Basic education did well in teaching you how to read. You started with alphabet, gradually to words and sentences. Eventually you can read a paragraph.
Well done! But the that’s only half of story. It is incomplete. If you stop there, you will never become a complete reader. There is much more than to read.
Why you can’t get most out of reading?
Because you can’t grasp the reading material context. There are two possible causes for this issue.
First, the way the reading material designed is horrible. Bad Title, unfocused subject, etc.
Second is because you are reading in passive mode. In passive mode, it is easy for your mind to wander. You might find yourself lost in thought.
By the time you were aware, you already on a different line of paragraph, completely clueless of the material content.
The title already scream about the context, but you were unaware of it.
Fortunately, there is a way to increase your capability to grasp context significantly! You start by asking this question…
What is the author trying to convey?
Every reading material is written with a purpose behind it. Once you understand what the author tries to convey, you are equipped with context.
It is easier to understand reading material when you have context. It gives you a mental scope of what to expect in the reading material.
Sometime, you can immediately grasp the author’s writting intention by reading the first sentence. But often time, title alone is enough to understand the context.
Question keep you engaged
Questioning author writting intention is a great way to keep you engaged. However, you may found yourself hesitate to ask question. Because of how slow it is
Many people misunderstand what reading actually is. They think the goal is to keep going non-stop, turn page after page and call it a day.
However, reading actually looks something like this.
The ideal process of reading involve pause and contemplation. You try to digest what you read, asking question after question about the topic you are reading.
It is a process you should enjoy. Reading can be fast, it doesn’t have to be slow, but you must not hurry.
Thank you for reading!
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