For you to excel in your examinations (KCSE, KCPE or IGCSE) it is a necessity to develop good reading habits. This will not only help you in your studies but also in your life long adventure as reader.
What are some of these habits?
1. Know what you want to read, why you want to read it, where you will find the reading material, how you will read it and when you want to read it.
2. Be the kind of reader who does not:
Move his or her index finger along the printed lines as this slows down the treading process.
Say the words or letters, either silently or in a low voice (This bad reading habit is called
vocalizing)
Point to each word or individual letter.
3. Read when you are motivated, flesh and alert. Forced reading causes tiredness and boredom and results in little or no comprehension.
4. Read a book so that you understand the passage clearly. Do this by trying to understand how words and sentences are used.
In order to achieve extra ordinary results, unconventional methods need to be applied. In my high school studies I used to read and make notes ahead of my teachers (even though I could barely understand some of the topics). For tough subjects, I could have several notebooks for different topics.
For example, in Form one and Form two, my average grade for English was a C. I knew I had to work hard to get an A in English in my KCSE. I bought four notebooks to cover Literature (Oral and written), English Grammar, Writing (formal and informal). I methodically read and summarized all English textbooks and revision books available in our school. I read higher flyer, test it and fix it, Head start, Integrated English, Golden Tips, Top-mark series, etc. By the end of form three I was getting an average of A (plain) in English. I applied this technique to all other subjects and by the time I was doing my KCSE, I was confident of getting an A in all my subjects and I was proven right.
The buck stops with you, whether you are going to succeed or not. You will have yourself to blame.
An excerpt from the book “Smart Way to Improve your Mind and Grades”. Quoted with permission.
