{"id":112938,"date":"2023-09-11T13:29:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T17:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=112938"},"modified":"2023-09-13T15:37:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T19:37:50","slug":"how-to-be-a-better-reader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-be-a-better-reader\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Better Reader and Improve Your Literary Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are your reading skills lacking? How can you be a better reader?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading is an important skill that people of all ages need. Don\u2019t worry if your literary skills aren\u2019t up to par\u2014we have plenty of tips that\u2019ll help you get the most out of your reading time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn how to be a better reader and why picking up a book every once in a while is worth your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of Being a Better Reader<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before diving into how to be a better reader, let\u2019s take a look at four benefits of improving your literacy. According to 10 Days of Faster Reading<\/em><\/a> by Abby Marks Beale and the Princeton Language Institute, reading will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Improve your focus<\/a>, comprehension, and memory of what you read.<\/strong> When you employ the skills associated with speed-reading, you concentrate more closely on what you\u2019re reading. This leads to better comprehension\u2014if you\u2019re paying close attention to the text, you\u2019re more likely to understand the information within it. Finally, a higher level of focus and comprehension helps you to form stronger memories of what you read. <\/li>
  2. Increase the volume of material you read.<\/strong> As you learn speed-reading skills, you get through reading material more quickly and can therefore read a larger quantity of texts. After practicing your skills, you may be able to get through certain texts by just skimming them, increasing your speed even further. <\/li>
  3. Reading with joy and confidence.<\/strong> Speed-reading strategies<\/a> increase your enjoyment of reading due to increased confidence in your abilities as you master the techniques. Increased confidence makes reading an activity to enjoy freely rather than something to avoid because you feel insecure about it.<\/li>
  4. Broaden your professional expertise.<\/strong> Reading more efficiently and effectively can contribute to greater professional success. Reading is necessary for keeping up with the latest news and developments in any professional field. However, there\u2019s often so much material to get through that it feels too overwhelming, especially on top of your regular work. By reading more, faster, and with greater competence, you can stay on top of developments in your field and become more knowledgeable in your role.  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Tips for Proficient Reading<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Finishing a book might be a hard task to accomplish if it\u2019s not any fun. However, reading doesn\u2019t have to be a chore that you feel obligated to get through, just as long as you know how<\/em> to read effectively<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s look at a few tips for learning how to be a better reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be Selective About What You Read<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    10 Days of Faster Reading<\/em><\/strong><\/a> notes that you can learn how to be a better reader by being selective about what you read.<\/strong> Before you begin reading any text, the authors suggest identifying why<\/em> you want to read it and how<\/em> you might use the information in the text later on. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your \u201cwhy\u201d for reading something will vary from text to text. For example, you might read a book about procrastination<\/a> to learn strategies for making better use of your time. This information could help you further your professional goals<\/a> and feel less stressed about getting everything done. Or, you might read a fantasy novel purely for enjoyment\u2014the story expands your imagination and helps you relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assessing a text before you begin ensures that you don\u2019t waste any time reading material that isn\u2019t useful to you. Additionally, this process helps with focus and efficiency\u2014when you start with a clear \u201cwhy,\u201d it\u2019s easier to keep your attention on the text in pursuit of your goal. When you\u2019re paying closer attention, you don\u2019t reread or daydream as much, so you get through the text faster and comprehend it better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Draw Connections to Other Books<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Readers who are new to literature might feel as though everything they read is new. But really, there is no such thing as a new story, says Thomas C. Foster in <\/strong>How to Read Literature Like a Professor<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. All literary works are alive and involved with each other like eels in a barrel. Each time a new eel is created, it squirms its way into the barrel. It is<\/em> new, but it\u2019s also an eel just like every other one that ever has been or ever will be in the barrel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Just because an author can\u2019t create anything purely original anymore, doesn\u2019t mean that modern literature is derivative or unimportant. Rather, new literature gains significance from the harmony and dissonance it strikes with what came before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once you understand that all stories\u2014no matter the genre\u2014exist together as part of one big story, you can begin to see the patterns and recurrences between them. This is what critics call intertextuality<\/strong>. Authors use references and parallels to draw connections to previous literary works. Intertextuality in literature deepens the meaning of the text by drawing on the reader\u2019s expectations<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Skim the Book Beforehand<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    According to <\/em>How to Read a Book<\/em><\/a> by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren, skimming a book helps to understand its main points and its structure. It aims to gain the best understanding of the book in a limited time (the authors advise setting a target for 15 minutes to comprehend a 300-page book).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Adler and Van Doren argue that when most people read a book, they do so cover to cover. When you read a book in that way, you\u2019re trying to understand what a book is <\/strong>about <\/em><\/strong>at the same time you are trying to understand what the author is saying<\/strong>. To contrast, if you start by skimming the entire book to get a sense of what it\u2019s about before reading from the beginning, you\u2019ll already be in the right headspace to process the information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After reading inspectionally, the authors believe you should be able to answer these three questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n