Many people have trouble with reading. Reading well takes practice! The most important thing to figure out is the purpose of your reading: looking at instructions to build furniture and studying a textbook are not the same thing! Once you’ve figured out your purpose, you can choose to focus on what are known as intensive reading techniques that stress things like vocabulary and speed, or instead on extensive techniques that will help you engage with the meaning of a text in a deeper way.There are 4 ways to improve your reading skills.
Method1:Prereading
Make sure you understand the type of text you have. Ask yourself: What type of work am I reading? Is it information-based, like a newspaper, textbook, or manual? Or is it more creative/artistic, like a novel or short story? This matters!
For instance, if you’re reading to follow instructions (like a recipe or assembly guide), you’ll need to understand the exact
meaning of each step.Decide on the purpose of your reading. Scan your reading before you begin.

Method2:Reading Intensively
Read intensively if you want to practice the fundamentals and learn vocabulary. Intensive reading is focused more on individual
details of what you’re reading. If you want to practice pronunciation, study grammar, or learn vocabulary, you’ll want to read
more slowly and focus more on individual words and sentences.
Look for just the gist of a text's meaning. Read out loud. This can improve your reading skills because it makes you be involved
with the text in two ways: with your eyes, as you look at the words, and with your ears, as you listen to them.
Try to guess the meaning of any new words. When you come to a word you don’t know, try not to reach for the dictionary right away. Instead, try to guess the meaning of the word based on the other words around it (the context).

Method3:Reading Extensively
Try extensive reading if you’re looking for understanding. Extensive reading works when you’re trying to determine the meaning of what you’re reading. This technique focuses on the overall picture. It’s best for things like studying a textbook, reading a newspaper article for information, or reading a book for school.

Take notes on your reading. If you want to read to understand something on a deeper level, like studying a textbook, it helps to
read more actively. Keep a notebook out and make notes on important things you notice as you read.

Annotate your reading. If you’re able to write in or mark up whatever it is you’re reading, this can also help increase your
understanding. For instance, you can underline or highlight important passages. You could also try things like circling key terms
and writing notes in the margins.

Review what you’re reading by summarizing it. Every so often, stop and write a few sentences in your notes to summarize what you’ ve read so far. Putting the main ideas into your own words and writing them out is a way of checking that you understand what you’ re reading. Going back over the material also helps you remember what you’ve read.

Identify key words and concepts. When you encounter a word or concept that seems essential to a text's meaning, make a note of it.

Method4:Staying Focused and Motivated

Read with a friend. Getting through a text can be easier and more fun when you’re not doing it alone. For instance, you can try
reading the same section of a text as your partner, then talking about it to make sure you both understood the main ideas.

Choose the right reading environment. If you really want to concentrate on your reading, step away from television, music, phones, computers, and chatty people. These distractions make it hard to focus, dragging out reading and causing frustration.
Try reading in a quiet, well-lit place with a desk and comfortable chair, if you can.

Use a pointer while reading if you have trouble focusing on the page. Take a bookmark, ruler, or small piece of paper and set it on the page you want to read. Slide it down so you can only read one line of text, then move it down to read the next line, and so on.
Doing this can make reading feel more manageable.

Read something you’re interested in, if you have a choice. It’s no surprise that you’ll be more motivated to read a text that
you genuinely care about. If you’re given the chance to select books or other things to read for yourself, seek out topics you are
interested in.

Track your progress. Keep records, like a list of books or articles you’ve gone through, and how many minutes you read each day. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished over time can encourage you to keep making progress.