How to read in Spanish

In college, I quickly learned the art of reading in Spanish. In high school, I was so concerned with what every single word meant and the exact translation of the text that I didn't take the time to learn how to read. The first and most important lesson is to read the Spanish words. I know that seems really simple, but reading the Spanish is the first step to proficiency instead of trying to figure out what it means in English. Sometimes I would read aloud to myself if I was having problems focusing. After learning this first and important step, I developed a step-by-step system:

1. Read the text all the way through without thinking too much about the words that you don't know. Try to get the basic message of the reading.
2. In English or Spanish, write or say aloud a short synopsis of the reading. The Spanish teacher in me wants to say do the synopsis in Spanish, but I think it can be effective to summarize the reading in English. If the reading is difficult, summarizing in English can help focus on the text as a whole and the main ideas instead of the words.
3. Scan through the reading and underline all the words that you do not know. Look them up in an English-Spanish dictionary. Write the meanings to the side of the text, not by the word in the text.
4. Revise your sypnosis if necessary.
5. Complete any questions or activities assigned.