Did you know, the average reading speed is 250 words per minute? It may seem like a lot. But don’t let that stop you from grabbing your favorite novel. Our tips to improve your reading skills will have you reading fluently in no time.
Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Reading Skills
If reading has never been your strong point, we are here to help. No need to hide behind the bookshelf anymore. Our top tips to improve your reading skills will help you tackle any book.
1. Narrow Down the Purpose of Your Read
There are countless reasons why people read. Whether it’s studying for a matric exam, or reading up on how to create an outstanding portfolio. Find out the purpose of your read. Once you have that down, you’ll be able to identify key elements in the text.
2. It’s All About Levels
We would all love to read every book under the sun. But sometimes the level of our reading limits us from that. This refers to the difficulty of the text you are able to read. It doesn’t mean you are bad at reading. Practice reading books at your level. Once you’ve mastered it, level up!
3. Take a Break
Let’s face it – reading long texts can make you lose focus. To prevent this, break up the content. Create your own page breaks and focus on that section. Not only is this great for reading, you are able to memorise the text with ease.
4. Read Between the Lines
Comprehension tests may not be your favorite, but it helps with your critical thinking. So don’t just read what is in front of you. Question what you are reading to give evidence of your answer. Do this by doing a close reading, and gather all your facts to draw a conclusion.
5. Take it a Step Further
So you’ve read a whole passage? That’s great! Now put it into your own words. This will prove that you have an understanding of what you’ve read. Use your own examples and relate what you have learnt. It’s not just paraphrasing. You should be able to prove your reasoning.
6. Don’t say No to Taking Notes
We’ve all been there before, taking down a book full of notes but not using them. Yet they are crucial. Remembering everything you’ve read can be difficult. So be sure to make notes of important points as you read, whether they are on the side of the paragraph or in a notebook.
7. Line Up
When making notes, sometimes what we’ve written down won’t make sense days later. So if you’re not a fan of making notes, use a pen and underline key points. Don’t highlight everything. Pay attention to important information like the “what”, “where” and “how”.
8. Dictionary in Hand Helps you Understand
When the going gets tough, get out your dictionary. If you don’t know what a word means, this is the perfect time to brush up on your vocabulary. Check it out, and get familiar with its meaning. You may even use it the next time you write an essay.
9. Get Vocal
Take centre stage and read out loud. This will help you with your fluency. You will be able to check your pace, and which words you have difficulty reading. This is also a good opportunity to explain what you’ve read to your audience. It proves that you understand what you’ve read.
10. Practice Makes Perfect
Reading is a process. The more you read, not only does your fluency improve, so does your vocabulary and inference. To make it easier, find out what interests you. You’ll be reading heaps of books every chance you get.
Skills Academy is the word support in every way.
Become a Bookworm With our Top Reading Tips
Along with our top tips to improve your reading skills, we provide a wide range of courses you can study via distance learning. They will help you gain the skills your career needs. Curious to find out more? Contact our course experts for more details. You can:
- Call us on 0800 39 00 27
- Fill in our contact form for a call back
