Reading Skills

Preparing to Read

If you're reading for pleasure, the whole process is very natural - you pick up your book, get comfortable and begin...

But when you have to read something, suddenly reading becomes a bit more forced and difficult. You forget just how easy it is! So it's important to remind yourself how to get in the right situation to read well.

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Step 1:

Gather together everything you need.

As well as the book, you might need to have a relevant worksheet or lesson notes to refer to, pens and paper for note-taking, etc.

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Step 2:

Find the right spot.

If you're reading for pleasure, you probably like a big comfy chair, lying back in bed, or maybe a picnic blanket outside. There's no reason you can't use any of these for academic reading, but it does tend to work better if you're on a comfortable chair at a desk, so that, if you suddenly need to make notes, it's easy to do. This will also avoid bad posture causing a distraction.

Whatever works for you, make sure your spot is well lit and has as few distractions as possible. If you need to use music to help you focus, try to find songs without lyrics such as classical or instrumental music.

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Step 3:

Make sure you keep the text at a suitable distance from your eyes. The recommended distance is 45cm (18 inches) - any closer and you could give yourself eyestrain and possible headaches. A reading stand or prop is a good idea.

If you're reading from the screen, make sure you are not sitting too close for the same reasons - about 50-75cm (20-30 inches) away is recommended. Check the screen brightness and, if possible or needed, try and change the screen colour from bright white to something that feels more comfortable on your eyes.  Be sure to look regularly away and blink. 

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