# Teaching > General Teaching >  I need to learn how to read please read

## PuddNheadPete

i need to know somethings about reading when i was still in school i was told that the way i was learning to read was by memory so in order to read i would have to be familiar with the word already to know how to say it that way was ok for a while but now i want to take it to the next level i want to be able to read anything and pronounce it RIGHT right now when i read and come to a word (mostly names) i just memorize the letters and say ok this is this guy or words that ive never heard pronounced i have no clue how to say it i want to be like a PROFESSOR OR A SCHOLAR and just read anything that i come across even if i dont know what the word means i still want to know how it is pronounced if anyone knows what im talking about please tell me what i should be doing to fix this problem thanks  :Biggrin:

----------


## Reccura

Ah, ha, I was troubled reading that one. You might want to use some commas, and periods. If you want to become a professor and be so good in English, I'd read english books and look up in the dictionary... 
Take it slow....

----------


## PuddNheadPete

i dont really want to be a professor i just want the skills one would have and i dont know how to use punctuation marks yet im going to night school for my GED so my skills r low and do u think its crazy to read the whole dictionary because i thought about that before but that wont help with reading names or words that arent in it does anyone know any method to help with what im talking about ? < :Wink:

----------


## Reccura

haha, it's so funny. I have to read your post twice, before understanding it. Try reading it, take it slow man.... 

Try online english learning, grammars and stuff. 
Me mum's a perfectionist, and she taught us english, even though I still have wrong grammars, to be honest.

----------


## THX-1138

Try buying books and their Audio CDs or tapes and read the book while listening at the same time,

----------


## B-Mental

Many root words come from latin, and while I don't know latin, I do know enough root words to figure out the meaning of words. Science is a good place to go through and just kind of test this. Latin is used to identify genus and species...also many reactions. It all depends how much time you want to put into it.

----------


## PuddNheadPete

im reading right now the book of mormon with the cds im not mormon but i love to read religious books and yes this way helps  :Thumbs Up:  so good call on the cds and books at the same time i also bought the vocab builder software from word smart which works really well too but it was a little pricy thanks for the replies i really want to read the dictionary when i get the time to start it i think i will oh yeah and HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE

----------


## SleepyWitch

hey PuddNheadPete,
if you have trouble with the pronunciation of names you don't know, there are dictionaries of names and place names that give you the pronunciations.

i think reading the whole dictionary is not such a great idea because it will take forever and you will learn loads of words you will never need along with the useful ones. Even a professor doesn't know all the words in the dictionary.
Just read a lot and look up around 5 to 10 words a day.

----------


## FrozenDuchess

*Sigh* English is my second language, and even though I am studying post grad English now... I remember learning the language (and learning to read it) when i was a kid. My dad had the best technique ever: The best way to learn how to read IS TO READ as much as possible. No complicated stuff man, what u read is not significant...THAT you read will help you. Read magazines...hell brother...read comics...but make reading part of your daily routine.

----------


## Bakiryu

just pronounce the names as you think they will sound!

----------


## farnoosh

maybe if you start 2 pages a day and then go up,it may be better

----------


## bibliophile190

Just find nice, simple, but slightly challenging books, and read. Just read whenever you have a chance. This is what my kindergarten teacher did to my class to teach us how to read, and it worked very well.

----------


## Turk

I pity speakers of English and people who are learners of English (myself) and some other languages like that. Why pronanciation would be different? I don't get it. In Turkish (tree=ağa&#231 :Wink:  if it's written ağa&#231;, we pronounce it ağa&#231; if it written salıncak we pronounce it salıncak!  :Biggrin:

----------


## bibliophile190

Believe me, I don't know why it's so difficult either. It's so funny to get my Grandfather started on the subject. He moved to America from Norway, and had such a hard time learning English. He couldn't understand why things didn't sound like they were spelled.

----------


## Adolescent09

Oh my gosh.. Reading this topic post and the nearly imploring plea of the original poster almost had me in tears. You remind me of the way people in my ghetto speak and write (not to be offensive). The erroneous punctuation and grammar use prevalent in your first post alone manifests how imperative it is for you to catch up academically on all levels. I'd suggest beginning with juvenile books such as the Harry Potter seires by *J. K. Rowling* (have you heard of her?), Eragon by Christopher Paolini and simple, short Roald Dahl classics. Reading, just like math in a sense, is an incrementally developed process which requires dedication, persistence and a clear cut path to definite success. Now is the time for you to genuinely consider what your future may be without an education. If you're black (especially in America) it definitely means jail time for a crime you never committed or committed because you were too ignorant to to arrive at a more plausible solution to earn your daily bread and if you are any other race you'll face relentless societal ignominy. You don't want to be chagrined. 

