How to Become a Better Reader

Becoming a better reader requires a little bit of learning. By applying certain techniques, you can enhance your reading and enjoy the art of it too.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Becoming a better reader takes some practice. Initially you need to find a book you are comfortable with, while not necessarily knowing all the words. The words you can look up, that is the easy part.
   What you want to do is grasp what the author is trying to convey. The characters in the book should be articulate and understandable. The storyline(s) should be clear and not confusing.

2. When you are trying to decipher what the author is trying to express, take a moment and stop reading the book. Is the author trying to tell you that the main character will encounter some arduous task that only he or she can complete? Do you think that he or she will team up with someone later in the book? If I read a fiction book and the author introduces the main character, and then either the next chapter or following chapters introduces another character, you can pretty much guess they will either team up, or be enemies.

3. Are the characters believable? In everyday life, would this person or persons be able to do what they are doing in the book? While fiction, science fiction and fantasy usually makes the hero or heroine seems invincible, they usually provide a side to them that shows their humanity or humility.

4. Is there more than one plot going on? If there are multiple plots, do they blend well together or are they confusing? Understanding the plot or plots is pivotal in understanding where the book is going or how it may end up (Except perhaps for mysteries). The storyline has to make sense to me or I probably would not read the same author again.

5. What type of terminology does the author use? Is it understandable? Or is the idiom or lingo comprehensible? In other words, if an author comes from a different region of your country or a foreign country and they have different expressions or sayings, will I be able to decipher it from the context of the sentence?

6. Non fiction is a little more challenging. A biography is based on the author's findings by research and you have to ask yourself if the author could of added anything to help you understand the person better, was the author fair in his or hers assessment, was the story biased? Does that matter to you? Learn to see what the author is saying and what he or she is not saying.
   If you pick up a text and can only comprehend five percent, there is a way to garnish more. I find with non fiction, especially technical material, reading it once will not help. You need to read it more. But once you read it, if they give you any other reference material, stop reading that book and read the suggested book, then reread the first book. You will find that you will understand more.

7. For example, I love to read non fiction time travel works. If the author uses science that I do not understand and refers to another book or books, I read their suggested books and then return to the original book and am able to grasp more of what the author is trying to say.
   Learning to read better takes due diligence. The best way to read better is by practicing. By reading more you gain a better understanding of how other people think and you gain knowledge. What better way to learn than to read?

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. Dependent upon your reading level, it may require more time than someone else.

• Don't assume you will be a great reader without practicing regularly.