Q&A for How to Improve Your Reading Skills

Don't rush while you are reading. Be calm and concentrate.

Novels are easier to read for almost everyone. They are made to be pleasant and entertaining, whereas textbooks are made mainly to teach you information. Learning takes more effort than entertainment.

It is very common to not understand what you are reading. Give the reading your undivided attention. When you read concepts over and over again, it will enable you get detailed information you need. Write notes in your own words to clarify your understanding. Read a lot to improve your reading skills, including fiction which will usually reassure you that you have no problems understanding, it's more about the difficulty level in textbooks and scientific papers. Have breaks during reading, to give your eyes and mind a rest. Learn to evaluate yourself after every reading, to go over what you did and didn't understand. Most of all, don't feel you have to understand things immediately -- for most people that is unrealistic and it is in the struggle to grasp the meaning that real gains are made and even new insights.

When you read a book or anything else, read out loud to yourself so that you get used to speaking the language. With time, your pronunciation will improve. Don't be scared to reread if talking aloud distracts you from understanding the text but many people find hearing it helps understanding as well.

Read more slowly and reread passages you did not understand or read correctly the first time.

While reading in your mind, focus on the text in front of you and don't think about anything else. Ask yourself questions about what you've read, so you know you're concentrating.

Have a dictionary available to look up words. After finding the meaning of a new word, re-read the sentence or paragraph.

If you are still unable to comprehend the text after taking the above steps, you might want to prepare with a dictionary beside you. Being unable to comprehend the text may be due to the fact that you do not understand the meaning of certain words. Try understanding the words first before reading; it will definitely help a lot more. Also be sure that you can read easily -- undiagnosed dyslexia or a need for reading glasses, for example, can make it harder to understand text.

Read one paragraph at a time and summarize it in one sentence. That will help reveal the main idea.

Get into the room and close the door. Before you start to read, set up your mind by clearing it of all worries. Just move out all unwanted thoughts from your mind, then breathe in deeply and out deeply a few times to calm down. Concentrate on your reading. It will work well because you are away from the noisiness.

Re-read what you want to remember! Try to write notes, or read out loud.

Some people find that distracting; others don't. Judge for yourself. If you need to absorb what you're reading but are easily distracted, turn off all sound sources.

To improve the speed of your reading, make sure you are focused and concentrated on reading alone. You could also try timing yourself. If you want to find the best book for your reading level, focus on stories that involve people in your age group. you could also try looking up recommended books for your age online.

Break up the word into small chunks that you can read. For eg: CLAUSTROPHOBIC can be broken as "claus-tro-pho-bic." The broken chunks may not make sense but they help in building the word.

There's nothing wrong with reading slowly, so just take your time and continue hearing the words. It's better than going quickly and not remembering anything you read.

Obtaining 100% in every single subject may well be impossible. No matter how hard you try, you can't be absolutely perfect all the time. To achieve high grades in general, study often, pay attention in class, and put effort into your work and you will come out of it with great grades.

Try downloading a smartphone app to listen to the book while you read.

For a beginning reader, start with a book that has simple words and easy sentences. The book should not have a complex synopsis.

To start, read consistently; try to read for at least 15-20 minutes per day, if not more. Reading has to become a habit like anything else. If you're having trouble getting interested in your book, then maybe explore some new stories or genres. It's possible that you just aren't a big fan of that style of book in particular.

Try to highlight the keywords in the book while reading the whole content. In that way, your reading might get better.

Do not think of other subjects. Concentrate on your reading. When you don't understand a word look it up in a dictionary.

It's not magic; it requires reading a lot. Each time you read the text, you will interpret it very faster than before. Reading difficult text, at first, is hard. Start by trying to do it from an easier one. Don't rush as it takes a lot of time.

No, a lot of people have read it.

Subvocalizing is all right if it helps you concentrate. It will slow you down a little, however, and it could be slightly annoying to others. Try putting your fingers or some tape across your lips for awhile if you want to break the habit.

Make a mental note about something related to the info you read. The note should be interesting so you wont forget.

Books about things that interest you most will help hold your attention and give you a chance to improve your comprehension. Start off with books geared toward beginner reading levels and work your way to more advanced text when you feel confident.

You can read well enough to pass by simply going through the course curriculum, having a deep understanding of each topic. Solve examples and get used to the topics.

Highlight or underline what information relates to the question. Reword the question with the information after, and quote it if necessary, then explain a bit more after the quote.

It may be that the real problem is that you are not improving in your reading skills. Perhaps try challenging yourself with a more complex or difficult book that is outside your comfort zone. You could ask your teacher to recommend a book for you if you feel comfortable speaking to them.

No. It can be useful if you plan on making notes about the text you're reading, but otherwise, it's not necessary.