Do what is appropriate to mold a steady career for yourself. The time for success is now. Work NOW!

Like I do  :Smile: . An education is the paramount stepping stone to success. 

Well all I do is babble babble babble so you can ignore me if you like  :Smile:

----------


## cookiepuss

I think Pete may be pulling our leg . . .

----------


## PuddNheadPete

I think I found what I was looking for a software called www.readinghorizons.com

----------


## Sindhu

> i need to know somethings about reading when i was still in school i was told that the way i was learning to read was by memory so in order to read i would have to be familiar with the word already to know how to say it that way was ok for a while but now i want to take it to the next level i want to be able to read anything and pronounce it RIGHT right now when i read and come to a word (mostly names) i just memorize the letters and say ok this is this guy or words that ive never heard pronounced i have no clue how to say it i want to be like a PROFESSOR OR A SCHOLAR and just read anything that i come across even if i dont know what the word means i still want to know how it is pronounced if anyone knows what im talking about please tell me what i should be doing to fix this problem thanks


Well, if you are serious, which I really find hard to beleive,  :Wink:  this book is written for you! How to Read Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. To Quote from a review; 
"It is a common situation that is all too familiar to literature professors everywhere. When teaching a great work of literature, be it Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1959), Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1741), or Toni Morrison’s Beloved (1987), there is inevitably a moment in the classroom discussion of the book when the students confess to their professor that they do not “get it,” they simply do not understand the inherent symbolism represented in the book of which the professor speaks of with such clarity and ease. As Thomas C. Foster states in his enlightening new book How to Read Literature Like a Professor, to the eager but frustrated literature student “it may seem at times as if the professor is either inventing interpretations out of thin air or else performing parlor tricks, a sort of analytical sleight of hand.
Of course, literature professors have an obvious unfair advantage over their students: they are experienced readers who over the years have acquired an integral skill that Foster labels the “language of reading,” something their students are only just beginning to understand. The “language of reading” is the grammar of literature, a set of conventions and patterns, codes and rules that are employed when dealing with a piece of writing. Quite simply, what does it mean when a fictional character embarks on a journey? Or gets caught in a torrential rainstorm? Or sits down to share a hearty meal with family and friends? In How to Read Literature Like a Professor,Thomas C. Foster presents a lively and entertaining guide for your students to learn the subtle clues that form the “language of reading,” thereby transforming their reading experience to a new level that is ultimately more enriching, satisfying, and fun. 
Written in an informal, friendly style that encourages a freewheeling approach to literature, How to Read Literature Like a Professor focuses on the key literary basics that are the foundation of all great literature: major themes and motifs (seasons, quests, food, politics, geography, weather, vampires, violence, illness, and many more); literary models (Shakespeare’s plays, Greek mythology, fairy tales, the Bible); and narrative devices (form, irony, plot, and symbol, among others)." (You wanttoread more, go to-)


and beleive me the eulogies are well desrved!

I have the book, I AM a professor of English and I can at least guarantee the book is great fun and interesting. So try it- you have nothing to lose! :Idea:  

I'll take this chance to recommend another book to EVERYONE as a must- read- What would Shakespeare Do?: Personal Advice from the Bard by Jess Winfield. The author knows his Shakespeare inside-out and takes such everyday problems as Drunk Driving, Howto Stop Smoking, Mismatched Socks etc and manages to find lines from the bard which answer the question perfectly. Both Hilarious and illuminating. Do try it! :Thumbs Up:

----------


## Sindhu

Ok- the review url is
http://www.harperacademic.com/catalo...sbn=006000942X
Someone tell me why it doesn't show up in my original post!

