HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY READING SKILLS?

THESE APPROVED HABITS CAN HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR READING SKILLS

1. Read More

   Read. Read. Read. And read even more. Read novels, journals, projects, books, poetry, drama, newspaper—whatever you like. Just read a lot. It is the most effective way to fill the treasure of your vocabulary, word by word; to learn about various ways of putting down one idea in different ways, thought by thought.

2. Read while you write, listen and speak

   Try to write, often. Write anything you like. Write a diary, or some random thoughts on a torn paper or Evernote, or anywhere you find suitable. Writing will help in strengthening the concepts/rules and new words learnt; later, helping you to develop your own writing niche/style.
   Listening is a very good habit, as you will learn many things from people by listening to their experiences and advices (which are not given in the books). Watch English movies/documentaries (without subtitles), and try to understand it. Listen to English songs/news/audio books.
   Speaking is optional, as it requires a lot of external factors (eg, you need somebody to talk to). But, you can manage it by talking to the mirror—improving your fluency, gestures and self-confidence. Don’t copy the American/British accent, because it will make the situation worse. Be proud of your accent and focus on pronouncing the words—correctly, not the accent which you don’t own.

3. Read things by people who write the kinds of things you are interested in.

   Sometimes it is not easy to read things people write that you are interested in especially course books if you are a leaner. Try to select subjects that your heart loves because they will give you joy when reading them. Also try to acquire as many reading reasources as you can.

4. Focus on key concepts, ideas, and topics.

   Don’t make it a goal to write down every little thing you read. That will take forever and you won’t benefit from your notes. Instead, boost your critical thinking skills by identifying what is relevant to the topic. If you’re not sure how to begin, try the Cornell Method of taking notes.

5. Tap into your creative side with drawing and color.

   Your notes don’t need to be only in text format. You can draw squares, rectangles, or circles around the main topics, ideas and concepts. Use markers or highlighters to prioritize concepts, with one color to mark main ideas and another to illustrate examples. This helps the most important information stand out and makes it easier to find later when you need it. 

6.  Before you begin to read, prepare yourself psychologically

   Clear off your mind from other buggages in your head before you begin reading. Make sure there is nothing bothering you such as anger, distress, hunger and little environmental distractions. Focus on your book 100%.  

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