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Improving your reading skills Part I- 1-Mar-2019
Improving your reading skills will reduce unnecessary reading time and enable you to read in a more focused and selective manner. You will also be able to increase your levels of understanding and concentration. This guide shows you how to read with greater efficiency and effectiveness by using a range of different reading skills.
Reading for study
You already use a range of reading styles in everyday situations. The normal reading style that you might use for reading a novel is to read in detail, focusing on every word in sequence from start to finish. If it is a magazine you are reading, you might flick through the pages to see which articles are of interest. When you look in a telephone directory for a particular name, you purposefully ignore all other entries and focus your attention on spotting the name you want. These everyday reading skills can be applied to your studies.
To improve your reading skills you need to:
- have clear reading goals;
- choose the right texts;
- use the right reading style;
- use note taking techniques.
Scanning:
Scanning is the technique you might use when reading a telephone directory. You pass your vision speedily over a section of text in order to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to your current task. You can scan:
- the introduction or preface of a text;
- the first or last paragraphs of chapters;
- the concluding or summarising chapter of a text;
- the book index.
Skimming:
Skimming is the process of speedy reading for general meaning. Let your eyes skip over sentences or phrases which contain detail. Concentrate on identifying the central or main points. Use this technique to:
pre-view a selection of text prior to detailed reading;
refresh your understanding of a selection of text following detailed reading.
