Reading is the key to school success and, like any other skill, it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking. Educators call it “automaticity(自动性)”.
A child learns to read by sounding the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With practice, he stumbles less and less, reading by the phrase(短语). With automaticity, he doesn't have to think about the meaning of words, so he can give all his attention to the meaning of the text.
It can begin as early as the first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.
According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount(数量) of time a child spends reading, not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity. It can happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.
You can test yourself by reading something new that is suitable (适合)for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, you probably are an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.
Students learn their lessons in class. They sit in the classroom listening to their teachers. This is a way of learning. Is this the only way for students to learn? Of course not. There is another way to learn. Students can teach themselves. For example, if you cannot remember something when you are doing your homework, what will you do? You can look at your book to find the answer.
How to teach yourself? The first thing you do is reading. Read something you are interested in, or you have to read. The second is that you must ask yourself questions. A clever student is usually good at asking questions. The third is to answer the questions yourself by working hard, by reading books, and sometimes by asking other people. These are the ways of teaching yourself. If you keep doing like these for a long time, you are sure to have great progress in your study.
I often hear some students say English is difficult, and it gives them a headache. So they can't learn it well. But English is very easy for me. I'm good at it. I'm very glad to tell you something about how I study English.
First, I think an interest in English is very important. When I was in Grade One, we had a new subject-English. It was fresh to me. I became interested in it, so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got a very good mark. How happy I was! Since then, I have been learning English harder and harder. Our English teacher often taught us English songs, and the songs sounded nice. I often think how interesting English is!
Second, English is another language different from our Chinese. We should learn it in the following ways: Listen to the teacher carefully in class, speak bravely, read aloud and have a larger and larger vocabulary, and then practice again and again. And I have a good habit: whenever I have a question, I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand it!
Besides, I often read English stories, jokes and easy novels. From these I know English is not only interesting, but also useful. They help me understand a lot of things. So, to do more reading is an important way to learn English well.
And I also do some exercises in our workbooks, and I keep English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine.
Now I have learned English for more than two years. I am always in the first place in our class. Of course, I hope every classmate of mine can learn English well, too.
Here are some ways to help you learn English.
Most people think a big problem of learning English is worrying. They worry that they won't say right things, so they don't talk at all. In fact, a good way to learn anything is to do it again and again. Learning English needs practice. Don't let your worry stop you from getting what you want.
Put yourself in an English-speaking environment. Put English books around your room, listen to English music, watch English news, movies and TV programs and speak English with your friends. By doing these, you will learn faster and you will begin thinking in English.
Although it sounds a little strange, it can work. When you are doing housework or taking a walk in the park, you can read words to yourself or ask yourself questions and answer them in English.
Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, they are really helpful. By doing exercises and taking tests, you can really improve your English.
If English is not a common language in your country, try to take a vacation to an English- speaking country, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada or Australia. It will be interesting and can help you improve your English in a short time.
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A. Surround yourself with English. B. Do exercises and take tests. C. Visit an English-speaking country. D. Don't be afraid to speak English. E. Talk to yourself. F. It's never too late to learn. |
