Once you begin high school, your reading assignments increase. That’s a fact. You’ll need to read articles, novels, and textbooks. But, if reading is difficult for you and you’d rather do anything than read, then it is time to invest in deliberate strategies to improve your reading skills and ease.
Take a look at this checklist.
Whether your hesitation comes from not enough reading practice or a lifetime of reading challenges, you’ll benefit from:
- seeking out a quiet spot to read
- making margin notes as you read (very important to help with your memory and understanding)
- listening to the audio version as you follow along (Once you hear multi-syllable words pronounced, it’s easier to say them yourself.)
For words you don’t know the meaning of or how to pronounce, take advantage of technology. Use your phone to Google the defnition. For example, Google “How do you say + the word” or use Howjsay.
Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, writes that the dyslexic brain needs more time to make connections, time necessary to combine letters with sounds, words and meaning. Remember, you have a bright brain that needs reading support and strategies. Go for it!
