Now that you may have discovered the reason you are reading something difficult, it's time to find some ways that may ease your difficulty. The whole point behind strategies is to help you overcome the painful task ahead of those who don’t enjoy reading certain things. If you use these strategies, I can guarantee you will get through painful reading much quicker.

Make an effort – Purpose and effort go hand-in-hand. This is the most important strategy you should follow, with all kinds of reading. Nothing will happen without that effort. If you don't make the effort to learn, the task will never get done, because you're not putting your best into it. Ask yourself, Why am I even reading this? What’s the point? If those questions pop into your head, answer them, instead of reiterating the questions. It really helps to guide you in the right direction.

Stay positive – It’s so easy to get into a slump and hate every second of reading. As soon as you notice the negativity slipping into your mind, be quick to avert it to a positive thought. For instance, if you are reading about the scientific method, you could easily think, Well, how can anyone understand this? Cancel that thought! Think, Anyone can who really tries, so I’m gonna try!

Find a common interest – When you find an interest you share with the work you are reading, it makes time fly. There is bound to be something in every work that you find interesting. Keep the thread going from your one interest. Draw from it. Try to work from the interest, which would be your starting point, and the rest of the text. For example, I said already I don’t like history. Well, if I read the textbook over the Holocaust, I could find the interest in it through maybe a personal story of someone or a place that experienced the terrors faced when in war. Even find your own resources, not just drawing from the book! Maybe you hate reading, but love math. Make reading like an equation, only with words instead of numbers. Make what you're reading relate to you!

Reading out loud - You may be thinking how horrible the text is that you are having to read. Well, I've learned over the years that your words will overpower your thoughts. So, to counteract those thoughts, read it out loud to yourself. You may feel silly at first, but reading a text that bores you or you can't understand out loud will help you fully understand it because you are more focused on it. 

Read and re-read if necessary – This strategy is one that will prevent you from procrastinating on homework if that is what you are using it for. With this method, you can take all the time you need to finish. It's important that if you don't get it or you find your mind straying in multiple directions, you may need to make sure you understood what you were reading by re-reading it. This reading out loud and re-reading when you lose track of your words are the two best ways of reading something you don't want to read. 

Make notes on anything necessary - If you're reading for school, chances are you’ve already got the notebook out and a pencil in hand or the computer fired up, so why not take notes while you are already reading your book? Make note of any important facts or rules that you think won’t quite stick for you. If you are confused about something you are reading, don't hesitate to write it down and ask the teacher. I can guarantee most teacher truly appreciate that effort to truly understand what they are working so hard to teach you. You may have to go an extra mile, but I promise you it’ll be worth it when you learn more than you ever thought you could.

Study on your notes – Find the best way you study and study! Some people need a quiet space with minimal distractions. Some people need some background noise. I personally study best with movement – I walk and study in a quiet place, reading my questions and answers out loud. They say blood flow helps the brain to retain information! Look up different ways to study and find out which one fits best for your environment and learning style. 
 
To be honest, I can preach all day about positive attitudes and purpose, but the truth is you've got to find what works best for you. These are just a few tips on helping you discover your reasons and strategies. But, it always starts with you! You've got to take that first step to improve your learning experience, and choose to make the most of your reading. Your wheels may be spinning, but you choose to put the car in "drive." 

Due to Easter weekend, we will not be having a blog post this weekend. Happy Easter, everybody!

In my room, toys of all kinds were spread across the floor, bed and dresser. Everything from car toys to action figures to Barbie dolls had their fair share of use and play that day. Some action figures had parts of their bodies on one the dresser, while Barbie dolls’ arms reached far to the window, longing to escape my playful desires. But, by dinner, Momma broke down the door and demanded my room be cleaned by the end of the day. Now, as a kid, I was not open to cleaning anything, especially my room where I was best at expressing myself and my toys. How could she tell me to clean up what I had carefully designed! What she saw a mess, I saw a masterpiece. Only when I got older did I understand – yes, it was a mess! And if I didn’t do it, she’d have to. So, I’d whine, moan and argue my way out of it for almost an hour before I finally gave in to her orders. The whole time I cleaned, I had a frown drilled into my forehead and sent hateful words across my breath. Because of my ridiculous attitude at cleaning my room, it took twice as long, and was a miserable loon the whole time. She always used to tell me, “If you spent as much time actually doing the work as you do complaining about it, you’d be done by now!” That couldn’t be farther from the truth in things we face today!

When you really don’t feel like reading something you have to read, get a new perspective. Stay positive! Find the thing that interests you about the subject! Keep an open mind! It helps you get through reading for the purpose you have. It’s good to pinpoint why you are reading something before you read it, so a few different purposes for reading include:

1. Reading for a subject (Usually for classes, such as History, Grammar, Science, etc. These are often the hardest reads when there is difficult textbook language and a genuine disinterest of the subject.)
2. Reading for enjoyment (Much more laid back form of reading. You are primarily reading for pleasure, so the details don’t matter as much.)
3. Reading for a job (Some positions require a bit of reading in order to attain the level of information they require for you to do the job. It does help to target what you are having to read, like stories, information, charts,  etc. before you find your strategies. This purpose is more widely range than others)
4. Reading for knowledge (This is an easier purpose to read because it’s more of a research, so less amounts of reading at a time.It still can be daunting, but not as painful if the knowledge you are trying to gain comes within the first few sources.)
5. Reading for help (When your head keeps hurting, your cat or dog is misbehaving, your kid has a swollen ankle or you have relationship problems, some refer to the purpose of finding something to help you out. This can be a good form, but take care to not believe everything you read.)

Knowing your purpose before you plan strategies will help you through your struggle of reading. Hopefully, nailing your purpose and aligning it with next week’s strategies will help in your pursuit of an easier way of reading.