Daffodil International University
General Category => Common Forum => Topic started by: Shamim Ansary on May 21, 2010, 09:05:30 PM
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Improving your reading skills can be one of the most important steps you can take in order to enhance your business life as well as your personal life. No matter what reading level you may be at at the present time, you can improve your skills by increasing your reading speed as well as your level of comprehension.
We were taught to read words starting at the left side of the page and proceeding across to the right. As our eyes move across the written page of words, our eyes tend to make short, jumpy movements. Whenever our eyes stop on a word, that is known as fixation. Some people tend to fixate on one word at a time across the page. This makes for slow, awkward reading. The best way you can improve your reading speed is to fixate on a larger group of words at a time. Learn to avoid fixating on words like a, an, the, or, etc. These words are insignificant and can usually be scanned over without missing the point of the story, essay, article, etc. The larger the group of words you learn to fixate on, the faster your reading speed will become automatically.
Look at this sentence- The moose ran over the hill and jumped over a fallen log. The key words are moose, ran, over, hill, jumped, over, fallen log. By concentrating on them, you can understand the message of the sentence. The other words- the, over, the, and, a- can be read over quickly without missing the essential information that the sentence has to offer. The point is not to skip over or omit words in your reading, but to concentrate instead on the important words which make up the essential message of the sentence.
Another hindrance to speed in reading is the practice of moving your lips while you read. Moving your lips is simply a way of concentrating on the material that you are reading. It is a negative practice that tends to slow your eye movement down. Think about it- what can move faster, your lips or your mouth? You can put an end to this bad habit by consciously making yourself stop moving your lips. As your reading speed increases, you won't be able to hold onto this bad habit because your eyes will be moving too fast.
Lack of concentration is another typical problem area in reading. You can conquer this problem by practicing to improve your concentration every day. Set a short amount of time, such as ten to fifteen minutes on your kitchen timer. Have your book or other chosen reading material ready, and start reading. Block out any background noises that you may hear. Make a conscious effort and ignore everything else in the room except the material you are reading. When the timer goes off, immediately stop reading. Now, test yourself by recalling what you have just read. Check back to the text and see how much information you actually remembered. If your recall wasn't very good, re-read the text and time your self again, then try to recall the information once more. Practice this reading exercise every day and increase your reading time.
Like everything else that is worth doing, practice makes perfect, and the more you read, the better reader you will become!
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10 Tips to Improve Your Reading Skills by Jim Allen
In the modern age of information, reading truly is a fundamental survival skill. Here are ten tips that anyone can use to improve their reading skills:
1. You don't have to be a great reader to get the point.
Some people read fast and remember everything. Others read slowly and take a couple of times to get all the information. It doesn't matter, really, so long as when you read, you get the information you're seeking.
2. Know WHY you're reading.
Are you reading for entertainment or to learn something? Decide why you're reading before you start and you'll greatly improve your comprehension and your enjoyment.
3. You don't need to read everything.
Not every magazine, letter, and email you receive contains information you need. In fact, most of it is simply junk. Throw it away, hit the delete key! Just doing this will double the amount of time you have available to read.
4. You don't need to read all of what you DO read.
Do you read every article of every magazine, every chapter of every book? If so, you're probably spending a lot of time reading stuff you don't need.
Be choosy: select the chapters and articles that are important. Ignore the rest.
5. Scan before you read.
Look at the table of contents, index, topic headers, photo captions, etc. These will help you determine if, a) you have a real interest in this reading, and b) what information you're likely to get from it.
6. Prioritize your reading.
You can't read everything all at once (and wouldn't want to). If it's important, read it now. If it's not, let it wait.
7. Optimize your reading environment.
You'll read faster and comprehend more if you read in an environment that's comfortable for you.
8. Once you start, don't stop!
Read each item straight through. If you finish and have questions, go back and re-read the pertinent sections. If you don't have questions, you got what you needed and are ready to move on.
9. Focus.
Remember, you're reading with a purpose, so focus on that purpose and the material. If you lose interest or keep losing your place, take a break or read something else. You can keep track of where you are by following along with your hand. This simple technique helps you focus and increase your concentration.
10. Practice!
The more you read, the better reader you'll become (and smarter, too)! So, feed your mind: read!