Be a Good Reader

Many people enjoy reading as a way to relax and enrich their minds. Reading is also an increasingly critical skill to learn and develop to be successful in school and in the professional world. By gathering the right reading materials, employing a few strategies to increase your skills, and maintaining a positive attitude, you can improve your reading or help a child become a better reader.

Steps

Improving Your Reading Skills

1. Start at a comfortable reading level. You can advance to more difficult reading materials from there. If you attempt to read material that is too challenging initially you are more likely to become discouraged. While challenging yourself to read at a more advanced level is a wonderful goal, studies have shown that if you allow yourself to become discouraged while reading you will be less likely to achieve that goal in the long run.
   • Skim the first few pages. If you have trouble understanding what the author is trying to say, you may not enjoy the book.
   • If you have chosen a book with a very narrow focus, like a scientific work or a specific historical treatise, you might want to instead familiarize yourself with books on more general topics first.
   • Use the five finger rule. Pick a book, and read the first two or three pages. Put one finger up for every word you can't pronounce or don't know the meaning of. If you've put up 5 or more fingers, the book is probably too hard. Educators have been using this method for years, and it can be applied for children as well as adults.
2. Expand your vocabulary. Building a greater vocabulary will make reading easier and more fun in the future. The more words you are exposed to, the more your vocabulary will grow.
   • If you don't understand a word, first try to use context clues to figure out what it means. Frequently, the rest of the words in a sentence will offer hints about what a particular word means.
   • Look up words in the dictionary that you do not recognize or understand. Write down these words to review later to solidify them in your memory and make them a part of your vocabulary. Keep of a collection of these words for your own reference.
   • Use new words you learn in your everyday speech. Putting words into action in your everyday life will ensure that you remember them.
3. Practice, practice, practice. Studies have shown that people who spend more time reading, and take in a greater volume of reading material, develop a more extensive vocabulary and greater reading comprehension. This improves their ability to take in knowledge more generally.
   • As with anything else, developing reading skills takes work. Set aside time to read every day. Literacy experts disagree about exactly how much time you should devote to reading, given that it varies according to age, skill level, and ability. A good rule to remember, however, is consistency. Try to read every day. If you need to take frequent breaks while reading, go ahead. Even while practicing, reading should be an enjoyable experience.
   • Take a book with you on a morning bus or train commute, or read on your lunch break. Having access to reading materials during moments of down time makes it more likely that you will read regularly.
   • Read the words out loud. Reading out loud, alone or to someone, can improve how you read and spell. However, don’t force a nervous reader to read aloud, especially in a group setting. Fear of shame and humiliation can make some unsure readers dread the experience.
   • Visualize the story, pay attention to the introduction of characters and places. Try to see each in your mind. "Seeing" the story will make it more real to you and easier to remember.

Making Reading Fun

1. Read materials that interest you. You are much more likely to commit to reading when it is an enjoyable and engaging experience. If you are bored while reading, you are more likely to put the book down and engage in a different activity.
   • Find books related to your hobbies, career goals, or a topic that piques your curiosity. There are books that cover every topic imaginable, and the availability of local libraries, bookstores, and the Internet means that all of them are at your fingertips.
   • Don't limit yourself to just monographs. Comic books and graphic novels are a great way to get children and young adults hooked on reading. Collections of short stories are a good option for those who don't want to commit to reading a longer work.
   • Read magazines that cover your areas of interest. Whether your interests are in motorcycle maintenance, gardening, bird watching, or 19th-century architecture, there is a magazine that caters to you. Many of these contain lengthy, well-sourced articles.
2. Create a pleasant reading environment. The more you associate reading with comfort and relaxation the more likely you are to continue developing your reading skills. Reading can become a treat, rather than a chore.
   • Find a quiet place to read so that you aren’t disturbed. Avoid distractions like TV or the radio, or other people prone to disturbing you. Make sure it is somewhere with good lighting where you can relax. Hold the book about 15 inches away from your face (approximately the distance from your elbow to your wrist).
   • Make a cozy and fun reading area. A nicely lit corner with comfortable pillows creates a great ambiance for reading.
   • If you are helping someone read, stay positive! Negative feedback will only discourage a fledgling reader, so keep the environment upbeat.
3. Make reading a social experience. Reading doesn't have to be a solitary pursuit, and can be even more enjoyable when shared with others.
   • Start a book club with friends. Making reading a social experience can inspire you to continue to improve. Friends can also provide encouragement for each other.
   • Start an online blog reviewing the latest books you have read. Encourage others to dialogue about their opinions of the work.
   • Go to a coffee shop or cafe readers frequent. Seeing others reading can inspire you, or expose you to interesting titles. Strike up a conversation with a fellow patron about what they have been reading.
   • Consider taking a class at your local college, community college, or community center. You can learn a new skill, study a topic that interests you, and practice your reading skills at the same time.
   • Read interesting passages to family or friends. You might encourage them to improve their reading as well.
4. Make reading a family affair. If you can establish reading as a regular and normal activity in your household, all members of your family will be encouraged to be better readers. It will also allow you to practice your reading skills.
   • Parents can help their children be good readers by reading to them when they are young. Reading to children helps them develop language and listening skills, which prepares them to understand the written word.
   • Keep books handy in your household and keep age-appropriate books accessible to children to peruse on their own. Even if a child cannot read on their own yet, establishing initial skills for reading—such as how to correctly hold a book and turn the pages—is an important step to becoming a reader.
   • Family reading time can provide a moment to bond with your children. Life can be very hectic, and it is often difficult to set aside quality time with your family. Try to schedule a moment to read with your children everyday as part of your routine.
   • Be patient if your child begins to favor one book and wants to read it over and over again. A favorite story could be offering your child comfort or appealing to a particular interest they have at the moment. Also, re-reading the same words and sentences repeatedly helps your child begin to recognize words by sight.

