What’s the most underrated life skill?
Yes, reading is one of the most underrated skill.
Sometimes, I wonder whether people actually consider reading as a skill. But of course it is a skill.
They say that if you know how to read a text, you will know how to form and answer questions.
That’s why, in schools, students always have comprehension texts in their language exams. You can say that these are tests of their reading skills.
But the problem is that there’s a big difference between reading as a hobby and reading as a skill. Comprehension exercises in exams need good reading skills so that students can understand how to answer the questions. That’s why students are taught certain techniques as they practice comprehension texts before their exams.
One of these techniques is to quickly scan the text. The second is to read with good concentration. The third is to focus on the main points in the text.
Now, reading as a hobby is a wonderful companion. It offers knowledge, enrich speaking, and, of course improve writing.
Reading as a hobby also creates a good, solid foundation for practising and understanding all reading techniques without the pressure of tests.
If you read about different topics, you will surely have some knowledge of different genres of books, and that will automatically offer you different reading techniques.
Reading fiction, for example, is not like reading a philosophical book.
Fiction techniques are based on imagination, wordplay, imagery and senses.
Philosophy techniques are mainly based on deep thinking, concepts, and long threads of complex, entangled words.
Have you noticed anything of what I have just mentioned in this post in your reading?
I hope you have.
Because if you have, then you agree that reading is a skill that has been underrated for so long.
With reading thoughts,
Nahla
