Improving Reading Skills

"I never read a book before reviewing it. It prejudices a man so."
Reading is the active process of understanding print and graphic texts. Reading is a thinking process. Effective readers know that when they read, what they read is supposed to make sense. They monitor their understanding, and when they lose the meaning of what they are reading, they often unconsciously select and use a reading strategy (such as rereading or asking questions) that will help them reconnect with the meaning of the text. Reading skills and strategies can be taught explicitly while students are learning subject-specific content through authentic reading tasks.

READING CRITICALLY

Reading critically is usually seen as the most challenging reading technique because you need to read beyond the basic meaning or to read between the lines. Although most writers would write everything they want to express, there are cases when they don't want to be so explicit all the time. This is especially true when the writers want to make their writing more interesting to read. You also need to read critically to evaluate the opinions of the writer. You may not agree with everything s/he says. Remember, we do not think alike; and therefore we share different opinions. Reading critically means you are ready to disagree with the writer's opinions, and be able to form your own judgement of the issues raised in the text. Or if you totally agree with the writer, you should at least know why you do so. Being an advanced learner of English, you should be able to read critically. Here are a few tips:

Techniques for Faster Reading

Preview

Preview involves skimming over a reading passage to get a general idea of its content and to help focus the reader's mind on the topic. It is a very valuable tool in faster reading.

To preview, look at the title and subtitles, then read quickly over the first and last paragraphs and skim through the rest of the passage to get an idea of what the passage will be about.

How to Improve Reading Comprehension

While most of us are taught to read at a very young age, many of us need to improve our reading comprehension skills. The following tips will help you become an active reader, and can improve your ability to understand everything from manuals to newspaper articles.

Instructions

01.Find a comfortable, quiet place to read. Distractions will prevent you from fully comprehending the reading material.