Reading and Redundancy

We all began to learn how to read as young children, and we are still learning. Formal instruction in reading as a skill in its own right usually ends by the fifth grade, but the presumption is that reading ability continues to improve as a result of continued reading for other purposes. However, there is no better evidence that only perfect practice makes perfect. If you acquired poor reading habits as a child, as most of us did, you have probably practiced those ways of reading so much that they are very well learned.

Improving reading skills is important for success in college, and it is also important for everyday life. It is true that you can hear the news on the radio and see it on television, and it is also true that some books are now available on audio cassette, but you are short-changing yourself as far as understanding the news and enjoying most good literature if you cannot read well. Regardless of how good a reader you are now, it would be advisable to buy a paperback book on some topic of interest to you, and use it to improve your reading skills.

The purpose of this appendix is to help you determine how well your present reading skills match up with what most educators believe is appropriate for college students. I have also included a few exercises that should show you some of the ways you can practice skills that are required for efficient reading. The college bookstore has a number of excellent books devoted entirely to reading skills, and you can decide for yourself whether you need remedial work.

You need to remember two things:

It is never too late to learn and correcting bad habits requires time and effort.

I have listened for many hours to recordings made by students reading standard texts, and if you can arrange to do so, you might profit from making a tape so you can hear yourself read. Some people usually skip words that they don't recognize, while others mis-read unfamiliar words as being familiar ones. In the particular text I used, the word "causality" was frequently mis-read as "casualty," even though that completely changed the meaning of the paragraph. Students who have developed such poor reading habits will have to learn to stop when they see a doubtful word. If they are not sure of the word, it is best to look in a dictionary while hey are overcoming self-deceiving tendencies.

On the following two pages are two sections intended for timed reading. Please use a watch that enables you to record both minutes and seconds so you can time yourself as accurately as possible. The first page is to be read silently, and as fast as you can while being sure that you at least get the general idea of what is written. The second page is to be read out loud, with the same objective. I urge you to read as you normally would because the goal is to find out for yourself how your reading skills compare with good standards.

(Note: Try to ignore the small carat-marks between the lines during these first readings. I will explain their purpose later.)

Timed Reading 1. Rapid, silent.