ACTIVE READING 

  • Annotate
  • Look up the meaning of unknown words
  • Read article or essay multiple times
  • Search for quotes that would fit in the essay

BRAINSTORMING

  • Answer essay questions like a short answer
  • Pick quotes and explain them separately
  • “Word vomit” and  write down all ideas

DRAFTING

  • Write each idea/paragraph separately and connect them later
  • Write thesis last
  • Integrate/explain quotes first
  • “Word  vomit” and type everything that comes to mind

REVISION

  • Read paper aloud 
  • Peer review
  • Make sure quotes work

POLISHING

  • Peer review 
  • Read aloud 
  • Run through websites like Grammarly 

My favorite writing strategies would be those listed above. I find it easiest for me to just write, and write too much, and then go back later and edit it down. Sometimes when doing this, I like to not add quotes and to focus on the base idea of each paragraph and the overall essay, then add the quotes in to support the topics previously written. A reading strategy that works best for me is to read each piece multiple times, as well as summarize each paragraph mentally and in my own words, to further understand each paragraph. I also annotate quite a lot and do my best to connect each new reading piece to past ones, whether it be from the same class or an old one, or just something I saw or read on my own. I plan to continue to utilize these strategies in my future, for any english classes or if I need to read articles for a class, since it has been very effective in increasing my understanding of each topic in the different pieces. These strategies will be very useful to me in the future, and I am glad this class helped me to discover what works for me when reading pieces and writing essays from said pieces.