Course Name: Grammar III (EGH2220)

How to Improve Reading Skills Among English Department Students

Prepared by: Amna Majid Hussien F210756

Heero M. Rashasoor
05/05/2023

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 3
Materials and Methods ................................................................................................................... 4
Results ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 9
References..................................................................................................................................... 10

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Abstract
This study aimed to explore the challenges that students face while reading and provide strategies

to improve their reading skills. A survey was conducted among 15 English department students from

Komar University to collect data on the difficulties they face while reading, the techniques they use

to improve their reading skills, and recommendations to improve their reading skills in class. The

results showed that lack of focus, expanding vocabulary, and creating a safe classroom environment

were the main challenges students face while reading. To tackle these challenges, the study provides

various tips and strategies such as establishing a calm and cozy atmosphere, taking breaks, setting

a goal, regular practice, increasing vocabulary, reading a variety of materials, and encouraging a

love of reading. The study suggests that teachers should provide a peaceful environment, encourage

student choice, give positive feedback, and promote reading as a fun and engaging activity to

enhance students' reading skills.

Introduction
Reading is a form of exercise for the brain, therefore people need to “train” the brain to increase its

efficiency. Studies has shown that multiple health benefits come from reading such as increase in

sleep quality and reduction in stress levels. Some students find it either difficult to read or ashamed

of reading publicly due to poor reading skills especially in the classroom. Therefore, students are

required to improve their reading abilities to increase their confidence in and out of the classroom.

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 Materials and Methods

A survey was conducted on 15 English department students from Komar University, each student

was given 3 questions to answer on Google forms and their responses were collected. The survey

consisted of 3 questions with 4 multiple choices that the students can choose from, the survey is as

follows:

1. What challenges do you face while reading?

o Lack of focus

o Reading too quickly

o Not asking yourself question

o Not reviewing what your read

2. What techniques do you personally use to improve your reading skills?

o Practice regularly

o Focus on comprehension and what has been said

o Expand your vocabulary (reading scientific books or dictionaries)

o Read a wide variety of books

3. What would you recommend to your lecturer to improve your reading skills?

o Implement daily reading (In class)

o Share reading strategies

o Provide personal reading feedback

o Create a safe classroom environment

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Results

The collected data from 15 students and their responses are as follows:

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 By analyzing the responses, we are able to determine the most common difficulties students face

when it comes to reading.

1. Lack of focus seems to be the most common issue while reading, by the data collected, 53.3% of

the students think that they cannot focus for an extended period of time.

2. About 53.3% of students try to expand their vocabulary as a way to improve their reading skills.

3. 40% of the students recommended that to improve their in-class reading is to provide a safe reading

environment.

Discussion

From the data that was collected, we are able to provide solutions on how to tackle them. As per the

first issue, lack of focus, this can be addressed by these tips and headers:

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1. Establish a calm and cozy atmosphere: Make sure your reading location is calm and cozy. Remove

any potential distractions that can interfere with your concentration, such as loud noises and bright

lights.

2. Take breaks: To stop your mind from wandering, take quick pauses every 20 to 30 minutes. Take

advantage of these breaks to relax, stretch, or even go for a quick stroll.

3. Establish a goal: Specify what you hope to accomplish while reading in detail. This could be a

set number of pages or chapters you wish to read or a specific fact you want to discover.

4. Experiment with several reading methods to find the one that works best for you, such as

skimming, scanning, or reading in chunks.

5. Avoid multitasking: Refrain from using your phone or email while reading. Your focus may be

disturbed, and your comprehension may suffer.

Regarding the second question, and a follow-up from the 4th point, these tips help students to

improve their specific reading skills:

1. Regular practice will help you become more proficient at reading. You'll get better at reading as

you do more of it. Even for a short period of time, try to set aside some time each day for reading.

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2. Increase your vocabulary: Increasing your vocabulary is one of the finest strategies to enhance

your reading abilities. Look up unfamiliar words and try incorporating them into regular discourse.

3. Read a variety of materials: Reading fiction, nonfiction, academic papers, news pieces, and other

texts can all help you increase your vocabulary and comprehension in a variety of circumstances.

4. Look up words in a dictionary: If you come across any unknown words while reading, use a

dictionary to look them up. This can aid in your comprehension of the text's meaning and assist in

vocabulary growth.

5. Read aloud: Good pronunciation and understanding can be improved by reading aloud.

Additionally, it encourages more active reading of the text on your part.

As for a lecturer or teacher, it is important to know that students need a safe environment to be able

to read, having a disturbing environment can effect how students read and react to others reading.

Therefore, these steps need to be taken into consideration in the classroom;

1. Encourage polite behavior toward all students when they are reading, such as refraining from

interruptions and refraining from mocking or humiliating them.

2. A calm and pleasant setting: Give pupils a peaceful setting in which to read. Make sure the room

has sufficient lighting and ventilation.

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3. Enable student choice: Give students the freedom to select books based on their interests. This

will increase their reading motivation and make it more fun for them.

4. Encourage and congratulate pupils for their literary efforts, especially if they are having difficulty.

Encourage them to read more by giving them encouraging feedback.

5. Encourage a love of reading: Promote reading as a fun and engaging activity to foster a love of

reading. Give children the chance to discuss their reading experiences with one another and to share

their favorite books.

Conclusion
In conclusion, reading is an essential activity that provides numerous benefits, including improved

sleep quality, reduced stress levels, and increased brain efficiency. However, many students face

difficulties while reading, such as lack of focus and poor comprehension skills. Through a survey

conducted on 15 English department students, we were able to identify common reading challenges

and techniques for improvement. Additionally, we provided solutions for addressing these

challenges, including creating a calm and cozy reading environment, taking breaks, establishing

reading goals, and reading a variety of materials. Furthermore, we suggested ways for teachers to

create a safe and supportive reading environment in the classroom. By implementing these

strategies, students can improve their reading abilities and confidence both in and out of the

classroom.

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References

Bullard, J. (2010). Creating environments for learning. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill

Floriana Costanzo, Deny Menghini, Carlo Caltagirone, Massimiliano Oliveri, Stefano Vicari,
How to improve reading skills in dyslexics: The effect of high frequency rTMS,
Neuropsychologia, Volume 51, Issue 14, 2013, Pages 2953-2959, ISSN 0028-3932,

Kristen E. Riley & Crystal L. Park (2015) How does yoga reduce stress? A systematic review of
mechanisms of change and guide to future inquiry, Health Psychology Review, 9:3, 379-
396, DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2014.981778

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