How to Make Reading Fun

Have you ever had those moments when you would have to re-read a line of text, a paragraph or even an entire page? This often happens when you are daydreaming or thinking about something else while you are reading. Reading can often be a very difficult task, especially when you have to read a book that you are required to read for class.  so in order to help you stay focused on the task ahead, use these strategies to keep your focus on what you are reading:

1. Keep a Pencil in Hand At all Times

If you are reading a print or hard copy book, always have a pencil or pen with you while you are reading, so that you can keep track of what's happening throughout the story. You can also jot down important notes on the side margins about the characters, important details and useful quotes that you can easily refer to later whenever you need them. This will help you do be an active reader while also help you to slow down your reading.

2. Create a Mental Picture

Instead of reading the text fast and rushing through all the words, slow down your reading and create a mental image. For each word and sentence, create a visual that you can associate them with. For example, if the sentence you are reading states, "When the boy was almost about to take a drink of his hot cocoa, his sister comes running through the kitchen and accidentally spills his cocoa onto the floor," focus on understanding your characters and your setting. Who is this story about? A brother and a sister. Where are we? In a kitchen. What is happening? The boy's sister ran into the kitchen and he wasn't expecting it. Then, after collecting the basic picture, try to create a clearer mental picture by asking what the kitchen might have looked like. How might the characters look? Did anyone get hurt?

3. Buy or Make Your Own Bookmark

Usually, bookmarks are not too expensive, but if you think that they don't meet your budget or can't find one that you like, you can make your own bookmark using card stock and other crafty, household materials. This will help to make the book you are reading more customized and feel more personalized. 

4. Relate What You Have Read Back to Your Experiences

The most effective method is to relate some of your experiences back to what you have read. This will help you to not only have sympathy for the character, but it will help you to temporarily become the character; and from this, you will be able to see their world more clearly and get a deeper insight into their thoughts, feelings and emotions as they experience them.