An award winning, board certified second grade teacher at my kids's elementary school does a great job of encouraging her students to read. I believe that great readers are also great business leaders, and since I want to do a great job of leading my business, I read a lot. I host a book club to help other entrepreneurs become great business leaders as well. I'm also on a mission to land this particular teacher for my son, who will start second grade in 2012. (Planning is everything, you know!)
I visited her classroom this morning to introduce myself and noticed that one wall is covered with this fantastic illustration entitled: “Strategies Good Readers Use.” Children are pictured beside speech bubbles containing tips for getting the most out of the reading process. I loved it so much that I had to share it with you.
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Skip an unknown word, read to the end of the sentence, then return and re-read it. I do this to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words, based on the words around them.
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Chunk words to make sense. I'll get back to you on this one, not sure what it means to “chunk” words. If you know about chunking, please share in the comments.
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Notice beginning and ending sounds. I love paying special attention to how words are pronounced so I can create new ways to use them properly in keynotes and workshops, and right here at this blog.
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Think about what looks right. Sometimes, the author's thoughts become even more clear when I think about what he or she most likely means in the context of a sentence, paragraph or chapter.
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Think about what sounds right. When something in a sentence or paragraph seems misplaced or unclear, thinking about it as I listen to myself read it aloud can point out a flaw in the author's thinking (or my own!), or drive home an important point that I might have otherwise missed.
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Re-read it if it doesn't make sense. I do this a lot. When it still doesn't make sense, I skip over it temporarily and come back later. If it still doesn't make sense, I may ask for help or check with a dictionary or other people whose opinion I value.
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Match illustrations to the text. Pull-outs and text boxes are especially helpful to wring every bit of information from a publication.
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Create mind pictures of what is happening in the text. A picture is worth a thousand words. If I can't quite capture the meaning of a sentence, closing my eyes and creating a word picture often helps.
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Notice punctuation marks. Sentences make more or less sense, or mean one thing or another, depending on the punctuation.
I have always loved to read. I can remember my mom checking up on me long after bedtime because she knew I was under the covers with a night light reading a book. Today, I am surrounded by books on all sides. I am especially blessed to receive wonderful books from many of the authors on my radio show. (Perks are good!)
Like everyone else, I'm sure I will begin to read more on my iPhone, a Kindle or other mobile device. (The iPad looks especially inviting for this reason!) But no matter what, I will always strive to improve my reading skills. I think doing so helps me follow in the footsteps of great business leaders who are also great readers.
Question: Do you like to read? What are some of the books that have helped you be a better business leader?
