Reading is not simply an important professional skill, it is also a way to enjoy informative, creative and inspiring works of literature that enrich our life experiences. Like any other skill worth mastering, it takes time and dedication to develop a reading habit. However, it is a permanent source of joy and entertainment, and an affordable pastime for anyone who wants to read a book.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Developing a Reading Habit
Step 1. Improve your reading skills
Start practicing good reading skills so that you will develop your reading habit and enjoy your reading to the fullest. For example, do the following:
- Read the content. During the reading, you will have to read the main idea of each paragraph, along with the supporting reasons. If you want to learn old-fashioned reading skills, it can be helpful to read with a pencil in hand to make notes or underline the key ideas in each paragraph.
- Look for the unknown words. If you know English, Merriam Webster Online is a fantastic and thorough resource where you will find the definitions of unknown words. Just underline or list unfamiliar words. When you come to a good stopping point, recheck each word by reading the sentence in which it appears again. This will be useful to contextualize the word and its use, in case it has different meanings.
- Learn to understand the context. If you come across unfamiliar words or ideas, the literary, historical, or social context often provides clues as to what the character or writer is talking about. This might require a little outside research, so you can find out about the different levels of context that a text presents.
- Know the literary resources. Knowing common literary tactics will be essential to becoming a better reader, particularly if you are a fan of novels or short stories. Understanding common tools like metaphor, hyperbole, parallel structure, personification, and alliteration can greatly enrich the reading experience.
- Do not rush. You should never rush if you are going to read to learn and enjoy it. Instead, take your time and nurture your skills and development at your own pace. Don't be discouraged if you read slowly, particularly at the beginning. Every day, as you read, your mind will re-apply the reading tactics it has learned before, which often happens more and more effectively.
Step 2. Have your reading materials on hand
A basketball player cannot practice if he does not have his ball and his shoes ready. Reading is similar to any other skill. Here are some suggested ways you can always have fresh reading material on hand:
- Subscribe to magazines. Trade or special interest magazines are a good way to keep current reading materials on hand. There are also literary magazines such as Harper’s or The New Yorker (available in the US) that provide creative or fictional texts.
- Go to the library. Even the smallest city has a library full of books that you can check out for free. If you haven't gotten a library card yet, get one and find out what your local libraries can provide.
- You can get an e-book reader. Barnes and Noble and Amazon sell e-readers and a large selection of digital books, and allow the latter to be borrowed. Libraries also often allow e-books to be borrowed for free.
- Look on the Internet. The web pages of university libraries usually provide on the Internet the full texts of literary works with a prior registration of copyright. For example, Ibiblio currently leads the "Gutenberg project" through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This project currently has almost 50,000 essays, novels and novels and short stories; In addition, it adds an average of 50 new novels a week.
Step 3. Find ways to connect reading to your everyday life
If you integrate reading into your daily schedule, you can develop your reading skills more easily. Here are some ways you can do it.
- Join a book club. These usually have meetings once a week or twice a month, and are a good way to motivate yourself to read and also to meet people who are also committed to good reading habits. In addition, book clubs allow you to discuss what you read and provide the benefit of conversing with a variety of smart and interested readers.
- Download a news collector. There are several free services such as Feedly or Digg that allow you to follow blogs, newspapers and magazines online through a search engine platform, and which also organize what you read in folders and classifications taking into account the “read” versus the “unread” items.”.
- Find a time and place to read. Do you have a favorite table in a coffee shop or a quiet corner of your house where you would like to snuggle up and relax? Find a place that encourages your own reading habit. Set aside a constant time to enjoy your space and always carry what you are reading.
- Set daily or weekly goals. There is no set speed at which you must complete a book or magazine; However, if you are an ambitious reader and have a reading list that you want to read with eagerness, a good way to satisfy these ambitions is to set reasonable reading goals. For example, set a goal that you will read one hour a day, or that you will read one chapter of the book or 10 pages of the magazine that you are currently reading.
Part 2 of 3: Choosing what to read
Step 1. Consider your hobbies and personal interests
Reading can be more interesting and satisfying if you read about topics that matter to you.
Look for blogs, books, and magazines that address your own hobbies and interests to encourage reading and maximum enjoyment
Step 2. Get your friends to give you recommendations
Word of mouth is usually a useful tool to guide our reading options.
- Chat with your friends or search for readers on the Internet who have the same interests as you. Find out what books they have enjoyed.
- If you know English, Goodreads.com is a good resource for book recommendations with detailed descriptions.
