Alicia Said:

english speakers how to improve reading & writing skills?

We Answered:

I'm struggling with similar questions in French and Spanish. I think it's better to keep going and try to guess the meaning if you have enough comprehension to do that, but maybe to keep a notepad nearby and write down things you want to look up later. Looking up in the dictionary takes too much time and interrupts the flow of reading.

I know just what you mean when you say "read with your eyes but not your brain".