Reading, writing, and listening are the focal points of literacy.
The ability to read and comprehend goes hand in hand. It is the first thing we are taught at school because our reading skills significantly impact our cognitive abilities.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of improving our reading skills and how reading impacts the development of our cognitive skills. Continue reading to learn exciting yet effective ways to enhance your reading abilities and take your reading experience to the next level.
What Is Reading And Comprehension?
In simple terms, reading pertains to an individual’s capacity to read and understand a text.
Reading may seem easy, but it is a rather complex process. It is a procedure with several levels, which includes skimming the text, comprehending, absorbing, and remembering the details. Following are the five must-have skills to read proficiently;
Decoding
Improving your decoding skills is the first step toward learning to read. It is the reason why the primary school syllabus stresses teaching phonetics with the alphabet.
Phonetics is the way a word sounds when pronounced.
We are taught from an early age to decode words as we visualize them. Phonemic awareness plays a vital part in learning the pronunciation of words and is considered a primary step toward improving reading skills.
Fluency
Once you know how to decode, the next step is to learn to do it seamlessly. Fluency focuses on the ability to read the text clearly and interpret new vocabulary faster while reading. Your reading fluency decides how often you take breaks in the middle of the sentences or how well you read through the text and punctuation. The better your fluency, the more you can improve the speed and efficacy of your comprehension when reading.
Vocabulary
Once you have mastered the pronunciation of words, the next step is to improve comprehension. Knowing the literal and contextual meanings of words, phrases and idioms can help you enjoy the reading process without referring to a dictionary repeatedly.
An extensive vocabulary can improve your reading quality by helping you comprehend the text better.
The best way to expand your vocabulary is to note down words you don’t know the meaning to and look into them after you have finished reading. Noting helps in registering the words/phrases and their implications to your long-term memory, enabling you to remember them for a long time.
Inference
Inference is the ability to make sense of text and words based on the information. Using your understanding, you can create an inference and understand the meaning of words you may not know. It is called taking an educated guess, and as your skills improve over time, there is a higher chance that your assumed definition is close to the actual meaning.
Retention
The final step to mastering reading is retention.
Comprehending written text revolves around how much you can retain from the text you read. Practicing your summarizing skills can be a great way to improve your retention skills and strengthen your reading ability.
How To Improve Your Reading Skills?
Many schools and online educational platforms like Superprof offer reading classes for children and adults. People can choose from these courses to improve their reading skills.
While online reading classes are a great way to enhance your abilities, consistent practice and regular reading can help you improve your reading abilities without professional assistance. From speed reading to learning new words to expanding your vocabulary, all these methods can help you become a proficient reader.
Following are the seven steps you can take to improve your reading skills at home;
1. Read Everyday
Reading classes can guide you on ways to enhance your reading skills, but it is consistency and practice that actually helps you achieve your goals. Try taking time out every day to read something. It can be as little as 15 to 20 minutes a day. The more often you read, the better you will get at it.
2. Set Reading Goals
Setting reading goals weekly, monthly, and fortnightly will keep you motivated to read regularly. Most reading classes for adults focus on setting SMART goals to encourage students to remain consistent with their reading habits. SMART goals are defined as Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This practice helps in improving vocabulary and gaining a deeper understanding of the text as you proceed. Additionally, it enhances fluency, decoding ability, and inference.
3. Preview The Texts You Read
A great way to improve your reading speed is to learn how to scan and preview. Reading the entire text word-by-word can take a long time.
Our brains are wired in a way that they fill in the blanks. Scan the entire document line by line, and read the sentences that offer important information. Moreover, you can focus on text such as headlines, captions, and other important text features to get a general idea of what the piece is talking about.
4. Determine The Purpose
Reading is not a purposeless task. Whether you want to read to learn or for pleasure, identify your purpose. For instance, your aim may be to read more books.
Try reading different texts and themes to better understand how each piece works in terms of reading and what captures your interest.
Determining your purpose for reading will encourage you to improve and practice it consistently.
5. Apply Key Reading Strategies
Professional reading courses teach students to incorporate reading strategies to improve their comprehension skills. In online reading classes for kids, the tutors help students understand different text structures, such as instructional, persuasive, and informational structures.
Additionally, you can learn vital elements like themes, problems, solutions, and other aspects to develop a personal opinion about the piece. Your reading ability maximizes once you begin dissecting the text.
6. Take Notes While You Read
Make a habit of taking notes while you read. These notes can be to remember plot lines, characters in a fictional book, or even words you would want to know the meaning of. If note-taking is done effectively, you can expect to ask questions while you read the text, helping you create a better connection.
Experts advise students in their reading classes to take notes in any way they want. This means you can take notes in the form of diagrams, charts, tables, or text. Note-taking can be highly beneficial for comprehension exercises like summarizing, too.
7. Apply What You Read By Summarizing
Writing summaries is an important part of reading. Summarizing what you read will help you understand the entire piece in a nutshell. This improves reading comprehension and teaches the student how to condense large volumes of information into smaller digestible versions.
As you develop your ability to master reading, you will significantly improve your communication ability and how you interact with others. This can improve your career growth in the future.
Which Book Should I Read First For Self-Improvement?
Everyone has different interests and reading levels. Here is a list of reading material you can choose when working towards improving your ability.
| Genre | Book |
|---|---|
| Fiction | The Palace Of Illusion by Chitra Banerjee |
| Non-Fiction | Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom |
| Magazines | Mental Floss |
| Online Articles | Forbes |
While everyone may have different preferences, exploring all your options and reading books from different genres is always good. Reading different genres can help you understand different writing styles, helping you improve.
It may seem that reading books is declining in America, considering the many new online content avenues, but that is further from the truth. Nothing beats the satisfaction you get by being immersed in a book.
Want To Improve Your Reading Ability With Superprof?
You can find both adult reading classes and reading classes for kids. These classes can give you an edge over practicing yourself. In a classroom setting, you are incentivized to pay attention and follow specific course guidelines in classes. The problem with online classes is staying on track along with 20 others.
This is where Superprof can be of assistance. We have a team of experts that can help you improve your reading skills. The difference between Superprof and other online classes is that we offer one-on-one sessions. We believe these types of classes are more effective because every person has a different pace.
We want to train our students in a way that offers them complete focus on each lesson and helps them advance at their own pace.
While studying and learning a skill on your own is always a good first step, the help of an expert can accelerate your progress significantly.
Whether you live in a US city with a vast community that loves reading or anywhere else, sign up and begin your learning journey with Superprof!
If you are looking to improve your existing reading skills, visit Superprof today.
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