- Visit your local book store, if there is one. Generally, the employees of these stores love to read and will be happy to recommend their favorite books. If you have an independent bookstore or used bookstore, this will be even better.
Step 3. Read the classics
To be a good reader, you will have to know what good texts look like. Try the books that have shaped the history of the West on your own, while keeping the following in mind:
- Learn how to expand that search, and also look for books that are classics in other parts of the world.
- Discover how each generation of writers declares, acknowledges and reinterprets the vital facts of history in their own generation.
Step 4. Find out what the critics are saying
They say that we are all critical and that taste is relative; however, trends arise due to certain cultural situations that impact and become relevant to many people at once. Here are some benefits of reading book reviews:
- Develop a new set of reading skills. Reading criticism is different from reading fiction or non-fiction. Develop your learning skills to understand the purpose and usefulness of literary criticism.
- Get information about a book without having to buy it. Reviews are a good way to anticipate and decline potential book purchases. In addition, they are a good way to learn how to compose your own tastes as a reader.
- Start an informed conversation. Perhaps you and your book club recently read a book that got a bad review in the New York Times. Talk about the review and point out the key points the reviewer brings up. See what other people think. Make up your own opinion about the book.
Step 5. Make a reading list
It is essential that you keep track of the books, magazines, and blogs that pique your interest so that you will know what to read after you finish the book you are reading. Goodreads.com is a suitable page to keep track of; however, even a page in a personal journal is adequate to control what you hope to read in the future.
Part 3 of 3: Make Reading a Lifetime Commitment
Step 1. Volunteer as a reader
Schools, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and even shelters appreciate the services of volunteer readers. Volunteering as a reader is an important service for the following reasons:
- Not all children are with their parents at home long enough to develop good reading habits. In single parent, multi-child households, the parent may find it difficult to provide one-on-one reading assistance to a child who is struggling. By volunteering, you can shape a child's educational future and career possibilities.
- Not all adults can read. There are a number of reasons why people reach adulthood without having learned the alphabet, which reduces the possibilities of work and the ability to have an independent life. By being a volunteer adult reader, you will be able to positively influence the lives and self-esteem of people in need.
- You can allow people to learn throughout their lives. Reading is probably no longer an option for older people with vision problems. If they enjoyed reading earlier in life and someone starts reading to them, this will not just be a learning experience. This can provide companionship, friendship, and a mutual exchange of knowledge.
- Also, some communities may have a volunteer program where you can record textbooks and other written materials that people who are blind or dyslexic will be able to listen to.
Step 2. Start or participate in a book exchange program
Search the Internet through resources like paperbackswap.com or locate a used book store in your area that participates in a book exchange.
Book exchanges are a useful and inexpensive way to keep your bookshelf full, particularly if you like to read popular fiction, romance novels, or science fiction
Step 3. Attend book festivals
Do you want to learn about the new authors and meet the ones you have already read? Book festivals are a great opportunity to do both. In addition, these provide other benefits such as the following:
- Books on sale. Publishers and book sellers attend book festivals and often offer deals on the books of authors who attend the festival.
- Get a book signed for you. Authors are frequently asked to attend book festivals to promote their work, particularly if they have just published their work. Book signings will allow you to enjoy literature and, at the same time, create a family heirloom.
- Enjoy them reading for you. Festivals often have guest authors read excerpts from their most recent works, or organize public readings to encourage interest in or commemorate talented authors.
Step 4. Have a reading blog
This is a good way to remember books you've enjoyed, critique books you didn't like, and keep track of what you've already read. In addition, a reading blog allows the following:
- Helps meet people. Make your posts public and allow random people on the internet to enjoy and even comment on your thoughts.
- Lets practice writing. Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin. If you can write well, and even imitate the writing styles that you like, this will be a good exercise. This also requires you to become your own editor, as you will need to review what you have written in order to ensure quality and accuracy.
Step 5. Learn to read other languages
If you like to read texts in your own language, choose a new language that you can learn. You can start reading in another language by doing the following:
- Get a dictionary for the language of your choice. Get one at the library or buy a copy at a book store.
- Start by reading children's books. Books for young school-age children are made up of simple, clear passages and have a basic vocabulary that describes common life events that are easy to translate. Learning to read at this basic level can set you up for more advanced reading.
- Choose the translation of a poem. Choose a well-known poet who writes in the language you have chosen to learn, and find a version of his book that has versions in his native language and yours. Read slowly and carefully, and compare the translation with the original version. Identify the way in which certain concepts have been translated along with the language used to describe them. This is an effective way to understand not only a new language, but also a new culture.