Recently, there have been many articles about students entering college who lack basic reading skills. Some have never completely read a book. Many reasons are offered for this, but whatever the reasons, reading is a skill that everyone should have.

My youngest daughter struggled with reading while in grade school. Then, in fifth grade she discovered R. L. Stine and fell in love with the books. I have always had an extensive personal library, and soon she was pouring through the books that I had, reading extensively. In her college history class, the instructor passed out a list of novels and told students that they would need to each pick one to read. My daughter asked if she should select one she hadn't already read. "How many of these have you read," he asked her. "Most of them."

A friend of mine read her first novel as a sophomore in college. The novel? Twilight. She found it so interesting that she began reading other books in that series, then branched out to read more books, including those books that teachers had been recommending for years but which she had avoided. She became so fascinated with reading that she graduated with a master's degree in reading instruction and works now in a university helping students to read.

The best way to become a better reader is to read. My advice is read anything that captures your interest. Then try something new. I did not learn to read in first grade until changing schools midyear. My teacher started me on the Dick and Jane books. Before long, I caught up with the other students in my class, and by the end of first grade, I was reading silently without subvocalizing. My parents did not have books around the house, but, fortunately, the school participated in the Scholastic Book Services program. Books were 25 and 35 cents. I didn't get an allowance, but I was given a quarter each week to buy milk at school. I saved my quarters to buy books. I could usually also talk my mom into giving me another dollar for books, so I gradually built a personal library. My grade school did not have a library, but each teacher had a collection of books in their room. I read through those, and I borrowed books from anyone who had them. By the time, I had graduated high school, I had read thousands of books, and those in my personal library I had often read multiple times. I read my copy of the Whitman Children's Classic edition of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn so many times, that despite my best efforts, the book fell apart. I'm giving this personal example to say that once people become hooked on reading, they don't want to stop.

If you have children, read aloud to them. This is not only good for them, but it can help you with your own reading skills. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library provides books to any child from birth to age 5 each month for free. I've included a link in the resources section below.

Used book stores are a great place to find books to read. My oldest daughter has a knack for finding used books for a nickle or a dime at our local used book store. Project Gutenberg (see link below) has over 70,000 free books in various electronic formats. There are also a variety of web sites that offer free audio books online (just search for "free audio books online").

Not All Books Should Be Read the Same Way

This may surprise some people, but different kinds of writing require different kinds of reading (see Four Kinds of Reading). Textbooks require a slower kind of reading than a light popular novel. Poetry (including the Psalms in the Bible) are appreciated best when read aloud. Drama is easier to read in conjunction with watching the play performed. Oftentimes, the way a work is read depends on why it is being read. Adventure stories, popular novels of science fiction, fantasy, romance, or horror are often read very quickly. However, some of these novels, because of the density of their ideas, are better read more slowly and reflectively. Literary novels using require a slower, more thoughtful reading.

Don't neglect the value of taking notes while reading, talking to others, or reflecting on what you are reading. It also helps, sometimes to look up the meaning of words or to look up references made to other works of literature, studies by other people in the same field, or any other references or allusions within the writing. With literature, in particular, there is a sense that every work has connections to every other work ever written.

I've also found that memorizing can help in understanding or appreciating a work, whether a poem, a passage in a novel, or an inspiring passage in a sacred text.

S Q 4 R

S Q 4 R is a common teaching tool to help students become better readers of academic works like textbooks.

Other Resources

There are a number of books and internet resources that are useful in helping people understand and appreciate what they are reading. Following is a list of resources on reading, sources for reading materials, and commentaries on reading.

Note: The quotations listed here are from "80 Inspiring Quotes About Books and Reading." Celadon Books. 2018-2024. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://celadonbooks.com/inspiring-quotes-about-books-and-reading/>.