It's much more enjoyable to learn how to read.You will have an easier time comprehending things, retain what you are reading better, and walk away feeling like you have learned something.What's the best part?It is not difficult to read more effectively.Simple changes you can make to how you read can help you get the most out of your reading materials.
Step 1: The text should have a genre and purpose.
Start with the author and title of your book or article.A high-level overview of what the book is about can be found in the back or inside panels.If you are reading an article in a journal or website, take a moment to find out what the publication is all about.This information can be used to determine the type of text you will be reading.You can learn more about the author's significance or credentials by reading their bio.If they wrote in a certain time period or genre, this will help you understand.The book could be a classic mystery novel by Agatha Christie or a history textbook designed to inform students in Advanced Placement classes.Knowing what you are about to read will help you with that type of text.You might grab a cup of hot cocoa if you want to read a mystery novel, but you would need a pen and notebook for the history book.
Step 2: To see what is in the document, flip through it.
To navigate to the table of contents, you need to know the type of text you are reading.Take a look at any headings and section titles.There are graphs, charts, and illustrations.Do you have the ability to identify patterns and themes in what you are seeing?Turn the chapter into a question.When you read the text that follows, you can look for information that will answer the question.If the section is entitled "Fort Lee, NJ and the birth of the film industry", it could be turned into a story about how Fort Lee played a role in the movie industry.
Step 3: Understand the main idea by reading the conclusion.
If you are reading a book that has a glossary, highlighted passages, follow-up questions, callout boxes, or a list of main points, look closely at these sections.These can be found scattered throughout the chapter and emphasized at the end.It will help you read more effectively if you start at the end.This strategy won't help works of fiction or poetry.If the book you are reading has a timeline that provides some context for the work, read through it.
Step 4: You can skim the entire text.
To get a sense of the main ideas that you will encounter, run your eyes over the introduction and conclusion of each chapter.When you flip through the pages, look over the text to see which words catch your eye.If you are trying to find a solution to your problem or a source for your research, skimming is helpful.If you are working on an essay for a class about the use of nanotechnology in agriculture, but you don't see any words related to that topic as you skim an article, that article might not be a great source.You can use the find in page feature on a mobile device to find the primary and secondaryKeywords you are looking for more quickly.If you have found an article in an online journal, you can type it into the search bar.Skim the surrounding passages to find out what the article will cover.To find out how it addresses that subject, run a secondary search.
Step 5: Before you start reading the text, you should have a comprehension goal.
If you want to reach a certain level of understanding, set a goal for yourself.It might include finding a solution to a problem, understanding the causes and effects of a certain event, or being able to define a new word or idea.If you are going to take notes while you read, make a note of your goal in a notebook.If you want to be able to explain Dickens' use of a certain plot device in class tomorrow, you should read Little Dorrit.If you want to come away with sales tactics you can put into action immediately, or if you are looking for a general introduction to the topic of sales, read SPIN Selling.
Step 6: The amount of time or content you want to read is the goal.
If you want to read 2 chapters of a novel, get from page 375 to page 400 in your textbook, or focus on your poetry anthology for the next hour, specify your quantitative goal in advance.It will make reading assignments more manageable.If you want to read a book for deep comprehension, limit your reading sessions to 20 minutes.If you want to enjoy reading, set aside a longer amount of time.
Step 7: Break when you meet your reading goals.
If you managed to get through chapter 23 of your book while being able to point out the author's main argument, or if you spent 20 minutes of focused effort on your business advice book, you have accomplished something!A simple but meaningful reward is what you should treat yourself to.Take a break, stretch your legs, or check your email.Taking breaks can help reduce fatigue.It will give your brain a chance to absorb all the information from your reading session.
Step 8: When you are in a focused state of mind you should read.
You will have a hard time comprehending what you just read if you are hungry, sleepy, distracted, or upset.Pick up your book or article when you are awake and focused.If you want to focus, get in an environment that helps you, whether it be a quiet library or a noisy coffee shop.You don't want to leave your reading to the last minute when you're not feeling up to it.You don't want to get eye fatigue if you have enough light.
