The secret of reading comprehension

Part One

Ever get to the bottom of a page and wonder what you just read? You are not alone! Most people’s reading comprehension is not very good. Our minds wander. In fact, studies show that average retention is 2% after 30 days. There is a secret to doing much better. A brain secret!

Your brain works best from the big picture to the details. Not the other way around. Ever do a jigsaw puzzle? That picture on the lid helped! Could you have put the puzzle together without the picture? Probably. Would it take longer? Yes. Is there a greater chance you would become discouraged and stop working on the puzzle? Certainly. Again, have you ever got to the bottom of a page that you just read and asked, “What did I just read?” Odds are your brain went sideways for the same reason….no picture. When you pick up something and just start reading it is pretty much the same as trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together without the big picture.

So what is the secret of much better reading comprehension and retention?

SCHEMA

Schema is a word that means mental map. It is what you know about a topic before you read about it. That is what determines comprehension! Good schema equals good comprehension.

Here is a great way to get improved schema when you read any non-fiction material. Read the first sentence of each paragraph only all the way through the chapter. This is one of my very favourite learning strategies! The first sentence of each paragraph contains the main idea or the topic sentence. When you read the first sentence of each paragraph you get the big picture. When you read the details later they have a place to “stick” in your brain.

Try it now. Get a book. Turn to a chapter that you have not read. Quickly read the first sentence of each paragraph. I think you will be quite surprised at what your brain does. Now when you read the chapter, notice the improvement!!

Part Two

How many of you have a pile of books that you are intending to read someday?!

It’s hard to find time to read. Everyone’s busy! A recent poll recently determined that the #1 cause of stress today is a lack of time. Another poll recently found that 59% of North Americans fail to read a single book in a year. That’s too bad. Reading is good for your brain. In fact, exposing your brain to a constant flow of new ideas may be necessary to protect your brain from degenerative disease! At the very least, when you read, you get to learn and think a lot…also very good for your brain.

This is a pre-reading activity. Although, you may read the first sentence of each paragraph and decide that you don’t need or want to read the material. In which case, you save a lot of time!

Here’s a great technique to use when you cannot or do not want to read a book word for word. Read the first and the LAST sentence of each paragraph only. The first sentence contains the main idea. The last sentence contains the summary or linking thought to the next paragraph. There are books in my library that I have never read cover to cover…word for word. And you’re thinking, “Well Terry, you missed a lot.” True. But not as much as you because you didn’t read it at all! You simply cannot read every book you want cover to cover. There are too many books! If you can read every book you want, cover to cover, you may want to make you reading list longer. Master learners should have many ways to tackle books.

Francis Bacon said, “Some books are to be tasted, some chewed, and some few to be swallowed and digested.”

Try it now. Grab a book and turn to a chapter that you have not yet read. Quickly read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. You’re in for a surprise!

This is also a great review technique for students. After you have read a chapter, come back to it in a couple of days and read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. This will help keep the ideas in long-term memory.