Reading skills are important in all subjects, but some struggle with comprehension. Strategies to improve reading skills include taking notes, skimming for clues, looking up unfamiliar words, questioning the text, and summarizing and reviewing.
Reading skills are a key part of learning and education. Reading plays a role in any subject, whether a student is attempting to understand a difficult piece of literature, tackling a scientific concept, or figuring out a math problem. While a solid education can teach a person to read, there are individuals who are unable to read well for meaning and understanding. The following strategies can help anyone who wants to read for deeper understanding and improve reading skills.
The first step in approaching a piece of writing is reading with a pen or pencil in hand. By marking unfamiliar concepts, taking notes, placing question marks next to particularly difficult concepts, or highlighting important sentences or passages, an individual can become fully engaged with the text.
Before trying to address specific points in an article, chapter, or passage, it’s important to first skim through the text, looking for clues. This is a vital strategy for improving reading skills. For example, many textbooks use bold fonts, section titles, and images to organize the information in each section. Inquiry in this way can connect readers to different parts of the piece and should be seen by the reader as important tools. Readers can first pan through their reading to unravel the mystery of what is to come, which, in turn, will increase their mastery of reading and their engagement with it.
Once these two strategies have been used, it is important to delve into any concepts, ideas, theories or problems that are not immediately understood and mastered by the reader. For example, if you come across an unfamiliar word, it’s important to look it up in a dictionary or on the Internet. A mastery of the vocabulary in a particular work can improve understanding not only of specific passages, but of the work as a whole. Additionally, a reader may consult the bibliography provided by the author as a source for further information.
An additional strategy to implement when trying to improve reading skills is questioning. It’s important for the reader to remain attentive to the text, and questions are a great way to do this. For example, while reading, a reader may ask questions of themselves such as “What is the character’s motivation?” or “How does this scientific principle apply to things I have already experienced?” or “How might I apply this mathematical concept to a real-life job or activity?”
Summarizing and reviewing is the final step in improving reading skills. By revisiting the ideas, vocabulary, and information provided by the text, readers can consolidate their understanding. Writing a short summary that includes the most important points can also help improve reading skills by forcing the reader to think critically and focus on the main ideas.
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