Reading

A reading kit is a collection of items that you know you’ll need whenever you plan to read. Making a reading kit can help you avoid using valuable reading time to find the same items over and over when you are reading. A reading kit will help you keep all the things you usually need for reading in one place. Reading kits can be especially helpful if you don’t always read in the same place. You’ll have everything together to take with you for a good reading experience wherever you are. 

Do you ever start to get into something you’re reading and realize that you need a highlighter or you don’t have your notebook? A reading kit can help you have all those items together in one place so you don’t need to stop reading to find them. One thing that’s important to know about reading kits is that each person’s kit may be a little different. That’s because we all need different things to do our best. 

Reading kits don’t have to be fancy, and putting one together doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. Many things that students keep in a reading kit are items that you may already have. You may choose some specific items that you’d like in your kit, but here are a few things that are common to include.  

• A container will help you keep your kit organized and make sure you have a place to put things back when you’re finished reading. A basket or a cardboard box can help you organize your materials if you have a reading space at home or work. You might want to look for a bag or pouch if you need to take your reading kit to different places. 
• Highlighters are a common item to include in reading kits. You can use different colors of highlighters to mark different kinds of information, like new words or concepts you think will be important. Remember to add these ideas to your notes to help you review them later. 
• Pens or pencils can be helpful to include. It’s not really important which you choose, so some of each or just your favorite is fine. 
• You’ll need paper to write notes about what is important in your reading. Loose paper or a notebook is fine. You may also want to have a folder or binder to organize your notes if you use loose paper. 
• Sticky notes or flags are useful if you want to mark pages that you need to review later. They can also be great places to take notes and add to a page if you don’t want to write in your books. 

Having your kit ready to read when you are is a big help to make the most of your reading time. There may be some other items that you want to remember to put with your kit when you are going to read that you may not have there all the time. These are things that you probably use for other activities a lot too, so you may not have extras like you would with pencils. 

• Your syllabus and class handouts probably stay with your materials for class. You may want to add them to your kit at times when you know you will need to look back at them and then put them back with things you take to class after you finish reading. 
• Do you use your phone to look up words or read on your laptop? Chargers for your phone and laptop can help you be able to keep reading instead of stopping when your battery runs out.   
• Earbuds are great when you want to listen to music, so you may not keep them in your kit all the time. Add them before you plan to read so you’ll be able to block out noise that could distract you. 
• Snacks and a water bottle will help you be ready to read for a while without stopping to find something to eat or drink. We recommend easy snacks that aren’t too messy so you can keep reading and not have to stop to clean up. 

Your kit and the items you add just before you read can help you stay focused. For more information about why focus is important, check out the guide about focusing on reading. Keep reading for ideas to help you create your kit. 

One way to decide what should go in your kit is to make a list when you read. You can use the checklist below to help you notice which things you use when you read. Print it out or save a copy and mark the items you use the next 2 or 3 times when you read. That will help you know what might be most useful to include in your kit.  

You may also notice that you stop reading to get other things you need. Be sure to mark them or add them to the list. Then you’ll be prepared to add the things that will help you be ready to read. 

Find a container that will hold your items and put them in. It’s that simple to start your kit! 
 

Stop by the Learning Commons to pick up a reading support kit. This is a little different than the kits described in this guide. Reading support kits include a brochure with some ideas for getting the most out of your reading. They also include a door hanger you can use to let others know you are reading and need quiet, a bookmark with ways to keep thinking while you read, and a conversation starter card with questions that people around you can use to help them talk to you about what you’re reading for school.