The Secret to Improve Your Reading Comprehension

From the beginning of time to the first manned flight and right up to smartphones, there has been no greater discovery in the history of mankind than that of language.

But a recent survey concluded that a large percentage of the population never reads a book after college.  This is a dangerous precedent, mainly contributed by the lack of time and energy. It can be also due to the effort involved in reading a book as compared to watching TV.

We have listed out the best ways to improve your reading comprehension.

Pre-reading

First check out the introduction or the preface, the index and the first and last parts of the book. The point is to lightly browse through a book as if it were a telephone directory, without really going in-depth. You save a lot of time and you can clearly figure out what exactly you’re getting into. Now you can decide if you really want to spend time on the book in your hand.

Keep notes

What holds good for studies and grocery lists seems to be true for reading too. There really is no better way to remember something than the act of writing it down. Have a book and a pen at hand when you are reading. Note down the most important points and everything you have understood from the book. This will help you ingest the knowledge gained. Additionally, you can keep the notes around for a quick reference in the future.

Use a dictionary

Unless you are reading a book targeted at young children, you are sure to come across words that you don’t understand. Instead of skimming over them, keep a dictionary at hand. Once you figure out the meaning, use them in your sentences. That will keep them in your head and help build your vocabulary.

Post-reading

After you’ve finished your reading, take some time out to recollect everything that you gained from the book. This will help you internalize the knowledge and make it available for future use. If you find that there are portions of the book that you did not understand, you can go back and read it again with a focus on these sections.

Brain Training

The Brain Workshop has several customized programs to improve reading comprehension among adults with poor reading capabilities by specifically targeting issues like attention spans, dyslexia and much more.

Remember, the fact that you are all grown up doesn’t mean you can afford to leave your reading behind.  Some of the greatest entrepreneurs and business geniuses in the world today, like Warren Buffet and Mark Cuban, swear by the power of reading and how it can be used to continuously build and expand your knowledge.  So grab a book and get going.