We know, for example, that there is a strong connection between your reading skills and your academic success. And there is a building body of evidence that shows a connection between your reading skills and reading activity and your business success as well as relationship success.

Obviously, there are a few people who manage to do very well for themselves without the ability to read, but they are by far the exception, as is evidenced by the headlines that flood the news outlets when the secret is revealed.

More than ever, those with reading deficiencies will be crippled by them ... far more than most physical disabilities they might have. With technology constantly advancing and phasing out menial jobs, those who can't read ... or can't read well ... or don't take the time to read ... will be hard pressed to find long-term work.

Worse yet, BeginToRead.com says illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, "The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure." Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.

Simply put, if can't read well or if you don't take time to read some of the great stuff coming out in every possible field, you are condemning yourself to a very bleak personal and professional future.

So please, please, please, don't cop out and say you're too busy to read what you need to learn to improve your life, your relationships, and your career. As Confucius said centuries ago, "No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." And that is something you cannot afford.

If you will take the time to improve your reading skills and/or increase your reading time, you can expect to receive a host of benefits.

2. Reading success leads to academic success.

As educator and author Todd Christian observed, "It's not a coincidence that the students who excel academically are the same kids who seem to constantly have a novel as they walk from class to class. In my years of teaching, I cannot recall ever issuing a single failing grade to one of those book lovers."

Despite the irrefutable connection between reading success and academic success, it's somewhat amazing how little time our culture devotes to this vital skill. At present, parents and educators only have a few days ... a fraction of the child's whole life to get them set up for success.

A school year is approximately 140 days long, if you account for some vacation time and sick time. Kindergarten through the end of third grade is 4 years of schooling x 140 days or 560 days total. Your average life span is around 70 years or 25,550 days. In essence, all we have is about 2% of a child's lifetime to give them reading skills that will have an impact on them for the remaining 98% of their lives!

If you're a parent, get your kids to read more and more. And if you're a team leader, supervisor, or manager, get your team mates on a reading schedule. After all, the National Reading Panel 2000 concluded, "There is ample evidence that one of the major differences between poor and good readers is the difference in the quantity of total time they spend reading."

3. Reading activity leads to professional success.

W. Fusselman proclaimed, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." And President Harry S. Truman told everyone, "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers."

From first-hand experience I know that is the truth. As a professional speaker, I've had the opportunity to speak in hundreds and hundreds of organizations. And I've worked directly with many of their top leaders, and they're always talking about what they're reading and what they're learning.

Just this last week, I spoke at the all-company meeting for BeckAg, an incredibly innovative, tech-savy, agricultural communication company. As I was eating dinner with Stephanie Liska, the President of BeckAg, she turned to me and asked what was the best book I've read recently and shared the books that had the biggest impact on her personal and professional lives.

The experience was not an unusual one for me. Time after time, I've had Presidents, CEO's, CFO's, VP's, business owners and the like talk to me about the books they're reading and the difference it's making. I know for a fact that leaders are readers.

The lesson seems to be inescapable. If you want to get ahead, be better, or have more, you need to be an active reader.

4. Reading opens up a world of opportunities.

It was one of Walt Disney's secrets of success. He knew "there is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."

And Todd Christian went on to say, "One thing is undeniable: being able to read and comprehend at a high level not only improves your chances of success, but it opens up an infinite variety of avenues of success for your choosing."

You see ... if you are a poor reader or if you don't bother to read, you can get by in life and at work with a well-honed skill. But chances are, that's where you'll be stuck all your life. You'll be on narrow, single-lane road, with no exits. However, with the ability to learn on your own through reading, the roads to success can be as numerous and wide as a Texas road map. For those who read actively and enthusiastically, for those who are hungry to learn, every road branches into new possibilities, and their adaptability and broad range of knowledge will allow them to exit at any time and simply choose another route.

As Joseph Brodsky notes, "There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."

And finally, to make reading work for you, to make reading a part of your pathway to success, there's one more thing you've got to do.

5. Read before you need to.

When I finish my presentations at association or company meetings, a vast number of people will rush to the back of the room to buy my books. Of course that's nice. I'm hoping they'll read something that will make a big, positive, and lasting difference.

It's even nicer yet when some of those people write me later to tell me how my book changed their lives or their careers.

Unfortunately, I also receive a number of sad notes, all with the same theme: "If only I had read this book years ago." One man told me, "If I had read your book on 'THE BRAVE QUESTION PAYOFF: Building Better Relationships By Asking All The Right Questions,' I would still be married. I finally understand what my wife was talking about when she said we never communicated. Now I know how to build a better relationship, but my wife is gone."

Another person said, "I was promoted to supervisor because I was really good at what I did, but I never got any real training in how to lead or motivate anyone else. So I just stumbled along in my new role and ended up creating a negative work environment with poor morale. If only I had read your book on 'PIVOT: How One Turn In Attitude Can Lead To Success,' I could have saved a lot of hurt feelings and turmoil in my department."

