3 MINS
Reading Strategies
Video Transcript
Improve your reading skills to get the most out of written messages.
For most of us, reading is a fundamental part of our work. But have you ever considered how you read, and do you sometimes struggle to take it all in?
In this video, we'll explore five ways to read faster and smarter.
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I often feel that there are so many books and so much stuff to read and so little time! To be honest (also depends on what I read)...I also find skimming quite difficult at times for exactly the same reason. However, I have learnt to do so simply because when you read through all the info it becomes apparent that everything isn't important. What a privilege to be able to read though...imagine where we would have been without it!
Kind regards
Yolandé
I have a lot of reading, from reading for uni to reading for work to reading mindtools. It's overwhelming at times. A tip I was given by my brother for uni reading was to skim and get an idea on a few of the reading materials and know in depth on one reading material.
For work articles I have found that I read books as references alot. I still haven't got hold of skimming because I'm afraid I might miss out on that gem of an information that is going to make a difference.
Reading for pleasure is the nicest and easiest!
Great article on reading strategies. I do use a number of these strategies when I read and tailor the strategy to the my purpose. I have two other strategies that I use when reading: read critically and determine whether the material is supported by solid research.
First, what do I mean by reading critically? I read with an eye to determining the speakers point of view and the underlying perspective or theory being communicated. Everyone has a point of view and that perspective is shaped by foundational beliefs. Who is speaking? What group or point of view does he/she respresent? What is the reader's intent?
Second, I review a book or article to determine the research behind it. Knowing this information helps me to determine how the reader is making his/her conclusions and what might be absent from the discussion. So, I check the end of each chapter, the footnotes and endnotes. The research notes also lead you to other writers should you want to investigate ideas further.
You might ask why I would use these two additional reading strategies. Earlier in my career I was more easily swayed by the popular business press. Later, I started looking behind what was being written to determine if what was being said was merely opinion or well substantiated with solid research. Having this distinction helped me to distinguish fad from fact.
Zuni