Improve Your Reading Skills
Many people have trouble with reading. Reading is hard for some people, and it can take time. It is a process of the brain where you look at symbols on a page and your mind sees the patterns of characters and understands the meaning in them. If you develop strong reading skills, it'll be very helpful to your future. Aren't your school teachers always saying 'Read more books!'? Here are a few steps and tips to get started.
Contents
Steps
Preparing to read
- Find something to read. Examples include a children's book, a newspaper article, a short story, or something on wikiHow.
- Go to the library and pick up lots of books. Pick books depending on your reading level, no matter what your age. It should be something that you find interesting. Otherwise, you will not feel like sticking to it. Reading is about enjoying the experience while learning something.
- You could choose interesting and easy-to-read books such as comic books, or more complex books like epic novels and non-fiction.
- Find a place to read where you can concentrate. This may be someplace secret where no one will bother you, or simply your home at a time when it is quiet.
- Schedule a time to read. Any time is a good time to read. But if you can set aside some time everyday, that will help in developing a reading habit.
- Pick up something to read when travelling on the bus or train. This is a good way to pass time and you can train yourself to read faster and comprehend more despite the distractions around.
Implementing the basics of reading improvement
- Begin your reading by looking at the pictures in the book and maybe, listen to some music to set the atmosphere.
- Start with titles, names, and other introductory sections in the book.Some books have a section with principal characters listed and some information about them. Or there could be maps depicting the place described in the book. Be sure to look at all that.
- Read the page carefully. If you cannot speed read, then do not push yourself to read faster. The whole point of reading is to understand what the author is conveying. No sense in skimming through the content.
- Ask yourself the five Ws- Why, What, Who, When, and Where. This will guide your reading.
- Listen to audio books and follow the text at the same time. This can aid good pronunciation and word recognition.
- Sound out each word as best you can based on what you hear. Remember, pronunciation of English words could be different depending on what type of English it is (American or British) and depending on the context (like heteronyms- project can be both verb and noun) and you will notice they form some sort of word.
- Pay attention to the stresses in words and sentences.
Advancing your reading skills
- Read as much as you are able. When you start getting bored or need a break, take one. Reading should be fun and enjoyable, don't force it. After your break, return to where you were, and continue.
- Reread the material. It is okay to reread something if you do not understand it fully the first time.
- Use context clues to find out a word's meaning. Context clues are when a person figures out the meaning of a word by seeing how the word was used in a sentence. For example, you were reading the following sentence and wanted to know what 'pessimist' means:My mother is always happy and optimistic, the total opposite of my brother, the pessimist. So from the sentence, you can gather that 'pessimist' means the opposite of happy, so pessimist means being moody and angry. Good, experienced readers always use context clues! If you find a word that you're totally stumped on, use the dictionary! If you want to save time and the hassle of turning pages, go to the online dictionary.
- Memorize a text. Read that portion out in front of a mirror, out loud. Memorizing can improve your confidence with reading.
- Reread. If you don't understand what you are reading, read the sentence(s) again. Try reading the words out loud to yourself. If you still don't understand something, ask a good reader nearby to explain the sentence(s) to you, or simply pick up a book that is easier to read and more appropriate to your reading level. Feel free to use your finger as a pointer. It will keep your eyes focused on the line you are reading, improving your understanding.
- Keep reading. Try to read as much as you can in your free time. Reading will help you in lots of ways; your vocabulary will become larger and more sophisticated and you will notice your grades change for the better in school. Have fun reading!
Tips
- Read out loud to make sure that you are concentrating properly and reading every word.
- While most people disagree with this, most things you need to know are in books. Therefore it is wise, when you are comfortable reading general material, to increase your reading speed as soon as possible.
- Standing while reading works better for some people. Some read while walking on a treadmill or a track, exercising both the body and mind!
- To get the most comprehension, avoid lying down while reading. While reading in bed can help you relax and fall asleep, you can retain more information by having a good posture while reading. For example, sitting straight up and keeping your feet flat on the floor can increase your alertness.
- Don't stress while reading. People usually stress about not being able to remember what they last read and don't focus on what they are reading at the moment. So take a deep breath and don't stress!
- Don't try to get every words in the sentence. Just take it easy and read. Also, find a good place for yourself to relax while reading. To make yourself more comfortable and concentrate on your reading. You could bring yourself something to eat and drink so you won't be hungry or feeling bored while you're reading.
- Try including yourself in the scenario that you are reading. This makes you feel even more interested in reading.
- Try to read in noise free environment . ut will give you better focus and good remember to words. While take break listen songs and started reading again .
- Make sure your interested in what your reading. And take breaks periodically so you don't get bored or fall asleep.
- When you read a text book or any novel always make sure you slow down why reading and try to remember what you had read.
Warnings
- Sitting in one position for a long time can make you sleepy or even injured. Make sure you stretch before and during reading to keep awake and comfortable.
- Reading in the dark can give you a headache, so ensure that you have sufficient lighting before reading.
- Make sure you read something you enjoy, reading books you don't enjoy may turn you away from reading more.
- Reading is addictive. With a little commitment everyday you may find yourself in other times, places and worlds that you have never dreamed.
Things You'll Need
- Reading material: book, magazine, song lyrics, newspaper, etc. Try to pick something interesting, otherwise you will most likely be using your reading material for a pillow.
- Table or other place to put your reading material. This could also be your lap.
- Comfortable place to sit. Find a quiet place without distraction.
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