False Ideas about Reading

                  There are a few false ideas, or myths, that people have about the reading process. These myths prevent them from becoming better readers.

MYTH 1:

You Must Read Every Word

                  Perhaps the most common such myth is that whenever you read a book, you have to read every word. Victims of this myth may not feel it’s their duty to read every word in a newspaper or magazine story; but put a book in their hands, and their attitude changes. They treat the book like sacred Scripture and regard every word as a holy thing. Because they think that every word must be carefully read, they are not likely to read anything.

3                  In contrast to popular belief, there are two sound reasons why you need not read every word. First of all, your purpose in reading may not require it. Perhaps you are reading a textbook chapter, and all you need to cover are main ideas. You know this from past tests the teacher has given or because the teacher has said directly, “All you have to know are the high points of the chapter.” In such cases, there may be no need to read many of the supporting details that may occupy 75 per cent or more of the space in the chapter. Instead, you might skim the chapter quickly, skipping secondary information and reading only main points and enough details to help you understand those main points. You then have more time to study. Learn, and remember those main ideas.

4                  Or perhaps you are using the textbook only to supplement class notes, which will be the real basis for a test. All you need, then, are certain key points from the text to round off ideas in your notes. In that case, you can just scan the text-that is, look it over quickly with the goal of finding th e few points you need.

                  The second reason not to read every word is simply that certain material may not interest you. It may bore you because of your personal interests or because the material is dull, or both. I the material is in a class textbook and is important, you have no choice. But if it is in personal reading, you do have a choice-you can simply skip the uninteresting material. Some people, for instance, often skip passages of nature description or dry commentary. But many others feel it is their duty to plow through long, dull passages they could not care less about. In fact, they are so unwilling to skip anything that they are more likely to quit reading altogether.

                  Here is a story that will help you feel less guilty about omitting words. One British writer recalls in her autobiography how shocked she was when her professor at Oxford University said to her, “You will never be a reader unless you learn the art of skipping.” She explains how from her earliest years she had been taught that skipping a word in reading was like cheating at cards. Her professor pointed to the books jamming the shelves in his office and said, “Do you mean to assert that every word in all these volumes is worth reading? You must choose in life what is worth and what is not worth your attention.” After this talk with her professor, the woman was able to skip, without guilt, sections of many of the books she read.

MYTH 2:

7                  Students who believe they must read every word are often victims of a related myth-the idea that reading something once is enough. Such students think that since they forced themselves to read every word, they’ve done all the work that is necessary. Whatever is important in the book should be imprinted by then in their brain, ready for them to transfer to a test paper upon command. If there’s something they don’t know, or don’t remember, they think, “It’s a lost cause. I’m not going to waste any time trying any further.” Or they think, “If one reading isn’t enough, it’s because I’m stupid. There’s no point in my trying to read any more.” Students with such a crazy attitude are good candidates for failure, since one reading is seldom enough for study purposes. Instead, it is often the first step in the mastery of material. Any person with normal intelligence will have to go back, reread the material, and then take notes on the material if he or she hopes to master and remember it.

MYTH 3:

                  A final myth about reading, perhaps the worst one of all, is that reading has t I be work. It is true that reading is at times a most demanding (and rewarding) effort. But reading doesn’t always require hard work. It can be simply for fun, for relaxing pleasure.

                  Unfortunately, students are unlikely to read for fun for two reasons. First, most or all the reading in school is associated with work. One must do it and then be tested and graded on it. The result of such school experience is that is seldom connected with pleasure. Second, students, and people in general, are unlikely to read for entertainment because it is easier to turn on the television. The fact that many people watch television is understandable. Some shows are good, and while many others are trash, even trash can be fun to watch, at least once in a while. After a long, hard day of work, it is relaxing to sit “passively and unthinkingly, soaking up the bright images that flash across the screen. The danger is that one will sit night after night, for many hours on end, doing nothing but watching television. Then it truly becomes an “idiot box.”

                  What many people need to do, in order to widen their experience and resources, is to learn how to read for pleasure. Unfortunately, people are likely to have the false idea that reading is a chore, not entertainment. The fact is that such people haven’t given reading a chance. They should expect to do a bit of work first, until they become accustomed to the reading process. But if they persist, and if they give a book time to gain their interest, they will almost certainly experience a pleasant surprise. And if one book does not gain their interest, there are many more that will. They will soon find a whole new source of enjoyment open up to them. It is helpful to remember, too, that reading for pleasure will provide bonuses that other forms of recreation cannot. It will develop word power, improve spelling, increase reading speed, and help people discover and explore parts of themselves that they may not know existed.

                  A simple way to learn pleasure reading is to set aside some time for a book each day. It might be half an hour ordinarily spent watching television or time before going to bed. What is important is that it be a realistic time slot that you can use for reading more or less regularly. What is important, too, is that you persist-that you give a book a chance to catch on, and yourself a chance to get into a book.

                  To review, then, there are three damaging myths that interfere with good reading. They are that every word must be read, that reading something once should be enough, and that all reading must be work. Be aware of these myths and how they may affect your own attitudes about reading. Don’t let any of them prevent you from developing into a better reader.

Source: Robetrt and Pam Winkler

Vocabulary Questions

Use context clues to help you decide on the best definition for each bold word.

____ 1. In the paragraph 3, the word skim means

1. Read slowly
2. Glance through
3. Stare

                     ____ 2. In paragraph 4, the word supplement means

1. Skip
2. Avoid
3. Add to

Reading Comprehension Questions

                       __   1. Which sentence best expresses the central point of the selection?

1. Reading requires effort.
2. Certain myths prevent people from becoming better readers.
3. It is a myth that you must always read every word.

                         ____ 2. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of paragraph 7?

1. It is a myth that reading once is enough for study purposes.
2. Some students believe one reading is enough for study purposes.  
3. Some think only a stupid person needs to read something more than once.