Reading is the key to school success and, like any skill, it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking. Educators call it “automaticity (自动性)”.

Children learn to read by sounding out the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With automaticity, they can read faster because they don’t have to think about the meaning of the words, but give all attention to the meaning of the text.

It can begin as early as the first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.

According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount (数量) of time a child spends on reading, not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity. It can not happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.

You can test yourself by reading something new that is suitable (适合) for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, you are probably an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.

The majority of people make an assumption that the human brain learns all by itself. But the truth is that to some extent, we can train ourselves to be better learners.

【小题1】 These kinds of learning behaviours are called “active learning”. Here are a bunch of guidelines to become active learners.

Follow the outer voice

We all have two voices. Our inner voice expresses our personal opinions, while the outer voice handles others’ opinions. Although our inner voice can be useful, it can also block us from learning. If we pay too much attention to it, we risk missing important information while learning. Instead, active learners are open-minded and focus on what the speaker/writer is saying, not on what their brain is saying. 【小题2】

Debate with the inner voice

If we find it a struggle to control our inner voice, we can disagree with it as most active learners do. When our inner voice tells us a speaker/writer is wrong, think about why the speaker/writer may be right. 【小题3】   If not, at least we have “listened to” another viewpoint.

Ask questions

One of the easiest ways to promote active learning is to ask questions. When we obtain information from someone, from books or the Internet, ask a series of questions about the topic. 【小题4】 In short, we should never stop being curious.

Seek the truth

Active learners make an attempt to question the world around them and get to the truth deep within each idea. Even when an idea sounds insane, there may be an aspect of it rooted in truth. No matter how crazy it seems, we will increase our chance of learning something.

【小题5】

Many people let learning opportunities slip because they ignore what is said because of who the speaker/writer is. But active learners don’t judge people on the basis of first impressions. Instead, they separate the message from the messenger.

You can picture this situation already—【小题1】. All the while you’re enjoying great food and making fantastic memories (回忆). However, travelling with your closest friends sometimes can be a terrible experience. Use our tips to plan a trip with friends where you’ll come home not only relaxed but closer than ever.

Have a full discussion. Slow down and honestly discuss what everyone hopes to get out of the vacation before booking anything. 【小题2】 Will you be together all of the time? Will there be days to explore separately? Will there be one or two main planning leaders? Make sure everyone plays a part in planning the vacation.

【小题3】 No one likes the uncomfortable talk about how the money is going to work, but it is a necessary part of planning. People often have different ideas when it comes to money. 【小题4】 Try to come to some common points when planning a budget (预算) for accommodations, visiting attractions, meals out, and activities.

Stay safe. While you don’t have to be with the group every minute of your trip, agree to stay responsible to each other for everyone’s safety. That means no leaving without telling the group where you’re going. Be sure everyone has each other’s contact information on their phones. 【小题5】