Three Simple Ways To Improve Your Reading

Reading is a wonderful habit to have but there is a decline in the American reading culture. A recent study on the reading habits of modern Americans revealed that a mere 27% of US citizens had read a book within the past year, whether in audio, electronic, or print form. 

With so many books being released, why are people not immersing themselves in the vast pools of reading material available today? Well, things have changed dramatically, and a lot of it can be attributed to the birth of social media. More time is spent on visuals and pictures compared to words, and all of the screen time has contributed to a considerable number of eye issues that people experience. Fortunately, if your eyes are affected, you will see a visible change in your sight and reading efficiency if you invest in prescription lenses and eyeglasses. 
Do you want to better your reading habits and focus on being able to read more? Here are some tips to help you along the way.

Be mindful

Reading faster requires good comprehension skills and full concentration. One way to do this is by moving away from distractions in your external environment and finding a serene atmosphere that inspires mindfulness. When you realise that your mind is wandering, it may be due to tiredness, hunger, or even thirst. In that case, you may have to adhere to those needs before you can fully concentrate again. Tim Ferris, author, suggests that you are regressing when you read paragraphs passively and re-read them. That slows you down and prevents you from comprehending the text. Therefore read mindfully once and for all to increase your speed.

Avoid subvocalization

Subvocalization is when a reader tries to pronounce words silently in their head while reading. This slows down a reader's speed and distracts them from grasping the author's perspective. Instead of reading one word at a time, let your eyes scan a chunk of text (about three to five words) and consume their meanings together. Use your peripheral vision abilities to speed up the rate of your reading. You can also use a pen to point to the group of words as you quickly roll your eyes over them.

Summarise the passage as you read

After reading every major section, you may want to jot down the salient points that have been raised in the passage. It is better than just moving on to the next page. Writing down the summary of the section will increase your reading efficiency and make it easier to revise some core facts. The bottom line is that great readers are also great writers. So, do not forget to write key points as you read.

Many people, especially those raised during the internet era, may well be missing some life-changing skills because they do not stimulate their brains enough by engaging them through reading. Reading empowers you with knowledge, but you would have to change your habits to improve your reading quality. The tips discussed here can bring you closer to achieving that goal.