Self-explain at every step

Pause after each idea and ask: "Why does this follow from the last point?"

Why it works

Self-explanation generates the inferential links between ideas that a text often leaves implicit. Chi and colleagues found that students who spontaneously self-explained as they read achieved dramatically better conceptual understanding than those who did not — because understanding is constructed by building connections, not received by absorbing facts.

How to do it

1. After each paragraph or step, pause and say aloud: "So that means..." or "This connects to the previous idea because..."
2. Specifically address why the author moves from one point to the next.
3. When you cannot explain the transition, mark the gap — it indicates a missing prerequisite.

Evidence

Chi, Bassok, Lewis, Reimann & Glaser (1989) found that high-achieving physics students generated far more self-explanations while reading worked examples than low achievers. The effect is attributed to the generation of inference bridges between steps. (observational)

Self-explanation benefits are best documented in STEM problem-solving contexts; the effect is plausible but less directly tested in humanities or narrative reading.

Sources

• Chi, Bassok, Lewis, Reimann & Glaser (1989), self-explanations: how students study and use examples in learning to solve problems, Cognitive Science

Common mistake

Self-explaining the surface content ("so this is saying that photosynthesis occurs") rather than the inferential logic ("this explains why plants need light because...") — the benefit is in generating the connections, not in summarizing the facts.