----------


## PuddNheadPete

Im buying the Reading Horizons software tomorrow I hope this is what Im looking for Ima keep my fingers crossed I ll tell everyone how this program helps me Its suppose to help not only with reading but spelling vocab and grammar all of which I am horrible at  :Blush:

----------


## Lilyandrews

It sounds like you want some basic phonetic classes. You might consider, even though English is your native tongue, Taking an English as a Second Language course. That way you can be retaught the rules on how letters are pronounced. Once you know how the letters sound (in English) in different situations then you can decode words rather than just memorizing. The decoding is what you want.

Many State libraries offer downloadable audio books on-line for free--google your state and 'library'. You can also get books on CD from most libraries. And this- http://www.archive.org/details/audio is a great website where you can get audiofiles of public domain books.

----------


## PuddNheadPete

yes decoding is what Im looking for I never learned how to use it I was never able to buy the reading horizons software I saved for it but had to use the money for other things Im hoping I can get this software for christmas I already have some money towards it so hopefully for x-mas I will have it it cost $312.00 which I feel is a LOT of money BUT if this does what I hope it will and complete my reading skills then I cant wait cus all Ive been wanting to do is read read and read some more but Im holding off on reading anything till I can do it right and also I would like to build my vocab and I know a good software for that also its from www.Wordsmart.com I have a volume already of it but this software is REALLY expansive I bought it cus it speaks so I didnt have to read the words which if the reading horizons software works and I finally learn to read the right way I might not need the wordsmart software and just get a vocab building book but I like working with computers so I might just brake down and buy this also

----------


## cactus

Hello PuddNheadPete,

I find your posts endearing. Another easier way of learning how to pronounce words probably is to rent lots of DVDs with english subtitles and watch them while you have the subtitle on. It is amazing how much you pick up. 

I hope you don't mind me sharing a story with you. My sister-in-law who is a doctor came to me one day and said, "How do you pronounce this name: Leonard?" Apparently she called out this patient name and no-one responded. I told her it was Len-erd. She then said, "God, I thought it was Le-on-nard". She had to get the secretary to call out the patient for her. The poor man had no idea why it took forever for the doctor to call him.

Good luck with your study.

----------


## PuddNheadPete

> Hello PuddNheadPete,
> 
> I find your posts endearing. Another easier way of learning how to pronounce words probably is to rent lots of DVDs with english subtitles and watch them while you have the subtitle on. It is amazing how much you pick up. 
> 
> I hope you don't mind me sharing a story with you. My sister-in-law who is a doctor came to me one day and said, "How do you pronounce this name: Leonard?" Apparently she called out this patient name and no-one responded. I told her it was Len-erd. She then said, "God, I thought it was Le-on-nard". She had to get the secretary to call out the patient for her. The poor man had no idea why it took forever for the doctor to call him.
> 
> Good luck with your study.


thank you I will keep you informed on how I do with my studies and thanks for the tip  :Wink:

----------


## Etienne

You said you are putting off reading until you can do it right, but I'd suggest you , on the contrary, to read everyday. If you come up against a word you do not understand, you can look for it in a dictionary. Another method that worked quite well for me (but only if you read a lot and if you have too many words to check in the dictionary) is to just try to understand the word in the context, and often you can deduce the meaning easily and other times it will take a few times encountering this word before you get the right meaning. And you can still check some words in the dictionary if it's essential or you cannot make out the meaning at all.

----------


## PuddNheadPete

ok for any one that cares i just placed the order for the reading horizons software i should have it in about a week or so man i cant wait  :Biggrin:

----------


## Petrarch's Love

Good luck with the software, Pete. I hope it helps. I also want to say again what a couple of other people have posted, which is that the best way to really start reading well is to read as much as possible. This is the kind of skill that takes a lot of practice. One reason that professors know lots of words is that they spend years reading many many books and slowly picking up all that knowledge. Try to give yourself a little time every day when you just read something without allowing yourself to worry about the words you don't know how to pronounce. 

Let us know if the Reading Horizons helps with your problems.  :Smile:

----------


## Homyrrh

Hooked on Phonics...though you're from Jersey so you're probably already hooked on one thing or another...

----------


## PuddNheadPete

ok I received the software today and Im very impressed with it there are 30 lessons in all I am @ goal 5 in the program and have learned alot so far I wanted to keep going with it but its pretty intense and dont want to wear my self out Ive read that the software will actually rewire the brain  :Idea:  when used which sounds pretty kool to me its based on the Orton Gillingham methods I have no idea what that is but its working so far  :Biggrin:  im very happy with my purchase

----------

