Reading skills are crucial at all levels of our personal and professional lives. The printed word is no longer our only window to the world. Online reading through blogs and other websites has become an important means of reading.
Start with a topic or book that interests you. How about the magical saga of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series or an inspiring story like Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist? Choose the biography of someone who inspires you or read the history of a time that intrigues you. The pull of your interest will carry you through to the end making for an enjoyable read. Gradually you will want to move up a notch and explore topics that you found too boring to read before. The variety should be particularly helpful to you if you are preparing for entrance exams. As you go from reading simple books to understanding any topic with ease, you will see progress in your reading ability.
To make your reading more effective, try to keep these points in mind.
Know the purpose of reading: It is important to know if you are reading for pleasure, to gain knowledge, or to pass an exam based on the reading material. It will also help you employ the correct reading technique.
Ask questions: To get the most out of what you’ve read, ask questions. What has the text conveyed so far? Is there anything you would like to understand better before continuing? Can you predict what will come next? Where does the author go from here? This keeps you involved in the text facilitating a better understanding.
Take Notes: It’s a good habit to use a pencil to mark next to the line or lines that seem important to you. Alternatively, you can also write down points in a notebook. This ensures that you are attentive during the reading process. It also helps capture important points as a counter ready for future use.
Summarize at the End: This is the ultimate test of your understanding. Try to summarize what you read in a sentence or two to capitulate and remember the material read.
If the idea of pouring books doesn’t appeal to you, you can still read about any topic online. Browse websites, Google on topics, subscribe to blogs or download books – the possibilities in cyberspace are immense. Although it is more difficult to read on a computer screen and the experience is quite different from reading a book, you can get your daily dose of reading online.
Developing lifelong reading habits requires some effort and perseverance. However, you can get started today by following these simple steps to begin your journey into the wonderful world of reading.
Set a timeout: Take plenty of time each day to do your reading. It could be at any time of the day. If you’re too busy during the day, try to eat an early dinner and curl up in bed with your books for an hour before going to sleep.
Read the table of contents – Skim through the book you want to read to get an idea of its content. You’ll get an idea of what the book is about and whether you want to read the book right now.
Read a few pages every day: When you start reading a book, make sure you read a few pages in one sitting before putting it down. Reading a page or so won’t engage you enough in the book and you’ll be less likely to return to it. Be sure to read a small passage at a time to develop interest in the book. You will likely go back to it to find out what comes next.
Check subvocalization: It is important that you stop reading every word out loud in your mind. This hinders your reading speed and makes you a slow reader. Make a conscious effort to visually sweep the award without waiting for it to resonate in your mind.
Try variety in reading: you find the Harry Potter series very funny and are hooked on it. It’s a great start, but it’s also important that you move on and explore other genres of writing. Your reading skills will sharpen in a real sense when you are exposed to a diverse reading experience.
Get ready and immerse yourself fully in the world of reading that can do wonders that you never thought. Make friends with books and you will prefer their company all the time. Travel to exotic places sitting on your bed or feel the rush your role model felt when they started their first adventure.
No Comment