How to Become a Better Reader
Everyone wants to be a good reader, and in this guide you'll learn how to become a better one. The path toward improving your reading skills isn't always easy, but once you've improved your reading, you'll be much more effective. Here are some of the core elements of becoming an avid reader. Let your old reading habits become history: starting today, it's the beginning of a new reading era.
1. Decide what "better" means
To begin with, you need to define what you mean by becoming a better reader. It could mean a lot of things, so it helps to be explicit. Is your primary goal to:
- read faster,
- understand more, or
- both?
By defining your goal at the start, you'll know what you're aiming for.
2. Read frequently
The most obvious way to improve your reading is to read a lot more. The more you read, the better a reader you become. Don't just read a lot; read frequently. If you haven't already, make a reading schedule that shows how much time you've set aside for reading every day.
Hold yourself accountable. You don't want to fall behind and start missing your reading sessions. Becoming a better reader takes discipline. Below is an example of a reading schedule.
| Day | Name of book | Page number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name of book | 44 |
| 2 | Name of book | 67 |
| 3 | Name of book | 95 |
| 4 | Name of book | 140 |
| 5 | Name of book | 169 |
| 6 | Name of book | 210 |
| 7 | Name of book | 275 |
3. Always look up new words
If you come across a word you haven't seen before, take the opportunity to learn it. Make your own glossary where you write down new words along with their definitions. This is a great way to get the most out of each reading session.
If the author uses a lot of difficult words, consider collecting them and looking them up at the end of the session so you don't interrupt your reading flow. The table below shows how a typical glossary is set up.
| Word | Definition | Occurred on page |
|---|---|---|
| Word #1 | Definition | 12 |
| Word #2 | Definition | 41 |
| Word #3 | Definition | 45 |
| Word #4 | Definition | 140 |
| Word #5 | Definition | 146 |
| Word #6 | Definition | 155 |
| Word #7 | Definition | 167 |
If speed is your goal, read on with these tips on how to read faster. If understanding is your goal, see how to improve your reading comprehension.