Eighty five percent of college work requires reading.How good are your reading skills? Here are six steps to help you improve your reading skills:
- Evaluate your reading habits to find out where you need improvement. Do you “say” the words you’re reading? Do strange words slow your speed and comprehension? Do you read every word? Do you re- read sentences? Do you vary your speed to suit the material?
- Provide the best conditions for reading. Choose a place where you will have few interueptions , have good lighting, can sit in a good chair and won’t be distracted by by radio, TV or other noises. Hold the book about fifteen inches away ( about the distance from your elbow to your wrist).
- Use your eyes efficiently. If words are blurry, get your eyes checked by a professional. Don’t re- read unnecessarily. Read phrases, not evey single word.
- Increase your vocabulary by keeping a dictionary handy , maintaining a list of new words and knowing the origins of words.
- Match your speed to the material you’re reading. Know what and why you are reading. preview the material, especially when studying. study reading requires closer, slower reading. For leisure reading you can go faster. Be sure you get the information in graphic aids and illustrations.
- To improve your reading speed, practice for about 15 to 20 minutes each day, checking your rate in words per minute. Check your comprehension by summarizing what you read. Ideally, you want to read faster while maintaining your understanding. Therefore , use the same type of materials each time you practice to provide the consistancy needed for meaningful practice.
Information source : cma text study;IE03.
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