How to improve your reading and writing skills

Becoming a great reader and writer can help you achieve your Study From Home qualification.

Welcome to Part 2 of our six-part series, ‘Becoming a Successful Distance Learner’. Every week, we will share one practical tip to help you excel at studying from home. Be sure to check back every Wednesday for the next tip.

Last week, we published Part 1 of the series: How to get organised and ace your studies. Hopefully by now you’re a whiz at time management and you’re sticking to your study schedule.

This week’s tip is all about reading and writing. These two skills are important for any course or career. Here are some ways you can improve your reading and writing abilities.

Practice makes perfect

Let us start by saying: no one is born a brilliant reader or writer. It takes practice. So even if you hate reading and writing, have faith – the more you do it, the less difficult it will become.

Our best tip for new distance learners is to keep trying. Don’t give up on your assignments, even if they seem hard at first. Good things take time. By the end of the course, you’ll be surprised to see how far your reading and writing skills have come.

Proofread assignments

Did you see our article from last month about the power of proofreading? When you’re writing an assignment, try to leave time to proofread it with fresh eyes before you submit it for final approval. You’d be surprised at the small mistakes you pick up on.

Try ‘real’ writing – with a pen!

Sometimes writing with a pen – instead of typing on the computer – can help you concentrate and figure out exactly what you want to say. Plus there’s no distractions – just you, your thoughts, and a blank piece of paper. Give yourself 30 minutes to brainstorm some ideas and see what you come up with.

Take notes as you read

Many people struggle to retain information through reading. If you find that you forget a sentence as soon as you read it, taking notes might help. Jot down key points on a small notepad, or highlight important sections of text so you can come back to it later. Another tip is to read everything through twice.

Pay attention to feedback

No one gets it 100% right the first time! When you hand in an assignment, ask your tutor to provide feedback about how you could do better in the future. They will be more than happy to provide ideas for improvement.