Identify your reading grade level. Choose a book that looks interesting. Go to a random page and attempt to read a few lines. If you find the text too difficult or too easy, then move on to the next book. Reading should not be frustrating. Find a book that you can understand but contains new vocabularies. Read at that level and gradually move on to more advanced texts. The more you read at your grade level, the faster your reading comprehension skills will improve. Try to pick a book that is between 100 to 200 pages.
Read the book aloud. As you read aloud, pay attention to the pronunciation, sentence structure and context of the texts. Reading aloud helps you focus on the reading material. It also helps you increase your reading and speaking ability. If it is a story or a dialog, read as if you were the characters in the story. Then you will be able to understand the context better and enjoy reading more.
As you encounter new vocabularies, look them up in your dictionary. If you are a beginning ESL student, look up the definition in both English and your native language. Use the definition that best fits the context. Pay attention to the parts of speech. Write the definition on both your book and a separate notebook for future reference. Recite and memorize the new vocabularies.
Read and re-read a passage until you understand it, using the dictionary as necessary. Do not scan through a book. Read slowly and try to understand the story. Summarize your reading every chapter without using the book. Write down as much information as you can recall to test your understanding. If you have trouble recalling certain details, go back to the chapter and re-read. Look for any word or words you didn't quite understand before the parts you had trouble recalling, and look those words up in a dictionary until you have a better grasp of their meaning, then re-read those sections.