1.Build up your vocabulary
One with a small vocabulary will find it very difficult in reading comprehension. Some students say they just can’t remember so many words. How to solve this problem?
First, learn about word formation. You can enlarge your vocabulary by using the rules of word formation, such as prefix, suffix, conversion, and so on. For example, when you know the word “courage”, “encourage, discourage, courageous” will not be new to you.
Second, collect the new words you often meet in reading. This doesn’t mean encouraging you to consult the dictionary whenever you met a new word in reading. The appropriate way is to try to guess the word’s meaning from context clues, from the words around it, and then you will gradually know the clear meaning of the word after meeting it often. And now, if you look it up in the dictionary, you will have a good memory of it.
Third, learn a certain number of new words by heart every day. Young students have good memories. It is possible for you to memorize some words every day without much difficulty. You can ask your teacher to choose some words for you. This is very helpful. When you meet these words in your reading, you will feel easy, “Aha, I’ve known their meanings.” You will feel confident and more interested in reading.
2.Form a good habit of reading
If you are reading for meaning, try to read fast. Some students read very slowly. They think that reading slowly helps them understand better. That is not right. As a matter of fact, the faster you read, the better you understand. The expression “haste makes waste” does not apply to reading. Remember, nothing hurts concentration more than reading too slowly. Your mind will keep up with your reading speed if you ask it to. By always reading at your top speed, you challenge your understanding and make it easier for your mind to concentrate on the material. To improve your reading speed, you must get rid of the following bad habits:
a.Point to each word with a pen or a pencil while reading;
b.Read aloud in your mind, though other people cannot hear you reading;
c.Read back from time to time;
d.Consult the dictionary whenever you meet a new word.
A good reader should develop a correct method of reading. That is, to train himself to read attentively(not to read back) and silently(not to read aloud), sentence by sentence, not word by word. Whenever meeting a new word, try to guess the meaning from the context. Consulting the dictionary from time to time not only affects one’s reading speed and the comprehension of the reading material, but also will get the reader frustrated.
3. Use some reading techniques
SCANNING—You can get a good idea about the material by taking a few moments off to read the title, chapter headings, section titles and headlines. The purpose of scanning is to get a quick understanding of what you expect from the reading, so that you will know what you are reading as you go along.
4.Be confident and active in reading
Some students have no self-confidence in reading. Before reading, they fear that they cannot understand the passage. When they meet with new words, they will feel so nervous as to lose the courage to go on reading it. These students are defeated not by their weakness in English but by their lack of confidence.
We know that people read to get information or to learn and absorb or to enjoy themselves. So, when you are reading, there is no need to feel any pressure. Just try to get the information you need or enjoy yourself. But this is not enough. A good reader should also try to communicate with the author actively. Try to guess the author’s real meaning between the lines and don’t force your own thoughts upon the author’s. Even if there are some new words, that doesn’t matter much. You don’t have to know the exact meaning of every new word, just try to guess the word’s meaning from the context.
To become a good reader, you should also read often and read a lot. And to learn about English culture will be of GREat help, too.
