It sounds obvious, but one of the most important steps you need to take for an English class is to READ.  In recent years, I've become astounded at how irregularly and carelessly some students read in their literature classes. Some students spend time with the texts, but they don't make an effort to truly understand, question, consider, and analyze the words writers write. Some students simply skim the words shortly before class and fail to penetrate the surface of a writer's ideas and methods.  In rare instances, some students don't read at all and just expect to understand the text based on a classroom discussion or lecture.

In order to get the most you can get out of a text, you must take time and care in your reading.  A web site created by some Monmouth College students offers this helpful advice about reading as it relates to writing about literature. The key ideas to pull from this discussion that you can apply to your daily reading are:

Read a text multiple times.  First read for basic comprehension--try to understand the basic plot of the narrative, know the action/purpose of the poem, look-up the words/references you don't know, and the four W's (who? what? where? when?).  Then read more analytically--identify the important devices an author uses (symbols, images, characterization); look up historical references you don't understand; consult footnotes.

Read differently for different genre.  If you're reading a short, lyrical poem, you should read it multiple times (you must read it multiple times).  It will likely take you longer to get the gist of the poem before you start to read it more analytically.  If you're reading a story or novel, you will likely be unable to reread the entire work, so build in time to review the text.  If you're reading a story, skim back over it and pay special attention to passages you highlighted.  If you're reading a novel, follow this practice for each chapter.  Also add some notes at the beginning of each chapter to remind yourself about the main events, new characters, and main issues of the chapter. 

Annotate your texts while reading and after you've read.  Take time to highlight/underline passages that you think are significant, circle character names or important symbols.  Write synthesis statements about sections, passages, chapters.  Write substantive questions about the text in the margins or on separate pieces of paper.

Keep a reading journal to supplement your class notes.  In other words take notes/write observations in a spiral notebook or electronic document to keep your initial impressions, observations, questions organized.

Again, take a look at the reading page and dig into some of the links for other students' ideas on how to read more effectively. 

I have made similar suggestions to students in recent years, but a number of students have failed to read effectively, so this semester, I'm going to make a concerted effort to help and encourage students to read more consistently and carefully and hold them accountable for reading well. 

-Once or twice a week, I will have an oral quiz in class.  I will call on several students at the beginning of class and ask them basic questions about the reading and then award them a grade based on the accuracy and comprehensiveness of their answer.

-Occasionally, I will give the entire class a written reading quiz.  Sometimes, students will respond to short answer/multiple choice questions; other times, I will ask you to write a paragraph. 

-Each class meeting, students will earn a discussion grade based on the quality and quantity of their participation.  Students will need to demonstrate that they have read texts well by referencing specific details from the texts, answer specific questions when asked, building on the comments of classmates.  At the end of each week students will receive a participation grade.

-Another step I will take is to provide you with a set of study questions to help enrich your reading and thinking about texts.  I won't require you to answer these questions, but I will base some of the oral and written quizzes as well as the discussion on these quizzes.  Also, most of the exams we take in the class will be derived from these questions. The best students will keep a reading journal answering these questions. 

-My final suggestion is to read the author biographies and the movement introductions on the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern periods very carefully.  Sometimes reading dense, abstract prose like this can be difficult, but the introductions and bios will give you important context to help you understand the literary works more fully.