How to be a Better Reader
Reading is fun to some people while reading is work to some. Leaders are made from readers. Greatness is harvested from the seed of learning and reading. There are some things to keep in mind that can make you a better reader. Reading is not as difficult as it seems if you put the right things in perspective. Reading is also an asset, a habit with a great benefit rather than a burden or a liability.
1. SCHOOL: All the subjects of elementary school which include mathematics, science, social studies, spelling and others depend on the ability to read. Students are required to make regular use of textbooks, library books and current periodicals. Reading is used to educate students in their desired career fields to make them an asset to their community.
2. JOB: Reading helps to enlighten workers in an organization about the ethics of the company. Readability and a high assimilation capacity will help staffs to know “What to do”, “how to do what”, “where to do what” and “where to do what”. Updated knowledge help a worker to get job done without asking too many questions. Information on career and organization practices is given as handbooks or documented as texts in websites. Reading allows workers to step up to the pinnacle of their careers.
3. INFORMATION: Reading helps to give instruction, direction or news. When buying an electronic appliance or device it comes with a manual. This manual states the purpose and functions of the device. The device will only become usable if the user has the ability to read and understand the manual. Reading helps to give information about a particular place. Most new cars come with navigation screens and world map which give information on how to get to where you are going. This can only be useful if a reader can understand the information. Reading helps to give news about what is happening in our local environment and beyond. This is accessed by use of news papers and journals.
4. RECEPTION: The world of book offers endless hour of pleasant and varied enjoyment to people who read with ease. The most popular books for recreational readers include adventures, travel, mystery and detective tales. Recreational books also offer information of biographies and historicals. Recreational reading can provide insight into the behaviour of other people. It also takes readers on journey into unknown parts of the world and enables them to share experiences of people throughout history.
5. WORLD LITERACY: The way of life in a nation is influenced by the percentage of its people that can read. Reading helps to build a community and world of literate and enlightened people. This helps them to uncover hidden potentials and be the best they can be. SCANNING Scanning is known as survey reading. It is an act of previewing a material to uncover an author’s idea. It provides an overview that will aid in the interpretation when the material is read thoroughly.
The reader uses this preview to decide what should be covered thoroughly, what can be read later and what should be read now. SKIMMING Skimming is the act of reading superficially and skipping. This type of reading is done indiscriminately. It will basically tell a reader a preview of the contents of a book and not the context. Skimming is commonly done when making choices about buying a newspaper. The headline on the paper determines if a person will buy the paper. Most times people spend few seconds skimming through the pages of a paper to determine if it is worth buying.
SQ3-R METHOD OF READING :The SQ3-R method of reading was developed during world war two to help students remember large quantities of materials under combat conditions. SQ3-R means Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Preview. It builds a framework to help understand reading assignment. This is a very good method to understand the book that is being read. It involves surveying the book carefully, asking questions in areas of controversy, reading the book again, reciting it from phase to phase and reviewing it all over again. This will help to capture the message in the book strategically and access it successfully when needed.
This process should be repeated subsequently to memorize the information in the book without mixing it up. This method helps students not to run short of ideas and answers when writing exams.
Better reading can be achieved by upgrading a person’s perception of pronunciation of printed symbols ability to comprehend what is read, ability to react to what is read and ability to apply what is read. It is imperative to develop a reading habit and have a reading schedule for each day. Implementing the SQ3-R method will help a reader to get better by the day. The brain relies on exercise to become more effective.
The brain should be exercised by constant reading and exposure to tests and exams. This will help to increase the assimilation capacity of a reader. Reading should not just remain as a habit but it should become an attitude and a character. When it becomes a character, a person needs no schedule to read as it becomes a part of his or her life. Having a company of intelligent friends and motivated readers will help to be a better reader.