Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Secrets to Improving Your Reading Stamina: Secrets revealed (Part 2)(2/2)

Comfort

Make sure your reading environment is comfortable and free from distractions.

· Turn the TV off and find a quiet spot where others are not talking.

· Sit at a desk with a comfortable chair.

· Ensure there is sufficient lighting. Use a desk light rather than relying on overhead lights.

If reading from a computer, the lighting source should come from a ninety-degree angle to the computer. Ensure overhead lights are not too bright as these will create glare. Use a monitor shield to minimize glare.

· Ensure your computer monitor is adjusted to the appropriate height and angle. The top of the monitor should sit just below the eye level and the monitor should be 18-23 inches away. Consult a good website on ergonomics such as (http://ehs.unl.edu/ Ergonomics/whathurts.cfm) for detailed information.

· Every hour, take a break from reading by getting up for a stretch and looking as far away into the distance as possible for 15-20 seconds, to retain your focus.

Practice

Practice your reading. There is no miracle solution to improving your reading stamina. Research shows that reading stamina will gradually increase with the amount of time spent reading. Just like athletes spend months and months preparing for the Olympics, reading stamina will only increase with quality reading practice.

· Set aside some time dedicated each week for reading.

· Set reading goals. Start with small goals. For example, tell yourself that you will read in ten-minute sessions initially. Then slowly build these up until you are able to read for one-hour sessions. Reward yourself when you reach these goals. Splurge on a new book or reading software; visit your local library to pick up some great reads.

· Remember that reading sessions are not meant to be like the New York marathon. Once you are able to read and concentrate well in one-hour sessions, do not over-stretch yourself. Take a five-minute break every hour to stretch, look away from your book or computer, or do other tasks (if you're in the office) such as filing. Taking short hourly breaks will ensure you maintain your concentration.

Enjoy

Enjoy your reading!

· Foster a love for reading by making books easily accessible in your home.

· Make reading an enjoyable family activity that everyone undertakes. Set aside two or three reading sessions a week so that everyone in the house reads. Remember, children will read if adults read too.

· Visit the local library.

· Read up on subjects which interest you, whether these are world politics or sports. Reading should not be stuffy and boring; it should be relevant to your life.

Get Tested

Get tested for visual, hearing and learning disorders. Especially in the case of children, continual reading difficulties may be a result of undiagnosed visual, hearing and learning disorders. Disorders such as dyslexia and ADHD can often benefit from specialized reading programs. Vision problems may be reducing reading stamina by causing tiredness and eyestrain.

Habits
Eliminate bad reading habits.
· Become aware of how you read. Do you vocalize (say words in your head or under your breath) as you read? Do your eyes constantly skip back to words you have previously read? Do you suffer from eye overwork, where you use excessive eye movements and eye fixations to read?

· Vocalizing, skip back and eye overwork will often drain reading stamina. Make a conscious effort to curb these habits while reading. Use specialized reading software designed for this purpose or consult books on the topic.

Your future

By following these secrets, your reading stamina will surely increase with time. Your increased reading energy levels will take you a long way, on your path toward increased knowledge and greater success at school and in the workplace. Reading for long periods will become easier and even enjoyable. So go on, improve your reading stamina and open yourself up into a whole new world.

Footnotes
Whitehead N. (2004), .The Effects of Increased Access to Books on Student Reading Using the Public Library., Reading Improvement, Fall Vol. 41 Issue 3, p165, 14p
http://www.rocketreader.com/newsletter/newsletter11.html (10:12am, Aug. 27, 2008)

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posted by PUPMLISsociety @ 7:21 PM