How to Be a Good Reader

Learn to be a good reader

Good reading doesn't end at proper pronunciation and speed. Being a good reader means comprehension, intuition, and observation. It's a skill that is beneficial not only in class but in personal growth and development. You don't need to have been born with a natural inclination for the written word, here's how to be a good reader:

Things You'll Need

• Practice

Instructions

1. Read a lot. Reading, like any skill, takes practice. The best readers (and often the best writers) are the ones who read everything and who read a lot. You'll begin to see recurring themes and symbols, universal ones that all novels draw from. You'll begin to understand literary references, not only in other books but in tv shows and movies as well.

2. The Bible and Greek Mythology. Read the Bible and go through greek mythology, regardless of your religion. In many novels, American or not (Christian or not), references will be made to both. Understanding these references will help you to understand your novel or, at least, why the allusion is being made.

3. Write. Simply put, writing means taking what you've learnt as a reader and adding your own flair. As you write, you'll make discoveries and become familiar with techniques that prolific writers use. When reading, recognizing these won't be so difficult.

4. Keep an open mind. If you approach a book thinking it's going to be terrible, it's going to be terrible. Not because it actually was but because we often set out to reaffirm our beliefs and expectations. If you can't keep an open mind, you won't be able to understand the book as the author meant it to be understood.

5. Be a careful reader. In a 400 page novel, it's easy to overlook a seemingly minor detail. Remember that in truly good novels, the author has a reason for everything he/she has written. Writers need to keep their work tight and short (or, at least, as short as possible) and are very careful about what they include. If you're going through a novel carelessly, you might miss key details, details that could clarify the novel.

6. Take some classes. Good reading means training. Either you need to train yourself or others can help you. It's never too late to learn. Professors and teachers will give you insight into a novel that only experience can teach. Your fellow students will bring up thoughts and reflections that you might never have considered. If you don't have the time for school, start a book club. Get friends together and trade ideas and thoughts about a book. This is a fun and great way to further your education.

7. Enjoy and engage yourself. A good reader finds joy in reading. A good reader is a happy reader. If you are a good reader you will be rewarded in knowledge and a new understanding of or different perspective on life. Make the book your own. "Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tips & Warnings

• These guidelines can be employed in poetry reading as well, though that is a different animal altogether.