I always thought that being a slow reader meant being a poor reader. But that's so not the case. All through grade school and high school I got Ds and Cs. I was always put in the poor reading groups. And yes, when I would read out loud, it would sound horrible. I think I was so worried about how I sounded, it all came out wrong. Like scary wrong.
It wasn't until years later that I was diagnosed with the Bipolar disorder so there was no wonder why I had a hard time comprehending things. When you're put under pressure for all those tests, it just makes things so much harder.
I wrote a lot in high school and kept a journal...until I burned it after I broke up with my now husband. It was one of those on again off again relationships. It wasn't until 11 years ago, when I was diagnosed, I started writing again. I started out with simple poetry and then analyzing it to death. Then I slowly graduated myself into short stories then novels.
Over the years of writing, I realized a very important thing. I still read slow, but my comprehension skills were amazingly better. So even though I'm still a slow reader, it doesn't make me a poor reader.
For those of you struggling in school with reading and comprehension, one way to get a lot better is to write! But not just write, analyze what you are writing. Like if it's a poem, write different variations of it. Or if it's a short story, write different endings. Ask yourself questions and could this be done differently? And never, NEVER feel bad that you read slow. It's okay. Take all the time you need to absorb it. When test time comes, hopefully you'll be better prepared.
Believe me, it is still a struggle to read sometimes. Depression can easily get in the way of that. But tests have proven reading lowers stress levels and calms you. That's always a good thing.
One last bit of reading that's really fun to do is challenge yourself. This year I am going to read 10 to 12 books. I know I know. To some that may sound like a super low number. It's a high number for me. Everyone has a different high number. Keep it within a reasonable amount and within reach. I feel so accomplished when I finish a book. Believe me, you will too. And you know what? I bet you'll want to do it again.
