Some of these barriers include poor eyesight and distractions. These barriers can be overcome by wearing glasses, reading in good light, removing distractions, and using strategies to focus on specific symbols. One strategy is to use a piece of paper to guide or to cover up the part of the material that is not being read. There are also strategies to improve reading speed. Although this is a valuable skill, it is more important than understanding and remembering. Reading aloud is strategy that is suitable for some types of reading. For example, reading poetry or reading difficult material. Rereading is also a strategy. Many people read quickly the first time to get the general idea of some material. The second time they read more carefully for details. They may even read the material a third or fourth time.

Getting meaning from the symbols we perceive and decode is complex. It depends on previous experience and knowledge. For example, a medical doctor and a patient might read the same article. However, it is safe to suggest that the level of meaning might be different

Remembering what we read can be a challenge. Reading actively will help you remember what you read. There are strategies, which will be mentioned later, that you can use to help you remember.

Why do I need to read actively and critically?

People who read actively and critically are better able to use the information they obtain from reading. People who read actively understand more and they remember more. They understand and remember more because they relate what they are reading to the knowledge they already have. Readers who read critically evaluate the usefulness of the information they read. They are more likely to find flaws in arguments or statements made by the writer. They are also more able to respond to the ideas, opinions, and statements in their reading, because they actively form their own opinions based on clear thinking.