Whether you are an experienced reader or one who has just started, you must know that reading is not how it used to be earlier. You may be taking longer to process the content that you read or you may be wanting to increase your pace of reading. No matter what the situation may be, a lack of reading strategy is probably acting as a hindrance.
However, with every problem comes a solution. So there is a solution to help you in countering this problem as well. Here are some strategies that you may employ to enhance your comprehension skills.
Read With Intent
Reading with intent is a sure-shot technique for effective and quick comprehension. It is difficult to achieve much with a distracted brain. The same applies to comprehending what you read. When you read with a purpose, your focus will be enhanced. With increased focus, your comprehension skills will also naturally improve. You will be able to retain whatever information or knowledge you receive while you are reading.
A very effective tip to help you read with intent is to classify the kind of books you read into categories. For example:
- Books on skills enhancement
- Books on motivation
- Books on life experiences
By categorizing your books and other reading material, not only will your bookshelf look organized but you will also exactly know the purpose of whatever book you are reading.
Previewing
You must have come across several books on the same or similar topics but written by multiple writers. Although different authors will have different points of view, there may be some commonality in the concepts shared in those books.
This is where previewing comes in handy. Although a written piece of content may broaden your knowledge on a topic, previewing will help you increase your speed of reading and comprehension as you will already be familiar with what the author has written about.
You will not gain much by reading something you already know. So it will be faster and easier to move on to the important parts of the book and hence save you time.
Predicting
Moving forward from previewing, predicting gives you an idea of what the reading material you are going to read is all about. This creates expectations on what is about to be read.
For example, when you saw the title of this article, you must have immediately known this piece is on reading tips that will enhance your comprehension. You must not be expecting to learn anything else but this.
The same applies to books that you read. You may adjust your prediction as you read through the book, but you will just glance over those bits of information you may already be familiar with.
Identifying the Key Point
Most books usually have a summary at the start to attract potential readers. However, if it is not available, you can summarize the book yourself as you continue reading it. To be able to comprehend the reading material at your disposal, you need to get a grip on the main point of the book or article you are reading. By writing a summary in your own words, you will have a better understanding of the book you are reading.
Many authors explain the main point of their books in the preface section. Most non-fiction writers set up their books in a way where they try to sell their point of view on the topic and then encourage people to continue reading. They will then discuss what their books will entail.
Most times, the main point is there in the preface. Identifying the key point will provide you with some context on the content of the book.
Summing Up
You need to strategize your reading if you wish to comprehend the message being conveyed by the writer. Your reading will become more effective and meaningful if you employ the strategies mentioned above.
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