Location: The Study Plan > Reading-Skills Topics

Reading-Skills Topics

Reading-skills topics have four components:

Overview: The overview provides a summary of the skills you will be using in this topic and their purpose. For example, the topic may focus on identifying the main idea and determining what the author is trying to convey.

Model: The model introduces and describes techniques, such as questions you can ask yourself about what the author is saying and how the author is supporting the main idea.

Practice: These questions give you an opportunity to try the techniques on your own but without grades. A practice set presents you with conceptual text, and you answer questions about the text. The MyLab lets you know immediately whether you selected the correct or incorrect answer. For an incorrect answer, The MyLab also shows you the correct answer. An asterisk (*) indicates that your instructor is requiring that you complete the Practice sets.

Test: Tests are similar to Practice sets except your answers will be graded. Also, you do not find out whether an answer is right or wrong until you complete the test. An asterisk (*) indicates that your instructor is requiring that you complete the Test sets.

Your instructor may require that you complete or master the other Activities before you have access to the Tests. How this requirement is defined is up to your instructor. It can be based on the completion of a set number of practice sets or it can be based on mastery of the practice sets.

To work through a reading-skill topic:

Display the topic's Review Materials and Activities.
Click a Review Material link or View button to display or play the materials.
Click the Practice Exercises or Test link or Begin button to work on the Activity's exercise set.
Click the Submit button to submit your answer.
In a Practice set, after you click Submit, the MyLab immediately shows you whether the answer is right or wrong. The correct answer is displayed in bold, and a hint shows why that is the correct answer.

The MyLab tracks and displays your Activity scores. The scores are also available in your Student Detail report.

As You Work Through the Activities:

If the content text is too small or too large, you can increase or decrease the size of the typeface using the + and – icons above the content text box.
If you prefer viewing the text in a bigger box, click the Print View link or icon.
The content is now displayed in a separate window. If you prefer working from hard copy, click the window's Print button to print the content.
Save your work as you go through an exercise set by clicking the Save button.
For a Practice exercise, the MyLab displays the Need a Refresher? drop-down list at the bottom of the screen. The menu options provide more information on the subject covered in the exercise.
After you complete a Practice Exercise or Test set, the MyLab displays the results.
If your instructor needs to grade written responses, the results show the score as Pending. And in the topic's Activities, the MyLab displays Submitted. You need to wait until your instructor grades your written responses this exercise before you can work on another set for this exercise.