Reading is great because it allows you to learn and reinforce vocabulary. You learn the vocabulary in its context, together with another relevant vocabulary, and you also get the most frequently used and useful words.
It can also broaden your overall understanding of what you are reading by enabling you to explore themes, motifs and other components of text that you otherwise wouldn’t inquire about.
Using context clues to understand what you are reading, even if you do not know all the terminology used. Context clues can be found in the words and sentences surrounding that word.
Identifying the main idea of a paragraph or article can help you determine the importance of the article. Understanding why what you’re reading is important can give you a better comprehension of what the author is trying to convey.
A great way to increase your knowledge of what you have read is to write a summary. Summarizing requires you to decide what is important in the text and then put it in your own words.
If you are reading longer or more challenging text, consider breaking it up into smaller sections. For example, you could read two paragraphs at a time and then pause to quickly summarize what you just read in your mind.
Pacing yourself is also an effective way to work on your reading comprehension skills by allowing you to set realistic goals for your reading practice and habits.
When you are distracted, your ability to understand what you are reading is negatively affected. When reading—even if it's a simple email—remove distractions and focus only on the text.