Improving reading comprehension leads to greater satisfaction as a reader. Ask questions before reading, underline key ideas and words, relate to personal experiences, re-read, and discuss with others. Joining a book club can also help.
Reading can be pretty pointless if you don’t understand what you just read. Improving your reading comprehension can lead to much greater satisfaction as a reader as the activity of reading rewards you with knowledge you didn’t have before. It doesn’t matter what kind of reading you’re doing, whether you’re reading informative articles or long fictional books. You can use similar strategies for different types of reading materials to improve reading comprehension.
Consider starting any reading activity or reading for pleasure with a few questions. First, what are you reading? If you are reading a book about the life of Abraham Lincoln, what do you know about Lincoln, what stories do you remember about him, and what do you know about the time he lived? You might want to make a short list of some of the things you already know, like that he was President of the United States, got involved in the Civil War, helped end slavery, and stuff like that.
Another thing to ask is what you expect a book will tell you. Examine the book. Look at the title of the chapters, and possibly read the introduction. Find out what you are about to read before you read it. This way, you can make predictions about what might happen. Keep a list of these to see if you’re right.
You can improve reading comprehension if you also make a list of what you would like to know. This can be part of the forecast list or separate. Ask what you want to find out and keep an updated list. Don’t make up too many questions at the start, but consider adding a few before starting each new section of a book.
If you own the book you’re reading, read it with a pencil or highlighter in hand. As you read the text, underline the words you don’t know. You can use post-its if the book isn’t yours and write the word down or keep a dictionary handy. Don’t read much further before looking up these words, as it’s hard to understand the text when you can’t define the words used.
Another thing that will improve reading comprehension is to underline key ideas you find. Don’t underline the whole book, but when you get to a key point, take a minute to underline it. Use the paragraphs as a guide to understanding the main ideas. The first or second sentence in a paragraph often states the key idea in that paragraph. Also use headings, chapter titles, and subheadings as ways to tell you the main idea of a section of a book.
Consider reading one chapter at a time. Before going any further, ask yourself what the chapter contained. What happened? Who was involved? What were the main points? Go back to individual paragraphs to go over the main ideas again, and consider writing a quick chapter summary. If you have a study guide for each chapter, which is common in textbooks, take the time to review and answer the study questions. If you can’t find the answers, go back and look for answers in the text to improve reading comprehension.
As you read, you will improve your reading comprehension if you relate what you are reading to your own experiences. This may not always be easy, but especially with fiction, you can often find a character that is like someone you know, a similar emotion you had, or a situation that is reminiscent of something that has happened in your life. Relating to what you read expands your ability to understand and remember it. They no longer become just words, but something that is personally connected to you.
Don’t forget to re-read. Often, we will miss important things the first time we read something. It may take two more readings to fully understand the material. If you are reading chapter by chapter, plan to read each chapter at least twice for a more complete understanding.
Finally, talk or write about what you read. When reading isn’t a unique experience, you’ll get more out of it. If you’re reading something for a class, ask others to discuss it informally. Alternatively, share the reading with a spouse, children, or a friend or relative. The more you engage the reading by thinking and talking about it, the better you will understand it.
If you want to further improve your reading comprehension, consider joining a book club. There are many available in local bookstores and libraries, or you can make your own with a few friends. Even a family of kids and parents can start a book club together.
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