What Makes a Reader a Good Reader

As more and more people work with their laptops and the structure of society changes, reading becomes a part of our everyday life. From literature to things we have to read for work, reading is a vital part of our lives. So what are the characteristics of a good reader, and how can these help them?

1. You are good at what you do only when you like it
   To start with, good readers are people who, first of all, enjoy what they do and do not force themselves to finish the next paragraph of the given text. People who like literature are more likely to be absorbed by other texts as well, and it is a sure fact that if you like reading and you like what you read, the experience reaches another level. Experienced readers choose the content they want to read and do not lose their time on things that are not interesting to them.
2. Focus is the foundation of reading
   To understand the text, you have to be focused. People who get distracted by the birds that sing outside the yard are not expected to finish a book of literature, if not a single page. Good readers have the talent to isolate their thoughts and save them for later. Once they start reading, they enter a magical world of imagination and excitement that keeps them engaged with the book they have chosen. We could say that in order to be a good reader, you need to have the ability to focus and the talent to keep your thoughts clear.
3. Books cultivate the imagination of those who have it
   Reading demands an amount of imagination. Readers have the ability to create visual images in their minds based on the existing text. Besides, this is what separates a book from a movie, and this is why people often claim that the book was better than the movie. It is because when they read the book, they imagine everything how they would want it to be. When they see the movie, they see another person’s point of view, and there is no chance of being the same as the reader’s aspect. So, a big part of reading involves imagination and the attractive elements it includes.
4. Even reading has goals and methods, as well
   Reading is often taking place to pass exams or learn new things that are obligatory for your success. For that reason, a conscious reader should have certain goals about the text they read. Underlining the critical stuff and having a quick glimpse at the trivial ones are part of the process. A good reader will literally scan the text and find in a few seconds what the structure is. Good readers will also evaluate the text for essential ideas. The text is not a list of bullets that help us get the gist. While a PowerPoint presentation will include the ”bullets,” and the speaker will add the words that will help the bullets make sense, a real text provides whole sentences like the ones we would use verbally. Therefore underlining the critical stuff is not a waste of time. On the contrary, it helps you recognize and absorb all the vital information that is hidden in the text. In the end, let us not forget that a small revision is being done both visually and mentally that works as a proven method to get the most out of the reading experience.
5. Criticizing and learning come with the reading process
   The intention of reading is not to collect random pieces of information. The purpose is to learn, understand, and open your mind and horizons. Comprehension is the wider umbrella that the reader has to open instead of learning things by heart only to forget them a few days later. Having doubts and criticizing what you read is a healthy response and a sign that you understood the content of the text. Criticism is a part of the learning process, and books are, in many cases, used to teach us stuff. So if we don’t learn from books, what do we do with them in the first place?

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