How to Read a Long Book or Document
Pre-read., Take notes., Talk to people about what you read., Re-read as needed., Visualize what you read.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pre-read.
Take a look at the table of contents and any headings and summaries.
Knowing what to expect in each particular section or chapter will help you understand the longer document as a whole.
Before you dive into reading the entire text, skim some of the more important parts like the introduction or some of the appendices.Perhaps you could even read a summary of the text online before you begin reading or spend some time brainstorming what you already know about the topic. -
Step 2: Take notes.
In order to increase your comprehension and ability to retain the information contained in the long document you’re reading, you should attempt to take notes during your reading process.
Jot down keywords, main ideas, and anything else you think is important.
Taking notes will also help you refresh your memory later when you’ve finished reading the entire thing.
It’s much easier to go back over your notes rather than reading the whole text again.
You can take notes on a separate page, in the margins of the document itself (if you own it), or simply choose to underline or highlight important passages.
Choose whichever method works for you. , Discuss the content of your long document with others as you read it.
This will help solidify the information in your mind as you go.
Consider discussing it with your friends, colleagues, teachers, or even try starting a book club so others can read along with you.
Feel free to ask questions if you find something difficult to comprehend.
Understanding the text is the most important part – otherwise you won’t remember it if you don’t understand it. , It’s normal that reading something one time doesn’t make it stay in your brain forever.
You may need to re-read it (or at least the important parts) from time to time to make sure you understand the text and retain it for the future.
You can choose which parts to re-read based on the notes that you have taken that indicate which parts are the most important.
Or you can re-read the parts that you find difficult to remember. , Take some time while you’re reading to mentally visualize all that’s happening in the text you’re reading.
If it's a story, picture it in your mind.
Predict what will happen next.
Let yourself get drawn in to the characters and the story.If it's a nonfiction text, it may be harder to visualize the contents.
Instead, try to find the reading style that works best for you and use it.
Do you learn the information just by reading and thinking about it? Do you learn better by doing, by trying examples? Do you learn by highlighting main points or taking notes? Do you learn by talking about the text? Do you learn by writing about what you have read? -
Step 3: Talk to people about what you read.
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Step 4: Re-read as needed.
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Step 5: Visualize what you read.
Detailed Guide
Take a look at the table of contents and any headings and summaries.
Knowing what to expect in each particular section or chapter will help you understand the longer document as a whole.
Before you dive into reading the entire text, skim some of the more important parts like the introduction or some of the appendices.Perhaps you could even read a summary of the text online before you begin reading or spend some time brainstorming what you already know about the topic.
In order to increase your comprehension and ability to retain the information contained in the long document you’re reading, you should attempt to take notes during your reading process.
Jot down keywords, main ideas, and anything else you think is important.
Taking notes will also help you refresh your memory later when you’ve finished reading the entire thing.
It’s much easier to go back over your notes rather than reading the whole text again.
You can take notes on a separate page, in the margins of the document itself (if you own it), or simply choose to underline or highlight important passages.
Choose whichever method works for you. , Discuss the content of your long document with others as you read it.
This will help solidify the information in your mind as you go.
Consider discussing it with your friends, colleagues, teachers, or even try starting a book club so others can read along with you.
Feel free to ask questions if you find something difficult to comprehend.
Understanding the text is the most important part – otherwise you won’t remember it if you don’t understand it. , It’s normal that reading something one time doesn’t make it stay in your brain forever.
You may need to re-read it (or at least the important parts) from time to time to make sure you understand the text and retain it for the future.
You can choose which parts to re-read based on the notes that you have taken that indicate which parts are the most important.
Or you can re-read the parts that you find difficult to remember. , Take some time while you’re reading to mentally visualize all that’s happening in the text you’re reading.
If it's a story, picture it in your mind.
Predict what will happen next.
Let yourself get drawn in to the characters and the story.If it's a nonfiction text, it may be harder to visualize the contents.
Instead, try to find the reading style that works best for you and use it.
Do you learn the information just by reading and thinking about it? Do you learn better by doing, by trying examples? Do you learn by highlighting main points or taking notes? Do you learn by talking about the text? Do you learn by writing about what you have read?
About the Author
Larry Ellis
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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