English reading practice: a 15-minute daily routine

The simplest way to improve your English reading is to read a short text at your level every day with the same three steps: first get the general idea, then read for details, and finally note a few new words. Reading short, clear texts regularly is easier to keep up than long, difficult ones.

Choosing the right text

A text suits you if you know most of the words and can follow the general idea without a dictionary. If every line has several unknown words, the text is too hard for now. Graded readers, short news items, and blog posts on a topic you like are good places to start.

The 15-minute routine

First 3 minutes: look at the title and first sentences, guess what the text is about, then read it once without stopping. Next 7 minutes: on the second reading, underline what you didn't understand and ask yourself two “who, what, why” questions. Last 5 minutes: note the three most useful words with an example sentence.

Don't look up every word

Stopping at every unknown word slows you down and makes you lose the text as a whole. First try to guess the meaning from the sentence; look up only the words you really need to follow the text or that appear several times.

Using what you read

Summarise the text in two or three sentences in your own words, in writing or aloud. This small step links reading to writing and speaking and helps the new words stay with you.

Note the words you find while reading in a vocabulary notebook, then turn your summary into a paragraph with the steps in short writing practice.

Frequently asked questions

What texts should I start reading with? Graded readers, short news items, and short posts on a topic you enjoy are good places to start.

Should I read aloud or silently? Silent reading is fine for understanding; if you want to practise pronunciation, read one paragraph aloud as well.