Accessing Reading Materials

1. Visit your local library. Public libraries offer free and unlimited access to remarkable collections of reading materials and other types of media and technology. Getting a library card is easy and usually just requires a photo ID, although some libraries may also require proof that you live in the area, such as a utility bill.
   • Libraries are wonderful places to find a variety of books and librarians are there to help. Trained in how to most effectively help you make the most of your library experience, librarians are a resource you should not overlook. Ask the librarian for suggestions for books on a specific topic, or a more general genre, or to help you find a particular title.
   • Finding materials that interest you is an important first step in improving your reading. Read the backs of books or the inside of the dust jacket for a brief summary of the plot. Usually, you will be able to tell right away if a book will not sustain your interest.
   • Most libraries allow you to check out more than one title at once. Take home several books to give yourself a variety of reading materials to try.
2. Go to a bookstore in your area. Decide which type of bookstore can best suit your needs before setting out. Areas around college campuses and urban areas are more likely to contain a variety of bookstores to visit.
   • Larger chain bookstores carry everything from self-help books, to novels, to academic publications. If you are not sure what you are looking for, this type of larger bookstore can provide many different types of reading materials to help you narrow your search.
   • If your interests are more specific, look for a bookstore that caters to the type of book that appeals to you. Children's bookstores are designed to offer a more relaxed and fun environment for younger readers.
   • Buying from a small local bookstore is a good way to support local business in your community. You can find some unique books in these smaller stores, like work by local authors who have not been featured nationally.
   • Ask bookstore employees for recommendations. Usually, people who work in or own bookstores are there because they love to read. You will likely get a wide range of recommendations from them.
3. Check out garage sales or thrift stores. You don't have to go to the library or spend a lot of money to find good books. Used books are available for just a few dollars, sometimes even for the change you have in your pocket.
4. Check out garage sales or thrift stores. These offer easy ways to peruse reading material for interesting titles or collections. Sometimes people offer to sell off collections as an entire set.
   • Be careful when buying used or second-hand books to check the book thoroughly before buying it for missing or damaged pages. Flip through the entire book to make sure it is not badly torn or water damaged.
   • Feel free to negotiate on the price of a book or other reading material you come across at a garage sale. Sometimes the person selling the book is unaware of internal damage to pages that would decrease the price for the item.
5. Go online. You can easily find discount books or reading material on the internet, without even leaving home. You can also download e-books and other forms of media to take with you.
   • Used books are available through most major online retailers. Used books are substantially less expensive than new, and most sellers provide an assessment of the state of the book in terms of wear and tear, and internal notations or highlighting.
   • More and more information is available for free online. Find a website or blog that interests you and follow it. You can easily find blogs online that include book reviews, which could lead you to explore other books and authors.
   • Consider getting a portable reading device for easy access to digital material. Although there is nothing like holding a book in your hand, digital devices make it easier than ever to carry several different e-books with you in one small place, which could save you from carrying around heavy books and magazines.
   • Many public libraries now allow you to "check out" e-books for free for a certain period of time, such as two weeks.

Tips

• Don't avoid the children's section! Many books written for children are wonderful novels on their own.
• Don't give up if you get frustrated or get a headache. If you aren't used to reading on a regular basis, it will be difficult at first. Stick to it and you will be rewarded.
• Don't be upset if you find a book where you can hardly understand any of the words. As you read, your personal vocabulary will expand, but pick another book if there are too many obscure and/or difficult words being used in that one.
• If you are a fan of a popular movie or tv show, seek out databases full of free fan-written fiction using those characters or settings. Accomplished writers often contribute to these "fanfiction" sites for fun. Check these out, as they are a great gateway into enjoying reading.
• Make pictures in your head to understand what's happening.

Warnings

• Difficulty reading could also be attributed to issues with eyesight. If you suffer from blurry vision and are struggling to see the print on a page, go and get your eyes checked by a professional.
• Remember you are not alone if you are an adult who struggles with their reading. Fourteen percent of the adult population in the United States has difficulty with adult printed materials, while almost 29% of adults struggle to comprehend reading beyond the most basic levels.
• However, if you follow the steps above and you or your child are still profoundly struggling to read, you may be dealing with a reading disability. Reading disability and reading difficulty can be hard to tell apart, though their problems have different roots. A reading disability results primarily from the brain’s struggle to process the sounds of speech. Reading difficulty usually stems from lack of exposure to reading education.

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Sources and Citations

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