Introduction

If you want to read well in English, you must think in English as you read. If you think in another language and translate from the English, you will always have difficulty with comprehension. Understanding the words and the grammar is not enough. You need to be able to follow the ideas in English.

Reading faster

There are two reasons for reading faster:

1. You can read more in less time

2. You can improve your comprehension

Here you read slowly, you read one word at a time. The words seem separated. Look at the words below , is it easy or difficult to understand them?

Reading comprehension is not a single step or easily acquired skill . It is a very complex process that teachers find difficult to teach. Comprehension is a process that involves

thinking, teaching, past experiences , and knowledge

It's harder to understand because the separate words become separate pieces of information that you must remember. By the time you get to the end of the sentence , you may have forgotten the beginning.

When you read faster , you understand better because you focus on the ideas by reading groups of words that are connected.

How to read faster

1. Skip over unknown words

In order to read faster, you must skip over words you don't know. You must also skip over many other words that are not important for the general meaning. You can get the important ideas from the text even with many words missing.

2. Check your reading habits

Certain reading habits may be slowing you down

1. Do you try to pronounce every word as you read? Pronunciation is not necessary for comprehension . In fact, if you try to say the words, even silently, you will probably understand less.

2. Do you move your lips while reading silently? This makes you read slowly

3. Do you follow the words in the text with your finger or a pencil? This limits the way you read because you can't skip around .Pointing at the words forces your eyes to follow the lines too closely . Your eyes should follow your thoughts not your finger

4. Do you translate into your native language as you read? Do you write translations of words in the English text? This will slow down you reading speed and it will interfere with your ability to think in English.

Causes and Problems

There are multiple reasons why some students have difficulty with reading comprehension. Some students have difficulties because they have not truly mastered reading fluently. When a student who is struggling to read words and focuses so hard on just saying the words correctly, they are not focusing on what they are reading. All of their cognitive ability is being put into properly calling out the correct words and little effort it put into the meaning of what is being read.

Reading strategies

To read effectively, you may need some strategies to help you deal with the texts. The following seven strategies are useful when you read:

I. Scanning

II. Skimming

III. Locating the main idea

IV. Understanding references

V. Making inferences

VI. Thinking logically

VII. Guessing meaning from contexts

I. Scanning الفحص الدقيق

Scanning is very high-speed reading that you do when you are looking for a specific piece of information. When you scan, you have a question in mind. You do not read every word, only key words that will answer your question. Practice in scanning will help you learn to skip over unimportant words so that you can read faster

II. Skimming التصفح

Skimming is another high-speed reading technique that can save you time and help you get through a text quickly. You skim to get the general sense of a passage, not specific details. When you skim, you should not read the whole text. Your eyes should move very quickly over the lines and you should read only the parts of the text that will help you answer the questions.