If you are just about, to begin with, their reading journey and wondering about what skills should a good reader have/has or what are the skills of a good reader, then your search ends here because this article is just for that.
People don’t read just for the sake of pleasure; there are some skills that a reader gets by just reading 20 minutes in a day; you can practically see the reader change, whether in terms of mindset or personality- depending on the type of genre they read.
Readers are just not hopelessly romantic, they are also good at decision-making; they have better comprehension skills than most people, are empathetic, passionate, sharp, and the list can go on.
I have listed 8 Exceptional Skills of A Good Reader. These are the skills that a reasonable reader already has or develops in due course of time. These are also the skills that make a person somewhat a better human being.
What Are The Skills Of A Good Reader?
It is a universally accepted fact that reading helps us learn and improve many skills in our lives. It does not matter what someone’s age is; a book has something to offer for everyone. As you read more and more books, you can see yourself changing over time; you see yourself develop. If you look within yourself and introspect, you will see how much you have improved as a person.
Now, that is not about it. While reading changes you as a person, it also develops some skills that only a good reader has.
Do you want to know what those skills that only a good reader has are?
Let’s straight dive in!
1. Good Decision-Making
If you wonder why I have said that the skills of a good reader include good decision-making, I will explain it.
To be a good reader, the foremost thing to remember is that you make sure that you have taken up the right book to read.
Now, what book to choose to read is a huge decision (I bet avid readers can relate)—selecting a lengthy book, an old classic, a quick read, or an exciting read?
Agree or not, this is a huge thing!
It would help if you were patient and could focus in one place for long periods. You should make sure that you have set aside some time every day for reading. It will ensure that you will not have to worry about other things when you begin with a book and can concentrate on what you are reading.
Reading in a quiet place is also a lot better than reading in a noisy place because there will be fewer distractions- this is also one of the great ways to read multiple books at a time.
Now, do you agree that the skills of a good reader include good decision-making? I bet you do! I mean, doing all this requires some severe decision-making!
2. Comprehension Skills
You can speak all you want, but if the other person is not ready to listen to what you have to say, even a single word spoken by you will not matter.
But this will not be an issue with an excellent reader. Uncanny comprehension is one of the skills of a good reader. Good readers understand every word that you will speak. Not only this, but they will also have some valuable suggestions to make.
How does this happen? When a person is an avid reader, they skim through sometimes and sometimes read a book thoroughly and understand what the text is trying to say. Not just this, an expert reader also sees beyond the literal meaning of the words, whether spoken or written.
3. Fine Vocabulary, Writing, And Narration
A good reader has a lot of skills that help them in different aspects of their lives. A good reader has a great vocabulary because they regularly come across new words and read more books.
It is also the reason they have better oratory and writing skills.
Suppose you are one of those who are starting their reading journey just about now. In that case, you should also try to understand unfamiliar words that come up in the text and ensure that you know them properly with the help of a dictionary so that it helps you later.
And if you are a reader and a social butterfly, you can also socialize with other readers, join book clubs, and share your favorite books with your fellow mates. It will also help you enhance your skills further.
4. Learning Attitude
Believe it or not, no matter how successful you are, you lose everything if you lose your learning attitude.
And in readers, they have subpar patience and, with it, tremendous patience to learn new things.
A good reader can also easily hold a person’s attention while speaking or writing, which is also great for their academics. Reading non-fiction books helps a person learn new skills; it might be about cooking, business, parenting, etc.
Authors write about their failures and what they learned from them, which helps readers learn from their failures to figure out what they should or should not do.
The learning attitude matters a lot, and a reader has it.
5. Unmatched Patience
This one!
Unmatched patience is one of the superb skills of a good reader and a human being!
How is patience developed in good readers? Let me tell you.
Good readers are very patient because books teach them to stay put in place and concentrate on doing. They sit and skim through hundreds of pages of a book, so patience becomes an integral part of their lives.
It is a vital skill that few people can master today because of the many distractions as technology. It helps them make everyday decisions in a calm and composed manner and avoid rushing into things they might later regret.
Should I also tell you why patience is a life skill? I don’t need to do that, do I?
6. Respect Towards Different Cultures & Traditions
You can be the most extraordinary person in a room, but if you are disrespectful to anyone in any manner, that is not worth it.
The thing with adept readers is that they have by now read so many books, fictional or non-fictional, that they are now well accustomed to the different cultures, traditions, and ethnicity that persist all around the world.
Readers develop a better understanding of foreign cultures and this can help them mingle among people in some other country they might be visiting. They are tolerant of other people’s opinions and beliefs, ensuring that they can live a happy life and let others live their lives questioning nothing alien to them.
It is one reason why a good reader is one of the kindest friends in the circle.
7. Flawless Empathy & Compassion
One of the reasons a person becomes comfortable around the other person is empathy and compassion.
And readers have this fantastic skill. They are empathetic beyond what you can imagine.
A reader can also better understand other people’s feelings as they are compassionate than most people. They can place themselves in the shoes of others and hence comprehend their sentiments better as they do when they are reading.
It additionally empowers them to assess their genuine problems more consistently and allows them an opportunity to reflect and introspect superiorly.
8. Sharp Brain, Good Memory
Now, when it is about remembering things, no one can beat a good reader—reading hundreds of books, reflecting the characters, personalities, catch-phrase, and plot of the book? Only a good reader can handle all this.
Now, all this is just an example. Reading all those books sharpens the mind of the excellent reader.
If you are wondering how this happens, here is how:
Reading acts as an exercise for the brain, as reading regularly stimulates the brain’s cognitive functions and helps to improve memory. Thus, good readers also have a better memory, a rare skill to find in this modern world where a smartphone can remind a person about practically everything.
Conclusion | What Are The Skills Of A Good Reader?
These were the skills of a good reader. When I say that, I don’t mean that you should have all these skills before you even start reading or before you have developed the habit of reading. These skills are for you to learn while you read. The skills of a good reader may already be there in yourself, and reading might help these skills come out more flawlessly.
Not to forget, if you are not yet a reader but yet looking for your better half, dating a reader seems a great idea. I have a whole other article on how and why dating a reader is one of the best things you can do to yourself. You can check it using this link: Why You Should Date A Reader?
Meanwhile, don’t forget to keep reading as well- don’t you want to develop all the extravagant skills of a good reader mentioned above?