And just this last week, someone else e-mailed me, saying, "Our leaders are always talking about the importance of exceptional customer service, and I'm all for getting better at customer service. The question is ... 'HOW are we supposed to do it?' Then someone gave me a copy of your book on 'The Service Payoff: How Customer Service Champions Outserve And Outlast The Competition.' What a godsend. If only we had this material in our department a long time ago, we'd be so much further ahead today in building customer loyalty."

As I finish this "Tuesday Tip," you may be tempted to think that an article on reading for my 100,000 "Tuesday Tip" subscriber might seem rather elementary ... even beneath you. But don't ever minimize the importance of reading ... or even teaching reading to your kids or team mates. As Louisa Moats puts it, "Teaching reading IS rocket science."

And William Faulkner, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, summarized his philosophy of success by saying, "Read, read, read."

It(reading) makes a man...

What a wonderful write up!!! thanks for contribution

Reading expands the mind... nice one OP

Thank you.

Please dallyemmy, How can one read and understand? What strategies can one use to read and retain what he/she read?

Olasco93:
Please dallyemmy,
How can one read and understand?
What strategies can one use to read and retain what he/she read?

Reading Strategies


For that reason, I’ve compiled 7 effective reading strategies, which will enable you to not only read more, but to fully understand and enjoy what you’ve read.

So, without further ado, here are:

7 Effective And Simple Reading Strategies To Help You Read More Effectively

1. Before Reading – Ask Questions

Before you start reading a book, you will have a basic idea of what the book is about. This allows you to ask yourself 3 simple questions before you start to read. They are:

– What do I already know?

– What more do I want to know?

– I wonder if…

The answers to these questions will give you a foundation to build on and something which you’re looking to get out of the book. This means you’re not just reading without an objective, but instead you’re actively looking to learn something from the book.

2. During Reading – Take small pauses and ask more questions

As you’re reading, you need to take small and intermittent pauses to ensure that what you’re reading is sticking. Ask yourself the following questions as you’re reading.

– Does this make sense?

– How does this information connect to what I already know?

– What does the writer say about…?

– What does the writer mean about…?

– I still need to know more about…?

By asking yourself these questions as you read, you are constantly evaluating whats being said. By looking at what the author is explaining, as well as the meaning behind it, you will understand the thinking process more effectively. You are also continuing to look for more specific information in the upcoming text.

Reading strategies - take a pause
Reading Strategies – How To Read

3. During Reading – Take A Longer Pause After A Difficult Section

You want to make sure you are fully understanding what is being said, so when you come across a particularly difficult part of the text, its important to stop and do the following:

– Pause and think about what was discussed

– Break the text into smaller chunks

– Look up words which you didn’t understand

– Build yourself a short summary of what you read

– Discuss what you read with someone



These steps will make sure you have fully processed and understood this section before you move on.

4. During Reading – Visualize

To better understand what you’re reading, its important to make visual representations of what is being discussed by:

– Picturing what…might look like

– Creating a mental image of a system or a process working

This will help you remember not only what you read and understood, but how it looks as it is functioning.

5. During Reading – Make Connections

A critical part of learning and understanding something new is to connect it with pieces of information that you already understand. You will already know about certain parts of what you’re reading from previous texts, your own personal experience and other people so you will be able to add to that base.

Reading strategies - take notes
Reading Strategies – Take Notes
6. During Reading – Take Good Notes

The best way to take notes during reading is:

– Look for the main ideas and focus on those

– Use words you understand

– Make the notes as brief as possible

– Use simple headings and sub headings to organize your notes

– Constantly review, add and revise as necessary while you continue to read

7. After Reading – Find The Main Ideas

You’ve completed the book, made effective notes, took time to reflect and understand as you read and asked yourself good questions as you read. Now that the book is done, you need to think about the important ideas in the book.

Ask yourself the following:

– What was the most important thing you remember about the book?

– What was the main message of the book?

– What do the ideas in this book relate to?

– What could be the biases of this book?

– What did this book leave out?

The last question will give you the opportunity to do some research and find another book to continue your learning, make connections, and continue to read more effectively.

We hope you find these reading strategies helpful. For more infor

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what of those that read but can't assimilate
how can they break the jinx

Destinygrl:
what of those that read but can't assimilate

how can they break the jinx

Just pray to God to give you the grace to assimilate

dallyemmy:
Just pray to God to give you the grace to assimilate

you think its spiritual?
sometime reading for hours but still can't assimilate anything

Destinygrl:

you think its spiritual?
sometime reading for hours but still can't assimilate anything

The amount of material that is actually read by a person has a positive or negative affect on reading ability. Many students do not read unless it is for an assignment in school. Any type of reading, such as fiction, nonfiction, news, magazine articles, recipes, instructions, reviews, and so on, would help a person become a better reader. Certainly, reading something the person finds interesting would be best.

yh tnz

Destinygrl:
what of those that read but can't assimilate

how can they break the jinx

let me understand you here!
1 You read understand but don't retain?
2 you dont understand at all?

WHICH ONE?

chineduemmao:
let me understand you here!
1 You read understand but don't retain?
2 you dont understand at all?

WHICH ONE?

Both o

Destinygrl:

Both o

sorry babe but, uhmm... its either the 2nd or the 1st because before you talk of retaining what you've read you must first of-all understand... or do you want to explain something further to us?