Name:

Course:
Fall or Spring

READING SURVEY: WHAT, WHY, HOW, AND WHEN DO

YOU READ?
DirectionsPrint and complete this survey. The more honest your answers, the
better I can teach you. This is the first step in a series of assignments that
will use the information form this survey; to do well on them all you must first
do well on this- that is, take it seriously. Unless otherwise indicated, feel free
to mark as many as you like in response to any question.

1. I read the following: (F = Frequently; O = Occasionally; and N = Never)

o Newspapers ( F O N )
o Magazines ( F O N )
o Novels ( F O N )
o Web sites ( F O N )
o Reference books ( F O N )
o Inspirational books ( F O N )
o Poems (Includes song lyrics) ( F O N )
o Essays ( F O N )
o Plays ( F O N )
o History ( F O N )
o Auto/biographies ( F O N )
o Comic/graphic novels ( F O N )
o Manuals ( F O N )
o Self-help books ( F O N )
o E-mail/Instant messages ( F O N )
o Chatrooms ( F O N )
o Textbooks/assignments ( F O N )
o Work-related documents ( F O N )

2. I would rate myself as a ________ on a scale of 1 – 10 as a reader. Why?

3. Circle the types of reading you most enjoy (using the list from #1). Provide details for
the ones circled. For example, if you chose magazines, provide the name or subject
matter. If you circled novels, which genre do you prefer to read?

4. Which types of reading listed in #1 are most difficult for you? (Pick one and explain.)

5. I would describe myself as a __________________________ reader. Explain.

6. My favorite book of all time is ___________________________. Explain.

7. The best reader I know is ____________________________. Explain.

8. Reading is something you either can or cannot do well. (Circle one.)

Agree Disagree

9. Check any of the following that help you understand what you read better:

o Reading it aloud to yourself

o Having someone else read it aloud to you
o Talking about what you read with others
o Taking notes
o Drawing or doing art in response to or inspired by what you read
o Reading silently to yourself during class time
o Taking in groups about what you read
o Talking as a class about what you read

9. What was the last book you read – and when was that?

10. Check the following response that best describes you as a reader:

o I will do what I need to in order to read anything. With enough

effort I can understand anything I am asked to read. I am
confident in my abilities as a reader.
o I try but eventually give up if it is too hard. I understand most of
what I read but not as well as I would like to. I am somewhat
confident in my abilities as a reader but recognize there are
certain texts I just don’t know how to read yet.
o Reading is hard for me. I rarely feel like I understand what the
writer is saying. This is why I give up easily. Even when I feel
like I understand it I don’t trust myself and assume I am
probably wrong.

12. Describe your biggest achievement as a reader.

13. If asked to choose a book to read, how would you go about in choosing it? Explain.

14. I read when: (Check all that apply.)

o I’m bored
o I need to escape.
 o I am sad.
o I want to learn about something.
o My friends are reading the same book.
o I feel alone and need company.
o I want to think about something.
o I do not ever choose to read.
o I read all the time, anything, for a million different reasons. I
have to read.

15. Check the statement that most matches your own belief:

o Reading is not important. By the sixth grade you know

everything you need to know about reading.
o Reading is crucial to your success in the adult world.
o Reading is more important now than ever before.
o Reading is less important than it used to be.

16. Mark those with which you most agree:

o I like it when a book challenges my beliefs, ideas, or

assumptions.
o I prefer to read books that do not make me think about
unfamiliar things.
o I like to read in order to do things; this makes reading seem
useful and valuable to me.

17. I expect the reading I do for school to be:

o Boring
o Interesting
o Difficult
o Useful

18. If I could improve up to three things about myself as a reader, I would choose:

1. ___________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________

19. Circle the one (of the three listed in #18) most important goal you have as a reader.

20. The following consistently interfere with my ability to read as well as I would like:

o Distractions
o Lack of time
o Lack of knowledge
o Lack of interest
o None of the above: this is not a problem for me

21. Check all that describe what you do when you read your course assignments:
 o Eat and drink while I read.
o Listen to music or have television on while I read.
o Read at my desk with the computer on and connected to the
Internet or a computer game.
o Lay on my bed while I read.
o Sit in a comfortable chair while I read.
o I read in a room where the rest of my family is assembled while I
read.
o I reread the directions for the assignment prior to doing the
required reading.
o I have a phone on in my study environment while I read.
o I make sure I have the necessary tools – paper, dictionary,
highlighters, post its and other support materials – handy before
I begin reading.

22. When I read something and I get stuck I try the following strategies: (Check any that
apply.)

o I skip the difficult part.

o I skip the difficult part and come back to it later.
o I reread it.
o I read it aloud.
o I try to put it into my own words to help me understand it.
o I look at other information on the pages (pictures, words in bold
or italic, captions).
o I explain it someone else.
o I ask others (friends, parents, teachers) for help.
o I try to draw it (or somehow see it – e.g., time line, cluster,
decision tree).
o I ask someone else to read it out loud so I can hear it.

Use the space below to write any additional comments.

Adapted From Reading Reminders by Jim Burke