Updated: Aug 2, 2024
When we think of literacy and reading issues, we often associate them with not being able to read. However, comprehension is an essential part of reading and something that many students, as well as adults, struggle with.
In this article, we’re exploring several ways to improve your reading comprehension and how Bookly can help. Let’s begin.
What is reading comprehension?
Simply put, reading comprehension is the ability to understand what you’re reading. It means you can grasp what the author is trying to convey, extract meaning from it, and feel inspired by the writing in front of you.
Reading comprehension has two components: vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension.
- Vocabulary knowledge refers to understanding the language being used – the literal interpretation of a text.
- Text comprehension refers to understanding the subtleties of a text (such as sarcasm, for example).
To read a text, it’s not enough to process only the literal words. Instead, you need to also have a grasp on their relationship with one another, the context, how subtle language and vocabulary usage can impact emotion and meaning behind the text, and how the text comes together as a larger, coherent whole. Oftentimes, it also means understanding the context of a book and reading any footnotes for references that might go above your head.
Without practice, nuances become lost and you might find yourself reading, but not truly retaining any knowledge or the full meaning of the text.
Why is reading comprehension important?
Being able to read effectively has a positive impact on both your personal and professional life, as understanding a text helps you boost your knowledge in certain areas and help you learn new skills.
Additionally, the benefits of good reading comprehension include:
- Reading, understanding, and analyzing any form of literature;
- The ability to be inspired by the text in front of you and treat it like the art form that it is;
- The potential to unlock new avenues to further reading you might enjoy;
- Understanding and engaging with other pieces of written text such as newspapers or blog articles;
- Understanding and responding to office correspondence;
- An improved ability to write clearly;
- Finding reading pleasurable as a leisure activity.
- Overall improved skills in both written and verbal communication.
Now, all this is great, but the truth is that proper reading comprehension is difficult. However, the good news is that it can be improved, just like any other skill through practice. Read on to find out more specific methods to up your reading game.
How to improve reading comprehension
The more you practice, the better you become at understanding what you’re reading. Here are a few strategies you can apply:
1. Improve your vocabulary
The ability to understand a text is closely related to knowing the words you’re reading. That’s why improving your vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve reading comprehension.
At Bookly, we’ve realized this early on, which is why we’ve added the “Add word” feature. Each time you open the app, you see one of the words you’ve previously saved, making memorizing them easier.
But don’t stop here, though – make a point to use newly learned words both in verbal and written communication. Only then will you be able to retain information.
2. Keep notes
Another thing you can do to improve your reading comprehension is to keep reading notes. If you own the book, you can use the margins on the side. If you borrowed the book or if you prefer e-books instead, you can use Bookly. The biggest advantage of keeping notes this way is that the app helps centralize your thoughts around a book which does wonders to reading comprehension and can even serve as a helpful resource for students.
Although keeping notes of what you read is not the most enjoyable task, jotting down what you remember about each chapter, section, or even paragraph is really helpful. It all depends on what kind of reader you are – you don’t need to write very meticulous notes. It’s far more important to remember how a chapter made you feel, what actually stuck in your mind, and your overall thoughts. Others might prefer highly detailed notes and that’s perfectly fine. It’s all up to you.
Plus, if your reading comprehension is decent, you’ll only need to take notes occasionally.
3. Summarize what you read
Summarizing requires you to decide what’s important in the text and then put it in your own words. Because of this, it’s a great exercise to improve your reading comprehension. Additionally, it also helps you better remember what you read in the long term.
You can write down a summary after every reading session in the Bookly app. And there’s even a helpful 1 minute timer if you’re in a rush (though I always go over it 😅).
4. Read aloud
Distractions of any kind negatively impact your ability to comprehend what you’re reading. So, if you’re the type whose mind wanders while reading, this strategy will help you focus.
Reading aloud is especially helpful because it incorporates both visual and audio learning. It will also prevent you from thinking about something else while reading. And last but not least, it forces you to slow down and process what you read.
5. Always read footnotes
I know – sounds horrible. Stepping away from the plot to keep track of footnotes and really break your reading rhythm. It mostly depends on the book – sometimes, footnotes don’t add too much. If they’re simple, I generally read them quickly, or go back at the end of a chapter. If they’re more complex, like in Dante’s Divine Comedy, it’s nearly impossible to follow the plot without reading the footnotes.
To actually comprehend what you’re reading, or if you need to prep for an exam, I’m sad to say footnotes are mandatory – if a bit annoying.
How do YOU keep track of what you read?
Do you have any other tips & tricks that have helped you improve your reading comprehension? Share them with other #BooklyReaders below 👇
