14 Ways You Can Improve on Your Reading

Having trouble with reading is more common than people think. Luckily, we have proven methods that can help you improve your reading skills. 

Here are the best ways to improve your reading and feel confident in your reading abilities.

1. Find an appropriate reading environment. Having a comfortable reading environment is very important whether you’re reading a novel or a school textbook. Avoid having your phone nearby or a TV playing in the background as they can be distracting and cause your mind to wander. 
2. Be calm and don’t rush. Give yourself plenty of time to read so you can concentrate on your text and properly absorb the words you are reading. 
3. Read aloud. Reading out loud helps you stay focused on the text and can help you remember the content you’re reading. Reading aloud allows your brain to activate both the visual and verbal memory centres, improving your connection to each word. 
4. Guess the meaning of new words. You will often come across new words no matter what you’re reading. Rather than running to a dictionary, try to guess what the word means by using other words in the sentence as hints. Practicing this skill is very important. It will improve your understanding of the text and prepare you for situations where you don’t have an available dictionary.
5. Make a list of new words. Chances are you’re going to come across the same tricky words in other novels or textbooks you read. Whenever you come across a new word, write it down along with its definition. Doing so will allow you to remember the word with ease and expand your vocabulary. You can also study your list of words later to refresh your memory. 
6. Practice makes perfect! Try to read as often as you can. Just like any other skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll become! If you read for 15 to 30 minutes every day, you will see significant improvements. Read something you find interesting. This will help you stay motivated and focused on your book. You’ll also gain confidence in your abilities to read, which will truly help you succeed. 
7. Take notes while you read. This tip is especially helpful for reading textbooks. Look for important concepts in your chapter and write them down. Writing notes helps you consolidate information and provides you with content to look back on when you’re studying in the future. When you’ve finished a chapter, write a summary to help you review everything you have read. 
8. Take breaks. It’s essential to take breaks while reading. You need to give your eyes and your mind a chance to relax. This is especially important when you are having a hard time understanding concepts in the text. Stepping away from the book allows you to clear your mind and start fresh when you get back into it. Taking breaks will also help you concentrate on your book for extended periods of time. 

The following tips are very beneficial for reading textbooks.

1. Scan through the chapter you’re going to read. Scanning through the chapter helps you gain an early understanding of what you’re about to read. Look for titles and headings to find out what the main topics of the chapter will be. Scanning through the chapter helps you understand the writing style and how the content is organized. 
2. Write questions to answer while you read. While you’re scanning through the chapter, write down questions you want to answer while reading the chapter. These can be as simple as “Who?”, “What?”, “Why?”, “When?” or “How?”. Doing this will help you concentrate on your reading and give your reading purpose. You may also find that you come up with new questions while you’re reading!
3. Answer your questions as you’re reading. As you’re reading, begin to search for answers to the problems you previously wrote down. You can make separate notes or highlight the answers in-text. Suppose you don’t find the answer you’re looking for; in that case, you can do additional research to fill your knowledge gaps to fully understand the chapter. 
4. Describe what you have learned. Talk about what you read with a friend or write it down in your own words. Explaining concepts in your own terms helps you better understand and remember information. Having discussions with a friend or classmate also helps identify and clear any knowledge gaps you may not even know you had! 
5. Recite and review your notes. Now that you have finished reading the chapter and answered all your questions, it’s time to review your notes! Take a moment to re-read what you have written aloud. While you’re reading, make sure you fully understand the information you have put together. If you come across a word you don’t know, try to replace it with a new one to improve your understanding.
6. Quiz yourself! When you feel comfortable and well prepared, try quizzing yourself using your notes. You can also create flashcards as they are an excellent tool for studying and testing your memory. Quizzing yourself will help you identify concepts that need additional review. If you still find yourself struggling, ask a classmate or find a tutor for help!

If you follow along with the number of ways you can improve your reading, you will develop excellent reading habits and feel more confident in your reading abilities. These skills require a lot of time and practice to perfect, but these benefits will last you forever. Remember to be patient with yourself and always ask for help if you need it. Here at Success Tutorial School, we offer a number of programs to assist students with reading comprehension and writing. If you are looking for a english tutor and note sure how to find one read what qualities you should find an English tutor.  Contact us to learn more about how we can help you and your child achieve success in reading.