The skill sets needed to read at a university level are different than normal reading. Improving your reading comprehension skills will help you summarize articles, determine an author’s intentions, and critically reflect on what you’re reading, all while managing your time. Some of these tips are obvious and simple, and others might require a bit of planning and organization.
Improving Reading Comprehension: A Brief Guide for Undergrads
1 – Optimal Environment
My first suggestion is the simplest and most obvious strategy for effective reading: read in a setting that is conducive to optimal learning. For some people, this will be a busy coffee shop. For others, optimal learning requires a quiet room away from distractions. If you need a distraction free study-area, but still need stimulation, consider using a white noise app, or listening to a chill YouTube playlist.
2 – Skimming
You have your first reading in front of you, and a pen and paper by your side. Step 2 is to survey (or skim) the reading. Read the title, the opening paragraph, heading and sub-headings, and the conclusion. Now, ask yourself the following questions, and write down the answers as best you can: What arguments is the author making? What evidence are they using to prove their arguments? What themes and concepts have you found, or anticipate finding? It’s alright if you can’t answer all of these questions yet, but by skimming the article, you gain valuable insight to guide you moving forward.
Reading the intro and conclusion before anything else may seem strange, but it gives you a better sense of what information is important in the text. Hopefully key words and key phrases will jump out at you as you read the body of the text, and you’ll get better at knowing what information is important, and what information you can skip.
3 – Questions
Throughout the reading, ask yourself questions (and write them down!). If you run across this heading “Death Rituals of the Azande”, ask yourself “What are the death rituals of the Azande?”
4 – Highlight, Annotate and Take Notes
As answers to your questions surface, and important arguments/proofs present themselves, highlight important passages. Even better, write out paraphrased sentences (in your own words) in a separate document for better retention.
Consider breaking your notes up to mirror the reading. Have separate bullet points, graphs, maps, or outlines for each section of the reading.
5 – Skipping
When you have a good sense of what an author is arguing, and what proofs they use, you will have a better sense of what information is important, and what might be superfluous. Don’t be afraid to skip parts of the reading that seem inconsequential. This can be especially helpful when reading material for an essay.
6 – Use a Dictionary
You will come across many terms and concepts throughout university that will be new to you, and you should look up words in the dictionary or Wikipedia (so long as you don’t use Wikipedia when writing). Some operating systems and PDF readers have built-in dictionary tools. Use them!
7 – Take a break
If you notice yourself reading and re-reading the same sentence, it might be a good idea to take a break. Move to another reading, eat a snack, take a walk, pet a dog.
8 – Summarize
When you complete the reading, summarize the article to yourself. “The author argues X, and uses Y and Z to prove their thesis.” Summarizing the article demonstrates that you have actively read the material in front of you. You can also take this time to think about how this reading connects to other readings, themes, or concepts in the course you’re taking.
Conclusion
While these tips will help improve your reading comprehension, you might encounter an article or book chapter that, even with the tips above, is difficult to parse. Be kind to yourself and remember that this is all part of the process! The more you practice reading comprehension techniques, and the more your read, the easier it will be to make sense the material in front of you.
There are many demands on your time. However, the amount of additional time it takes to read actively rather than passively is minimal. These tips can help you form good habits with long-term and time saving benefits.