How To Read More And Effectively?

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by Rihana, Jan 21, 2017.

  1. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

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    @Rihana

    I am more into ebook now as I worry about carbon footprint, though anyday i would love printed books.I somehow stay away from audiobooks I prefer listening to music while reading. Being a voracious reader I find time even if it takes a dent on my sleep time sometimes. I can't sleep without reading.

    What helps

    I try reading related books together and the best motivator is when you have somebody you can talk about it.

    I also tag or star or flag the important points. Sometimes they influence my status or I share them on whatsapp with my family and a few close friends.


    To keep reading read books that interest you involve you and inspire you to pick the next book until you don't mind reading anything printed
     
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  2. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Instrumental music or with lyrics also? If the latter, or even with the former, you are able to focus on the words you are reading? I won't be able to even follow a recipe if am listening to music.

    A related question about kids studying with music, do say something if possible:
    Adda Da Hangout!
     
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  3. SassySalsa

    SassySalsa Bronze IL'ite

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    I carry the book in my bag that I intend on reading everywhere, to the doctors appointment, while waiting to pickup my kid from school and swim lessons, and so on. In this way I read more, not sure how effectively though. Also, I like to wake up earlier than the rest of the family members, to enjoy my java, some reading and my quiet "me time" peacefully without any interruptions:).
     
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  4. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

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    We are into music as a family ri. I am more into instrumental while my kids listen to anything they like, and even while they prepare for exams they listen to music.they tell me they do find it comforting and helps them concentrate. And i have even cooked while reading while the music plays on. So maybe we are crazy.
     
  5. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    There is a lot to say on the subject but one quick tip is to be mindful of subvocalization -- reading out loud in your head. Do you enunciate the words in your head while reading in silence? Try to avoid it. It slows you down considerably. It can, however, be helpful if you are easily distracted. On occasion, when I find myself reading the same lines over and over again, I subvocalize to focus my attention. But for a seasoned reader, it is a handicap.

    Some tips on reducing subvocalization -- Speed Reading Tips: 5 Ways to Minimize Subvocalization
     
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  6. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    One of my resolutions this year is to read more, and quite surprisingly, this one has been an unqualified success so far. As of today I have read 11 books in 2017. This is more than I managed to read in the whole of 2016. Some of these were short novellas, a few others were rereads of old favorites, but overall I have averaged one book every 4-5 days. I gave some thought to what I'm doing differently this time, and came up with a few ideas that I think will be helpful to anyone wanting to up their reading game.

    Read, read, read


    This might seem obvious but to read more you have to consciously make reading a priority. Most people place reading at the bottom of their everyday activity list, and allocate leftover leisure time for the task. This usually amounts to no time, or like me you end up reading two pages right before bedtime and fall asleep having accomplished next to nothing. If you want to read more you can't leave reading for the time you have left, you have to take time from all the useless activities that crowd your day. You must allocate a fixed time-period meant only for reading and treat it as sacrosanct. These days I read for 20 minutes first thing in the morning, before the rest of the family wakes up. It is a meditative experience and puts me in a tranquil state of mind. I usually read for another 20 minutes in the evening and again at bedtime. This adds up to an hour of dedicated reading almost everyday.

    Make better use of unavoidable downtime

    One of the biggest changes I have made this year is how I use my idle time. Waiting for a coffee at Starbucks, have 10 minutes before a meeting or appointment, watching the water boil while making tea, standing in line at the dry cleaner-- normally I would pull out my phone and browse Google news, or IndusLadies. Now, I pull up the Kindle app and read. A few pages here and there add up to a lot of reading over the course of the day.

    Make your books accessible

    Carry a book everywhere. The easiest way to do this is to use an ebook reader like the Kindle and its app. The Kindle app syncs with your Amazon account and keeps track of current page, bookmarks and highlights, making it easy to pick up where you left off. You can read at your desk, on your phone and your device, switching seamlessly from one to the other. My library allows me to check out ebooks and read them on my Kindle. If you find it hard to let go of your paper tomes, then by all means buy one of those bottomless tote bags and exercise those biceps. Whatever you do never go anywhere without your book!

    Make a reading goal

    Two ways to stick to a reading goal is to either, read a predetermined number of pages everyday, or to read for a fixed amount of time everyday. I try to read a book every 5 days. To keep up with this goal I divide the number of pages by 5 and try my best to read 20% of the book daily. I don't always meet my target but I make up the slack by reading much much more over the weekend. If you prefer a more leisurely approach to reading I would suggest reading for a predetermined amount of time everyday. This could be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or more. The idea is to devote that time to reading no matter what. The number of pages read is immaterial. What is important is to consistently stick to your time goal. If you can do that you will surprise yourself with how much you end up reading.

