Syntopical Reading - Don"t Just Take My Word For It
Syntopical reading is a great tool to use to increase reading knowledge and comprehension for the serious high school or adult student.
Another term for it would be comparative reading, but the process involves reading and comparing multiple texts on the same topic.
When doing this, there are some fundamental questions that readers can ask in order to set up syntopical comparisons.
Doing this will allow readers to take cross sections from each source, summarize them, analyze them, compare them to the others, and form independent perspectives on the truth or validity of the reading material, thereby digging much deeper into the learning process.
Syntopical reading allows authors to evaluate a variety of sources based on asking key questions.
One example of such a question might be, "How are these similar?" It is helpful to actually set up a chart or table in a computer document and to outline major tenets of each source and then note the various authors' perspectives on each major principle or concept.
Once the similarities are outlined, then the serious student should go on to address the question, "How are these the same?" Notice the variance in the two questions.
Similarities will point out places where the authors take a different approach but arrive at nearly the same end result.
"Sameness," however, indicates perfect agreement of the two points of view.
If the serious reader is examining three or more sources, then this analytical step may take some time, but it is well worth the effort.
Each point or foundational "truth" that the reader identifies in the works should be compared across the spectrum of authors.
Next, readers using this in-depth approach to learning should do the same thing with the following question - "How are these different?" By adding into the charted notation system a new column that looks at differences, serious students will be able to stretch out deeper meanings and implications in the various works.
That will lead to the fourth column - "How are these distinctive?" That final question will lead the reader into a dissection of the content at its most unique level.
Only after reviewing the finer points, however, will the distinctiveness of any one work begin to stand out.
The final step in syntopical reading is to review, compare, "dissect," and critique the various points that each author makes for the purposeof giving his or her agreement or disagreement to the opinions.
This is the point where the deepest level of learning will occur as students will begin to make informed decisions as to the spectrum of opinions that have been reviewed.
There may be additional sources that the reader will need to consult at this point.
Perhaps one of the authors introduced a concept that none of the others did.
A serious student may want to include new authors at this point.
Ultimately, however, the student reader will have an in-depth study in the topic at hand and will be far more prepared to form their own conclusions and opinions on that study than if they had only read and considered one source.
Another term for it would be comparative reading, but the process involves reading and comparing multiple texts on the same topic.
When doing this, there are some fundamental questions that readers can ask in order to set up syntopical comparisons.
Doing this will allow readers to take cross sections from each source, summarize them, analyze them, compare them to the others, and form independent perspectives on the truth or validity of the reading material, thereby digging much deeper into the learning process.
Syntopical reading allows authors to evaluate a variety of sources based on asking key questions.
One example of such a question might be, "How are these similar?" It is helpful to actually set up a chart or table in a computer document and to outline major tenets of each source and then note the various authors' perspectives on each major principle or concept.
Once the similarities are outlined, then the serious student should go on to address the question, "How are these the same?" Notice the variance in the two questions.
Similarities will point out places where the authors take a different approach but arrive at nearly the same end result.
"Sameness," however, indicates perfect agreement of the two points of view.
If the serious reader is examining three or more sources, then this analytical step may take some time, but it is well worth the effort.
Each point or foundational "truth" that the reader identifies in the works should be compared across the spectrum of authors.
Next, readers using this in-depth approach to learning should do the same thing with the following question - "How are these different?" By adding into the charted notation system a new column that looks at differences, serious students will be able to stretch out deeper meanings and implications in the various works.
That will lead to the fourth column - "How are these distinctive?" That final question will lead the reader into a dissection of the content at its most unique level.
Only after reviewing the finer points, however, will the distinctiveness of any one work begin to stand out.
The final step in syntopical reading is to review, compare, "dissect," and critique the various points that each author makes for the purposeof giving his or her agreement or disagreement to the opinions.
This is the point where the deepest level of learning will occur as students will begin to make informed decisions as to the spectrum of opinions that have been reviewed.
There may be additional sources that the reader will need to consult at this point.
Perhaps one of the authors introduced a concept that none of the others did.
A serious student may want to include new authors at this point.
Ultimately, however, the student reader will have an in-depth study in the topic at hand and will be far more prepared to form their own conclusions and opinions on that study than if they had only read and considered one source.
