How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension
Eliminate distractions., Find any type of paper to keep notes in., Read back through your notes occasionally, making sure they make sense., Ask questions about the theme or the author's intentions., Keep your notes together so that you can refer to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Eliminate distractions.
Turn off the music and the TV.
Flee to the library or the bathroom, if that's where you can have peace and quiet to read. -
Step 2: Find any type of paper to keep notes in.
Taking notes, while not immediately exciting, is a good way to boost reading comprehension.
If you're reading for a class, try a notebook.
But if you're reading for fun, get as many pieces of paper as you think you'll need for the story and, of course, grab a pen or pencil.
Jot down what you remember about each chapter, section, or even paragraph.
If your reading comprehension is already decent, you may only need to take occasional notes.
Don't rewrite the novel.
On the other hand, don't write so few notes that you can't follow what was going on chronologically in the story at a given point.
Anytime a major event happens, or a new character is introduced, or some odd detail sticks out, write it down in your notes.
Try writing down characters and their relationships on one page and a basic time line for the story on another page.
Draw a family tree, if it helps. , Wait a day, then read your notes again.
If your notes make absolutely no sense, you know you either need to take more notes, or take better notes. , Getting in the habit of asking questions will help you improve your comprehension by getting you truly involved in the story.
You're trying to figure out what's going on, and in order to do that, you need to ask some questions and pose possible answers.
Write down your questions in your notes, as well as your answers.
Some hypothetical questions that you might ask yourself while reading a book and taking notes:
Did the main character let the cat out the back door for a reason, or was the author just trying to fill space? Why does the author start the book in a cemetery? Does the setting of the book say anything about the main character right off the bat? What is the real relationship between these two characters? On the face of it, they seem like enemies, but could it be that they actually like one another? Pose these sorts of questions after you finish a section or a chapter and are trying to make sense of the story.
Predict what the answer is going to be.
When the answer is revealed, ask yourself what supporting details in the book make that explanation the best one for the story. , If you jotted down notes on loose leaf paper, put the paper into a binder, separated by tabs for each different story.
If you used a single notebook for your notes, create section headings outlining where the notes for one story start and end. -
Step 3: Read back through your notes occasionally
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Step 4: making sure they make sense.
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Step 5: Ask questions about the theme or the author's intentions.
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Step 6: Keep your notes together so that you can refer to them later.
Detailed Guide
Turn off the music and the TV.
Flee to the library or the bathroom, if that's where you can have peace and quiet to read.
Taking notes, while not immediately exciting, is a good way to boost reading comprehension.
If you're reading for a class, try a notebook.
But if you're reading for fun, get as many pieces of paper as you think you'll need for the story and, of course, grab a pen or pencil.
Jot down what you remember about each chapter, section, or even paragraph.
If your reading comprehension is already decent, you may only need to take occasional notes.
Don't rewrite the novel.
On the other hand, don't write so few notes that you can't follow what was going on chronologically in the story at a given point.
Anytime a major event happens, or a new character is introduced, or some odd detail sticks out, write it down in your notes.
Try writing down characters and their relationships on one page and a basic time line for the story on another page.
Draw a family tree, if it helps. , Wait a day, then read your notes again.
If your notes make absolutely no sense, you know you either need to take more notes, or take better notes. , Getting in the habit of asking questions will help you improve your comprehension by getting you truly involved in the story.
You're trying to figure out what's going on, and in order to do that, you need to ask some questions and pose possible answers.
Write down your questions in your notes, as well as your answers.
Some hypothetical questions that you might ask yourself while reading a book and taking notes:
Did the main character let the cat out the back door for a reason, or was the author just trying to fill space? Why does the author start the book in a cemetery? Does the setting of the book say anything about the main character right off the bat? What is the real relationship between these two characters? On the face of it, they seem like enemies, but could it be that they actually like one another? Pose these sorts of questions after you finish a section or a chapter and are trying to make sense of the story.
Predict what the answer is going to be.
When the answer is revealed, ask yourself what supporting details in the book make that explanation the best one for the story. , If you jotted down notes on loose leaf paper, put the paper into a binder, separated by tabs for each different story.
If you used a single notebook for your notes, create section headings outlining where the notes for one story start and end.
About the Author
Anna Johnson
Anna Johnson is an experienced writer with over 5 years of expertise in museums libraries. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Anna creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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