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Improve Reading Skills Tips for IELTS and TOEFL

Published on February 25th, 2020 | Last updated on February 27th, 2020 by | Category: Reading Practice in English | No Comments on Improve Reading Skills Tips for IELTS and TOEFL | 62 Views | Reading Time: 5 minutes

Improve reading skills tips

Improve reading skills tips

Reading is a skill that takes time and practice. The first and most important thing to read well is to determine the purpose of reading. Then, you can focus on reading speed techniques, familiarity with new vocabulary in the text. Finally, by improving your reading and comprehension, you can engage with the meaning of the text and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.

To improve reading skills, practicing at least 15 to 30 minutes a day can make a big difference. The more you read, you have the more interest and confidence. So, the desire to improve your reading will move you forward. Furthermore, Start by reading your favorite texts and topics. To persuade yourself and to see your progress, you can make a list of the books and articles that you read.

Before you start reading, choose a quiet, clear, and comfortable environment for reading. Keep away from distractions such as TV, music, and the phone. You can use a marker like a ruler or a small piece of paper to control your focus on the lines.

Improving reading skills enables you to read in a focused and selective manner. As a result, you can increase your level of understanding and focus. This article shows you how to read more effectively and properly comprehending a text by using a range of reading skills tips.

Step One: Determine the purpose of reading and the type of text you are studying

Depending on the type of text studied, the reading style will vary. The type of text can be information-based like a newspaper or textbook, so you are reading for new information and need to understand everything. The type of text can be creative and literary like a novel or short story, which does not require a deep understanding of the concepts.

On the other hand, you need to have clear reading goals to improve your reading skills. The reason your reading affects how you read is, Therefore having a clear goal can significantly help your reading performance. You use reading objectives to select and prioritize information. For example, reading text for the classroom is different from reading based on interest and enjoyment, because reading for the class requires understanding the text, reading and remembering the information needed.

Generally, you can evaluate the text and choose the appropriate one based on the purpose of your reading and the information that you need. Before you start reading, take a few minutes to look at the text and get an overall understanding of the text including the list of topics, titles, separate sections, keywords, images and tables.

Step Two: Use proper reading style

In a intensive reading style, the focus is more on the details. So reading is slower and you focus more on words and sentences alone. In intensive reading, which is used to learn vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, you do not need to understand the deep meaning and general understanding of reading. So just summarize the main point of what you are reading. When you don’t know the meaning of a word, guess the meaning of new words with the help of words in the text instead of referring to the dictionary. You can then write new words and find their meaning in the dictionary.

In a intensive reading style, reading aloud can improve reading skills because as you look at words you can hear them with your ears. Reading aloud is also important for learning the correct pronunciation of words.

In extensive reading style, the focus is more on the overall picture of reading. So you need to identify the meaning of what you are reading and understand it on a deeper level. You are looking for information and active reading in the extensive reading that used to read a textbook or article. If so, you should write down key ideas and keywords that will help increase reading comprehension and concentration. Mark the parts that you do not understand or have questions to come back to them and solve. Annotating the main ideas in your own language and marking important parts, key points and definitions have a profound impact on understanding.

Because in active reading, active interaction with the text is important, avoid passive reading of large amounts of text. In the extensive reading style, pause after reading a piece of text and say everything you understand from the text, plus key definitions and points. Returning to the content helps you remember what you read. If you have trouble completing or memorizing a part, review it again.

Step Three: Summarize and take notes

Taking notes and summaries in a scrapbook or word file helps to review and revise what you have read.


About Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl is an English and Persian instructor, researcher, inventor, author, blogger, SEO expert, website developer, and the creator of LELB Society. He's got a PhD in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Study our guest posting guidelines for authors.

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