How does one improve their reading skills?

[Razeus]

I'm a pretty good reader (with my Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in hand). But sometimes I feel like I'm not at my fullest potential when reading. Sometimes I tend to "wonder" when I read, then have to refocus back to the story and at time have to re-read. I also like to read faster, yet comprend more.

What methods can you guys recommend to improve reading skills?

[amuse]

hm. why does it bother you to ponder, muse, ruminate *snaps thesaurus shut* on what you've read? that seems like a rather enriching way to go beyond the mere scope of the printed words.

[ajoe]

By being an active reader and keep asking questions? I don't know, when I was told to do this in high school I didn't really understand this particular command and how to put it into practice, but now I just do it automatically and it doesn't even slow me down.

[Koa]

It never occurred to me that reading was a skill... I've just always read naturally and yes my concentration gets worse and worse and that's annoying sometimes, but it's laso human... reading without finding your mind wandering or without forgetting details and such would make me feel like I'm a machine...or some sort of genius. Personally I can't stand it when there are rules about things like reading and writing and studying... Ok there can be advice but when I see courses of 'reading' and such I just feel like laughing... Just my opinion anyway, not meant to be taken much into account.

[Jack_Aubrey]

Uhhhhh reading.....?

[nadinka]

Sometimes I tend to "wonder" when I read, then have to refocus back to the story and at time have to re-read.

I think this happens to everyone. It seems that it doesn't bother most of people, but to me this "wondering" sometimes gets annoying...
In my oppinion, the real issue here is not reading skills, but concentration skills - the ability to keep the thoughts on one particular thing (in this case reading a book). When the book is very interesting - this happens naturally, but most of the time we should bring some effort and learn to concentrate. I would compare it to the practice of meditation:Just let the thoughts come and go, trying to keep in mind what is it you are doing right now. By the time this should get easier.

[subterranean]

I have this book called " super brain power " which tells how to improve your reading, analytical, managerial, etc skills...Regarding reading skill, I think it mentions about the importance to always highlite the main points of a reading to get the main idea..Look for a main word or sentence, which actually covers the wholr theme...That way you can get the main point without having the need to read all of it..

[IWilKikU]

I recomend The Speed Reading Book by Tony Buzan. It increases reading speed, comprension, concentration, and retention. I was skepticle at first, but I improved my speed from about 150wpm to about 600. I read The Stranger by Camus using these techniques, and it took me about a half-hour and I still remember more single lines in that book than any book I've ever read in my life.

[byquist]

You can take a speed reading course for a few hundred dollars; they work, I had one in high school. Although, I'm not particularly a fast reader nor consider it necessarily a positive thing. "Wondering" or "pondering" off-text is really a good activity. You are associating what you are reading with yourself, your past, your memories, your hopes, aspirations and expectations. That's all good. So I think you are doing a beneficial thing. There's a theory in education called "Bloom's Taxology" or Taxogomy or some other spelling. Look it up on the internet. He's got a pyramid, and I believe you are doing some of the types of thinking that he puts on the top of the pyramid, which is a good sign. It is described as "higher order thinking." Maybe you are a genius and don't know it yet!