How do I need to read?

You should decide how you will read before reading the literature. We already have explained that part of this decision is based on why you want to read. Other factors include: your reading skill, the type of literature, your familiarity with the type of literature, the writer’s style, and your knowledge of vocabulary.

Depending on your purpose, ability, and reading material, you may need to read slowly or quickly. For example, you may need to read a poem slowly, reread the poem, and look up new words in a dictionary. If you wanted to know last night’s hockey scores, you could scan the sports section quickly, skipping over information. Following a reading process will help you decide how you need to read.

Introduction to the “Reading Process”

So you know why you are reading, what you want from the experience, and generally how you need to read. Now it is time to look more specifically at how you read. Reading is a process, which is similar to the writing process.

The reading process has three parts. They are the pre-reading step, the reading step, and the post-reading step. Each step requires you to use a different reading skill. Start the pre-reading step for this section by looking at the diagram on the next page, looking at bolded titles, and quickly reading the first sentence of a few paragraphs. After you have finished the pre-reading step, begin reading the section more slowly and carefully.