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Strategies that make it easier to understand and remember what you read
Reading is much more than putting letters together to form words. Understanding arises when you connect the text to what you already know and actively work with the meaning. The good news is that reading comprehension can be trained — regardless of where you start.
Before you start, ask yourself: What will I use this text for? Will you find a specific answer, understand a context, or get an overview? The purpose determines how you read. You read differently when looking for a phone number than when you need to understand a work instruction thoroughly.
Before you read the entire text, you can skim it: look at the title, subheadings, highlighted words and any images. This gives you a framework that is easier to hang the details on when you then read carefully.
A text usually has a main message and a number of details that support it. When you read try to distinguish: What is the most important thing the author wants to say? What details support that? A good trick is to try to retell the paragraph in your own words.
It is normal to encounter words you do not know. Sometimes you can guess the meaning from the context. Other times it is worth looking the word up. Pay special attention to technical terms, because they are often the key to understanding the whole text.
“Reading is thinking with someone else's words.”
— Proverbs about reading
Reading comprehension improves with practice. The more you read about subjects that interest you, the more words and connections you pick up — and the easier it becomes to read even what is difficult.