Today, I’ve decided to write to you, the adult reader, about a topic that most of us take for granted: Reading. I’ve chosen this topic because improving reading skills is not just a concern for students only! We all need to practice. The truth is that your reading ability may be more important to you after you have completed your formal education.

Here’s the thing. Reading isn’t just for pleasure. In fact, reading all kinds of written material and processing the information quickly is part of our daily lives at work, at home, and everywhere in between. The scary part is that you don’t always have much time, yet it’s important to interpret many of these written messages with accuracy. So, what can you do about it? I’d like to give you just a couple of tips.

First, you can start by learning to consciously identify your purpose for reading. When you know your purpose or reason for reading, you will be able to determine the appropriate reading technique you will need to use. There are several purposes for reading.

READING PURPOSE DETERMINES READING TECHNIQUE

Reading for Pleasure: If you’re reading for pleasure, you really don’t need to remember every single detail or fact. That means that you don’t have to read critically. You can actually read anything you’re reading for pleasure at a rapid rate. It’s been suggested that you should shoot for around four hundred words a minute during this type of reading.

Reading for Specific Information: When you’re searching for particular information such as a date or a name, you should skip and skim material to make the best use of your time. When you skip, you must visually skip over portions of the material that is irrelevant to your search. When you skim, you move your eyes rapidly over the material and stop to read only the significant facts and phrases.

Reading to Absorb Information: As a teacher, there are times that you will need to absorb information. When you are studying/preparing to teach a lesson that you’ve never taught before, for instance, you must read for meaning, and you must remember what you read. As you read the words on a page, you must take the time to absorb and digest the information.

Reading for Accuracy: Reading accuracy refers to reading without mistakes. Especially when you’re on the job, every memo, letter, invoice, document, etc., requires careful reading. So, this purpose for reading requires concentration and attention.

Know your purpose for reading and choose the best technique. It will make a difference. Then, practice, practice, practice.