    Focus

    Multitasking does not work. Not for me, and I suspect not for a vast majority of people. TV running in the background, listening to music, stopping every so often to check FaceBook or IL, none of these are conducive to mindful reading. Eliminate all distractions when you read. Get your favorite beverage, find a quiet spot and immerse yourself into your book. It is a pleasure quite unlike anything else.

    Reading faster

    Reading speed is dependent on a bunch of different factors -- Genre, author's writing style, your familiarity with the subject and your interest level. If you are new to dedicated reading, keep at it. The more you read the more efficient you will become. Reading speed can be improved simply by reading more mindfully, and for most people this is enough. After all the point is to enjoy the book. Clustering books on same subject matter together can also help improve speed. Familiarity with the subject matter makes it easier to absorb information at faster pace. If reading faster is a priority then you can learn and practice the basics of speed reading. A number of websites and books offer practically applicable tips and tricks to help you increase your reading speed. Personally I find that increased speed comes at the cost of comprehension; not a worthwhile trade off in my opinion.

    Reading dense and dry material

    Recently I picked up Kip Thorne's 'The Science of Interstellar' and found it very difficult to get through it. Though ostensibly targeted to a lay audience, the book is mathematically dense. Despite having an advanced degree in engineering I found myself struggling to make sense of the material which is heavy with concepts from theoretical physics. When faced with a book on a dry and difficult subject matter, I prefer to do a quick read of the material, skimming over portions that aren't immediately accessible. The idea is to familiarize myself with the content, and prime my mind to receive information. During the first read I don't expect more than 20% retention. I put the book away for a few days/weeks and read something else. Then I pick it up for a second read which is slow and focused. I have found that using this approach drastically improves both understanding and retention.

    Above all, have fun!

    Finally, if you get stuck while reading a book, stop and put it away. Don't struggle to finish it. Reading should be pleasurable and relaxing. If you have to make yourself reach for a book, it defeats the purpose. There is no shame in walking away from books that don't tickle your imagination and moving on to something new and exciting. There are thousands and thousands of books waiting to be read. There is simply no reason to force yourself to read something you don't enjoy. Read what you like and have fun doing it!
     
  7. Nonya

    Nonya Platinum IL'ite

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    I get a magazine that is so densely packed with words, I could never get through it in a week, before the next issue gets to the mailbox.
    A while back I had a good friend who would read everything in the last half of the magazine... and I will read everything that came before the binding staples. And then we wrote several emails to one another during the week. The emails happind whether or not we had stuff to read, so the "don't miss this one" with excerpts was easy to do.
    We had become lazy... and these days we use skype to chat... and whatever we say on the phone doesn't seem to stick as a reminder as a written email did.
    I do carry reading matter on the iphone everywhere. And read a paragraph in a restaurant, some on the parkbench, some on the busstand etc.. I could never catch up.
     
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  8. rachaputi

    rachaputi Platinum IL'ite

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    I complete, after distractions only :nomouth:

    Or I first read gossips, movie news, history to take my mind to comfort zone
     
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  9. kaniths

    kaniths IL Hall of Fame

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    Hmmmm I see you are working on your other resolution too. ;) Good compilation here Modji, did manage to read till the last word without yawning away in the middle or skipping at the very sight of the post's length, something I do often in IL. Kudos!
     
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  10. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @Rihana, My apologies for this interruption. I would like to learn a little more about what @Gauri03 is saying here as an important tips to read more both qualitatively and quantitatively with good comprehension.

    What is the average number of pages in each book? How many of them are subjects of great interest to you out of your own assessment and how many are referenced by someone known to you?

    I used to have the same problem of staying awake while reading as most reading is done by me before going to bed. I used to go early to bed to get specific read time, have a target to finish a chapter or two depending on the size and summarize the content in the mind (mental bookmark) so that when I start again, these summary becomes handy for continuity. May be this is unique because of my poor memory.

    Somehow, I am very unsuccessful in doing this primarily because my comprehension is better in a particular environment, time and space. Moreover, electronic reading is only for search and I have to either have a hard book or audio to comprehend better. My comprehension substantially improves if it is audio, PowerPoint or video.

    A very interesting tip. I will plan to increase the reading time slowly because I am still struck with environment, time and space.

    I couldn't agree more. I learned this the hard way. I used to make fun of my dad that he was a slow reader. Now, I understand the benefit of reading at the right pace which increases comprehension substantially.

    I can't thank you enough for this tip. My ego prevents me from putting away a book until I understand especially if it is strongly recommended by someone or selected for reading by myself. This is a fascinating suggestion. I agree with you that the second read gives much better comprehension if the subject is intense.

    A very important suggestion. Time is more valuable than money. Just because of the investment in a book, it doesn't have to be read if it is not interesting. Sometimes, the Preface, Recommendations of other authors, initial chapter, etc. are very impressive to make someone buy a book.

    Viswa
     
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