Words surround the world, and collectively, they form meaningful sentences. You can neither speak nor read without words, so good reading comprehension skills are necessary.
But many people find reading difficult for various reasons, and though they want to better their reading comprehension, they don’t know where to start.
Hi! I am Priyanka from Hooked to Books, and in this article, I will discuss how to improve reading comprehension in 8 simple ways.
I know people who are interested in reading books and children who are eager to learn new things. But they struggle to do so either because they cannot comprehend the words and sentences properly or because they find it hard to concentrate and forget easily.
It is a common problem, and no matter the cause, regular efforts from your side will help you improve your reading comprehension. I will list 8 ways you can incorporate to better your reading comprehension skills. Scroll through the article to learn more.
What is Reading Comprehension? Why is it important?
Reading comprehension means reading a set of words and understanding the meaning they hold, both explicitly and implicitly.
Comprehension means comprehending the meaning behind the written words and sentences. You can read an entire book or passage, but if you fail to understand its meaning, then you have weak comprehension skills.
Reading comprehension helps you understand the meaning of various words and phrases and makes learning or reading storybooks fun.
Importance of reading comprehension:
- It helps you understand the meaning of what you are reading
- It helps children in their overall learning process and also to perform better academically
- Makes reading enjoyable and motivates people to make it a habit
- Improve writing skills
- Helps to thrive in college or workplace
- Helps to concentrate on reading for long periods
- Helps to keep up with the events happening around the world
There are more reasons why reading comprehension is essential. So, the major point I am trying to make is that improving comprehension skills is requisite for surviving in today’s world.
So, without further delay, let’s dive into how to improve reading comprehension in 8 ways!
How to Improve Reading Comprehension: 8 Best Ways
Check out the 8 best practices you can incorporate into your daily routine if you are struggling to improve your reading comprehension skills.
1. Read Aloud
Reading aloud is a good strategy to follow to improve your comprehension skills. We often read a particular passage but don’t understand the overall meaning, which happens with almost everyone.
Reading aloud slows you down and helps you comprehend every word. You are not only reading but hearing as well, which enhances the process of learning.
Try reading with expressions, intonations, and punctuation breaks to make it fun and understand what is written in-depth.
2. Build Your Vocabulary
Vocabulary building is an essential step in the process of improving reading comprehension. Reading can be challenging if you cannot decipher the meaning of various words.
There are varied methods you can use to build your vocabulary. Keep a dictionary with yourself while reading; search for the meaning of the written words you cannot understand and note them down for further reference.
A strong vocabulary helps you to read, write, and speak fluently. Start with beginner-level vocabulary-building practices and level up accordingly.
3. Create Your Own Questions
After reading a paragraph or book, create several questions about the subject. Making questions and trying to find the answers help with brain development and understanding the meaning and context of the topic.
Make a list of questions and answer them one by one; try to decode the why, what, when, and who to gain deep insight.
4. Take Breaks While Reading
Taking breaks between reading is essential to give your brain time to process. When you continuously read without pause, you are bound to be overwhelmed with so much information, eventually leading to minimal focus and understanding of the topic.
So, ensure you take enough breaks while reading according to your capacity. Utilize the breaks to walk through the things you have read so far and visualize them for a deep insight.
5. Re-read
Rereading a particular passage or book is not a big deal. Maybe you didn’t decipher the meaning during the first read or partially understood the significance.
Rereading helps you understand the whole meaning in detail and also gives an in-depth knowledge of the topic. So, try rereading for a deeper level of understanding.
6. Summarize
After reading, summarizing the whole topic helps you comprehend better, and it also ensures that you remember every detail and can create your own opinions and questions regarding the same.
You can either summarize by writing or by narrating everything in your mind once or twice. It helps understand what is essential to discuss and what can be excluded without comprising the overall idea it delivers.
7. Set a Goal
To improve your reading comprehension, you need to practice reading. Now, I know that most people prefer to avoid reading because, according to them, it’s a tedious task. Or they avoid it because of the difficulty they face in reading fluently.
But if you really want to improve your comprehension skills, it is necessary to read daily. The best way is to set up a goal for yourself. Try reading one chapter daily and gradually increase as it becomes a habit.
8. Simplify the Sentences
Often, simplifying the sentences helps to understand the paragraph you’re reading. Try to decode the whole sentence, find meanings of the difficult words, and replace them with simple words to comprehend easily.
All the ways mentioned above help to improve reading comprehension if appropriately incorporated. There are various other methods, or you can try strategies that work for you better.
Wind-Up
Comprehension skills are necessary nowadays, and I hope this article on how to improve reading comprehension in 8 ways is helpful for you.
Use these simple methods, put in effort constantly, and I am sure your comprehension skills will eventually improve. Following the right methods is the key!