Reading speed and comprehension: How to improve both

When it comes to reading, different materials require different speeds.

For example, diving into an exciting novel is usually much faster than working through a dense biology textbook.

This difference isn’t just about interest—it’s also about how well the material is written. Some textbooks are simply harder to read because they’re not as clearly written, making them more challenging and time-consuming.

To make the most of your reading and studying time, start by measuring your reading speed.

Each semester, take the time to gauge how quickly you can read a chapter from each of your textbooks.

Knowing your reading rate can help you plan your study sessions more effectively, ensuring that you allocate enough time for each subject.

How to Test Your Reading Speed

Testing your reading speed is simple and essential for effective time management. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Pick a chapter: Choose a chapter from each textbook.
2. Set a timer: Time yourself as you read through the chapter.
3. Calculate your rate: Determine how many pages you can comfortably read in an hour.

Once you know your reading rate for each subject, you can plan your study schedule with more accuracy. This helps in avoiding last-minute cramming and ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently.

Improve Your Reading Comprehension

Comprehension is just as important as speed. It doesn’t matter how fast you read if you don’t understand or remember what you’ve read. Here are some strategies to enhance your comprehension:

1. Start by scanning the chapter

Before diving into the details, quickly scan the chapter.

Identify the sections where the author spends the most time.

If there are many diagrams or the author devotes a lot of space to a particular concept, that’s a signal that it’s important.

2. Focus on the first sentence

The first sentence of each paragraph often introduces the main idea.

Read it carefully before moving on to the rest of the paragraph.

This will help you grasp the core concept quickly.

3. Take notes on key points

Before reading the chapter in full, take notes on the headings and the first sentences of each paragraph. Afterward, close your book and reflect on what you’ve learned. This will reinforce the key points and improve your retention.

Here are some additional techniques to enhance your note-taking skills, especially when focusing on key points:

• Use bullet points
  • Write key ideas as short bullet points.
  • Each bullet should represent one main idea or concept.
• Highlight or underline key terms
  • Emphasize important words, phrases, or definitions by highlighting or underlining them.
  • This makes it easier to identify crucial information at a glance.
• Summarize sections in your own words
  • After reading a paragraph or section, briefly summarize it in your own words.
  • This reinforces your understanding and helps with memory retention.
• Use abbreviations and symbols
  • Save time by using abbreviations or symbols (e.g., “→” for leads to, “&” for and, “ex” for example).
  • Make sure your abbreviations are consistent so you can easily understand your notes later.
• Leave space for additional notes
  • Leave some space between your notes for adding extra details or clarifications later.
  • This is useful when reviewing or when your understanding of the material deepens.

4. Focus on nouns and verbs

In each sentence, focus on the nouns and verbs, as they often carry the main idea. For example, consider this passage:

“Classical conditioning is learning that takes place when we come to associate two stimuli in the environment. One of these stimuli triggers a reflexive response. The second stimulus is originally neutral with respect to that response, but after it has been paired with the first stimulus, it comes to trigger the response in its own right.”

Instead of reading every word, break it down like this:

• Classical conditioning = learning = associating two stimuli
• 1st stimulus triggers a response
• 2nd stimulus = originally neutral, but paired with 1st → triggers response

5. Rewrite the information

Rather than just reading and re-reading, take notes in a simplified form. This helps to internalize the material more effectively. Once you’ve rephrased and condensed the information into your notes, you’ll have a better understanding, and you won’t need to rely as heavily on the textbook.

Let’s say you’re studying a chapter in a psychology textbook on Operant Conditioning. The textbook might present the following passage:

“Operant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. An individual makes an association between a particular behavior and a consequence. Behaviors followed by desirable outcomes are more likely to occur in the future, while those followed by undesirable outcomes are less likely to occur.”

Instead of just reading and highlighting this passage, you can rewrite it in a simplified, more digestible format:

• Operant conditioning = learning through rewards and punishments
• Behavior + reward = more likely to repeat behavior
• Behavior + punishment = less likely to repeat behavior

By rewriting the information this way:

1. Condense: You’re distilling the key points into concise, memorable bullet points.
2. Personalize: The act of rewriting helps you process and internalize the concepts, making them easier to recall later.

This process turns dense information into easy-to-remember summaries that you can quickly review before exams, enhancing both comprehension and retention.

Final thoughts

Reading speed and comprehension are crucial for academic success.

By measuring your reading rate and employing strategies to improve comprehension, you can make your study sessions more productive and less stressful.

Remember, it’s not just about reading faster—it’s about understanding and retaining what you read.

With practice, you’ll find a balance between speed and comprehension that works best for you.