take Notes: Double-Entry Journals.
Practice 5.

(Example) *Say the Pledge! McLeod • Should Marijuana Be Legalized for Medical Uses? (No), Ruzzamenti • Should Organ Donation Be Automatic Unless a Person Has Expressly Forbidden It? (Yes), Nelson.

Write Your Own Opinion.
Practice 6 • Practice 7.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized for Medical Uses? (Yes) Zeese • Should Organ Donation Be Automatic Unless a Person as Expressly Forbidden It? Murray.

Group Activity • Review: Critical Reading Strategy.

11. Reading College Text Material.
P.A.S. Strategy.

Practice 1 • The Cordless Tie That Binds People to Work, Goodman.

TIPS Strategy with P.A.S.

Practice 2 • Consumer Needs and Motivation, Schiffman and Kanuk.
Practice 3 • *Sources of Stress: The Common and the Extreme, Wood and Wood.

Comparison and Contrast.
Practice 4.

Practice 5: Richard Cory, Robinson • Barbie Doll, Piercy • Practice 6 • Practice 7 • Stephen Spielberg, Vivian • Spike Lee, Vivian.
Review: College Text Reading Strategies.

V. VOCABULARY.

12. Applying Vocabulary Strategies.
Mathematics Vocabulary.
Practice 1 • Practice 2 • Practice 3.

Practice 4: Installment Purchases, Gerver and Sgroi.

Marketing Vocabulary.
Practice 5.

Practice 6: Important Points in the Chapter, Diamond and Pintel.

Practice 7 • Practice 8.
History Vocabulary.
Practice 9.

Practice 10: College History, Becker.

Practice 11 • Practice 12.
Psychology Vocabulary.
Practice 13.

Practice 14: Strategies of Effortful Encoding, Plotnik.

Practice 15 • Practice 16.
Humanities Vocabulary.
Practice 17.

Practice 18: Valuing Life, Valuing Beauty, Jacobus.

Practice 19.
Environmental Science Vocabulary.
Practice 20.

Practice 21 Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work? Miller.

Practice 22.

VI. READING SELECTIONS.

13. Readings: Intergenerational Relationships.

*Selection 1: Childhood, Chawla.