Step 9: Heavily skim certain parts of the text.
Practiceselective reading to find the primary and secondary ideas quickly.Jump to the passages that are most relevant to your reading comprehension goals instead of reading each sentence word for word.To grasp the flow of the text and its secondary points, memorise the topic sentences and concluding sentences for each paragraph.When you come across a section that answers your questions or goes in-depth into the topic you are curious about, read more closely.The paragraphs should relate to your reading goals.This could be a person's name or a specific date in a history book.To quickly get a sense of how ideas relate to each other, look for signal works.Cause-and-effect relationships are affected by signal words.The words "first" and "finally" suggest that ideas are being presented in a sequential fashion.Phrases like "on the other hand" and "However" suggest a change is on the way.
Step 10: When you have new ideas, slow your reading pace.
If the chapter starts with information that feels like a review to you, you should skim the text until you find an unfamiliar concept or word.Slow down and read the passage word for word.Take your time to fully understand the material if you reach in-depth technical explanations.Feel free to skim a little more quickly over the examples that follow once you have fully grasped this new idea.
Step 11: As you read, take notes.
Wait until you have finished reading or skimming through the entire idea before grabbing your notebook.If you can't summarize the main idea in your head, then take another look at the text.Take a few notes by hand once you feel confident that you can identify the essential points.If you want to locate it later, you need to write down the page number and source it.Write down a list of questions or a short summary of the material.If you own the book or article, highlight the main point or write it down in the margins.Don't write in a book from the library or a textbook rental company.Write the key term and its definition on a flashcard if you want to understand facts.Don't worry about writing everything down.The most important thing to you as a reader is captured in your notes.
Step 12: You should pause between main ideas to process what you just read.
When you reach the end of a main idea, section, or chapter, take a few moments to let everything sink in.Critical thinking skills can be used to question the text.You can identify the author's bias, assess the validity of the evidence they're presenting, and observe your immediate reactions.Do you agree or disagree with the position that is being presented?Even if you don't take notes, you should still do a mental check to make sure you understand the main idea.As you process everything, review your notes.Jot down any questions that came up.Predict what might be coming up next based on your reading comprehension goals.
Step 13: The imagery presented in the text should be visualized.
This can be helpful when it comes to fiction, narratives, and poetry.If you read a detailed description of something in a passage, try to picture it in your mind.Next time you meet the character, location, or series of events in the text, you will be able to recall them more easily.If you don't know what an object is, look for a picture online.For a reason, authors include vivid descriptions.If the fiction or non-fiction text is set near la Sagrada Famlia, and you don't know where this is or what it looks like, you might miss some of the main ideas.You can use mental images of actors and places you've visited to cast the roles and locations in your imagination.
Step 14: If you don't understand any words or concepts, try to understand them again.
Even if you intermittently check to make sure you understood the text as you read or took notes, you might still want to do one final review of the material once you are done reading.Back to your reading comprehension goals and the questions you outlined based on each section heading.Go back to your notes if you want to make sure you captured all the necessary information.If you feel like you missed something, you can find it in the text.Try to summarize it to yourself once more.You don't have to revisit the text over and over if you put a little extra effort into your notes.
Step 15: What you read can be connected to your past experiences.
If you want to connect the text with other things you have read or experienced, try not to approach it as an isolated piece of writing.If a plot point reminded you of something in your life, make a mental note of it.If you can find similarities between the examples in the journal article and what you learned in class, write them down.If you were moved by what you read, give yourself time to process it.Ask yourself why it affected you so much.The text becomes more meaningful with the help of these strategies.
Step 16: If the text isn't interesting, stop reading.
Don't feel the need to keep reading if you've decided that the book is not interesting after all.If it came highly recommended by a friend, but you are not enjoying it, just set it aside.Think about why you didn't enjoy it, and think about books and articles that you liked.You can use these comparisons to pick a better read.If the book or article is difficult to read, you may find it hard to enjoy.The author's style is boring if you love the topic.You are reading effectively enough to know that it is time to move on.Stick with the reading you have been assigned.Break the reading sessions into smaller sections if you need help.