How To Read A Book

Lesson 1. Reading- A synopsis.

The traditional belief that reading helps to improve an individual’s understanding of the world has been questioned multiple times. With the advent of technology, it is easier for people to gain knowledge via television or radio. But these new tools of learning bombard individuals with an array of complex elements. This hampers the thinking ability of the person as he or she accepts whatever information is thrown at them without much processing. Thus, reading does have an edge over most other sources which are used for learning.

People believe that reading is passive because writing and speaking are termed active. But it is impossible to practice passive reading; being active is mandatory. Reading complements writing, and the absence of readers will decrease the importance of writers. The art of reading is as complex as writing. A successful reader is the one who can correctly comprehend what the writer tries to convey through their work. The process of reading starts with the mind understanding less, and ends at it understanding more of what is written, without any external assistance.

There are two aspects to reading a book. You either read about something you know or about things that you don’t know. There is no additional information gained in the former, but the latter adds to your knowledge database. There exists a significant difference between learning by discovery and learning by instruction. When one learns via directives, the action is based on someone else’s perception and interpretation. On the other hand, when you try to learn via discovery, we use our mind to think and understand. Thus, the process of observing, imagining, remembering, analyzing and reflecting, enhances our knowledge. 

There are four levels of reading. These levels are cumulative, so the last level includes the preceding three.

The first level is known as ‘Elementary Reading’. It is the most basic form of reading which we encounter during our initial days of school. Learning this type of reading is the first step towards understanding things that are written.

The second level is called ‘Inspectional Reading’. In this form of reading, the student has to decide and establish a time-frame for the allocated reading material. It uses the technique of skimming while reading.

The third level refers to ‘Analytical Reading’. It is more demanding as compared to the other forms of reading. This form of reading is performed when an individual is assigned a particular set of reading material and is given unlimited time to read it. 

The last level is ‘Syntopical Reading’.