Reading Comprehension

How can I better comprehend what I read?

Reading is extremely important. It serves as a way to give directions, instructions, and new information for us to explore. Thanks to our hectic lifestyle and competitive education system, many of us have learned to ‘read’ without fully comprehending or understanding what we are actually reading.

Below are several steps which were created for students who were learning English as a Second Language. These steps are for people of all ages and professions whether reading for pleasure or work and in any language.

Steps

1. Review and identify the pieces of the article

a. Title

b. Author

c. Source

d. Publisher

e. Illustrations

f. Captions

2. Create Open Questions for Understanding

a. What are my expectations for finishing this article?

b. What is this article about?

c. What does the title tell me the content will be about?

d. How will this article help my project?

3. Skim and Scan for new words

a. Look for new words

i. If appropriate, circle the word or write it in a notebook

b. Try to understand the words through the context of the sentence

c. If absolutely necessary – search within the dictionary

4. Read one paragraph at a time

a. Ask an open question at the conclusion of the paragraph about its contents

b. Answer the open question

i. If you can answer, move to the next paragraph

5. Continue Step 4 throughout the reading

6. Answer the ‘Open Questions for Understanding’ from Step 2

a. If able to answer then move to Step 7

b. If unable to answer, complete the entire reading and steps again

7. Reflect on the reading

a. How successful were you at meeting your expectations?

b. What were the author’s intentions of the writing?

c. Why is this writing an example of a certain theme?

What materials do you usually read? Where do you usually read? How can these steps help to improve your knowledge and performance at work?

Be sure to read the other professional blog posts which provide tips for different areas of life and work.