Introduction
Reading comprehension is a skill that everyone needs to master. Whether you’re reading a novel or an informational text, it’s important to be able to understand what you’re reading. However, many people find reading difficult and frustrating—especially when they have a lot on their plate in terms of schoolwork or work responsibilities. In this post, I’ll share some tips for improving your reading comprehension skills so that you can become more efficient and effective studying so that you can boost your success for any type of text material!
Eliminate distractions.
The first step to improving your reading comprehension is eliminating distractions. When you’re studying, turn off your phone and other devices that can be distracting.
You should also set aside a quiet place to study where there are few outside noises or people around who might bother you while trying to read. Make sure that this place is comfortable–you need to be able to sit still for long periods of time with minimal discomfort! Don’t eat or drink while reading; these activities will only distract from getting through the material efficiently and understanding what it means on an intellectual level (as well as making digestion more difficult).
Don’t study in bed either–this can lead one into falling asleep while reading which may cause them not only miss important details but also make them feel groggy when they wake up again later on after finishing up their studies for the day/night cycle (depending on whether it’s morning or evening).
Set aside enough time for study.
As you study, it’s important to set aside time for each part of the process. You will need to read and understand what you have read, practice your skills until they become automatic, and review your notes periodically.
Read with a purpose and in small chunks.
Reading is the fastest way to improve your comprehension, but it’s also one of the most challenging skills to master. Here are some tips for reading effectively:
- Read before you start. Before you begin reading any text, take a few minutes to think about what you’re going to do with it and how much time you have available. If possible, consider skimming or scanning through an article first so that when you sit down to read more carefully later on in your preparation process, this initial assessment will help guide how much time needs to be spent reviewing each section of information (more on this below).
- Read small chunks at a time instead of all at once–and don’t rush! This tip applies especially well when preparing for exams where there isn’t much time between starting and finishing (e.g., timed tests). Consider breaking up large amounts into smaller sections so that each section gets enough attention from students who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by trying too much at once; this strategy also helps ensure accuracy when reviewing material again later on because students won’t feel rushed while trying not only recall facts but also understand their relevance within context.”
Question your reading critically.
One of the best ways to improve your reading comprehension is by questioning your own reading. Asking yourself questions about the material, such as “Why am I reading this?” or “Do I understand what the author means?” will help you focus on the most important parts of what you are reading and eliminate distractions that might otherwise keep you from understanding their meaning.
Questioning also helps us ensure that we agree with what we’re reading. If there is something in a passage that doesn’t make sense or seems contradictory, then question it further until all of your questions have been answered satisfactorily!
Skim the material first, then read it thoroughly.
Skimming is a great way to get an overview of a text. It’s also called previewing and it can help you identify topics, key terms, and important people or ideas. Skimming involves reading fast enough that your eyes don’t linger on each word but slow enough that you can understand what you’re reading.
Skimming is especially useful when preparing for tests because skimming helps you find out what information is most important to know for the test without wasting time reading everything in detail.
If you have time before taking an exam (or even if not), try skimming through all of the questions first so that when it comes time for answering them on the test day itself–you’ll know exactly where to go back in order find answers!
Use your highlighter to mark important points and keep track of questions you want to ask yourself while reading.
- Highlight important points. Using your highlighter, mark the most important ideas and concepts that you encounter while reading. This will help you to focus on what’s most relevant and useful.
- Use different colors for different types of information. If there are specific types of information that you need to pay attention to–such as facts or inferences–use different colors of highlighters so you can easily tell them apart when skimming through your highlights later!
- Use a different color for each chapter/section/paragraph/sentence/word (or whatever). You can even create separate sections within each chapter if needed; this way, when reviewing later on-hand, it will be easier for you identify where certain things were located because everything looks so neat and organized!
Take short breaks while reading to help maintain focus and improve comprehension.
- Take a break every 20-30 minutes.
- Get up and walk around.
- Go for a quick walk around the office or building, or at least move your body in some way (e.g., do some simple stretches).
- Use the bathroom, if necessary–this can be an easy excuse to get up from your desk, but more importantly it helps keep you awake and alert during long study sessions!
Pace yourself by not going too fast or too slow when reading the material.
- Pace yourself by not going too fast or too slow when reading the material.
- Don’t read too much at once. Reading comprehension is a skill that improves with practice, so keep your focus on one section at a time and then move on to another section when you feel as though you have grasped what was discussed in the previous section.
- Avoid overthinking what you have just read; try not to spend too much time trying to understand every word or sentence in detail before moving on to something else entirely different from what has been discussed thus far in order for your brain not get stuck trying to figure out specific details within each paragraph or sentence!
These tips will help you become more efficient and effective studying so that you can boost your reading comprehension skills
- Take notes while reading. This will help you focus on the main points of the text and not get distracted by details that are not relevant to your understanding of what you are reading.
- Make sure to read with a purpose, so that when you finish each paragraph or section of a chapter, ask yourself if it answered any questions in your mind about what was written before it (i.e., did this answer my question about why this event happened?). If not, go back and reread parts until they make sense to you before continuing on with new material at another point in time or space from where we left off earlier today during class discussion about this topic.”
Conclusion
Reading comprehension is a skill that can be improved with practice and dedication. By following the tips outlined in this post, you’ll be able to develop your reading comprehension skills so that you’re able to understand what’s being said in any type of text–whether it’s an article from The New York Times or a textbook for your college class.
