Increasing Reading Comprehension

Completing the course to graduate is the goal. How to get there is the question. Speed reading is often thought to be the one thing that will improve reading comprehension as the reader zips through the written word. Not exactly. Speed reading focuses on moving the eye across the written page quickly, all the while assuming what is on the written page is comprehended. Not always the case, however. Increasing one's ability to read quickly and improving comprehension are two different skills, often disguised as one in an attempt to sell programs at various Learning Centers. Retaining information is the key to academic success so graduation becomes a reality.

Reading comprehension takes a minimum of seven, and as many as 14 repetitions to retain information being presented. Repetitions may vary but the the best way to increase one's reading comprehension is to focus on the headings and sub-headings on the page. Learning the SQ3R method of reading will also help. SQ3R, which stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review, was started by Francis Robinson during the early 1940's as a way to help Army recruits remember all the information in the Army Manual. Several variations of the method have surfaced over the years, but the original SQ3R Method is still the one used in college reading courses.

A quick explanation will get the reader started on a successful reading approach. Gather the book you wish to read, a notebook and pen, and sit at a table or desk. Begin with a four to five page section of the book; to assume an entire chapter will be completed in one sitting is like planting a garden on Monday and harvesting fruit on Tuesday. It is doomed to fail and cause frustration. Breaking a reading assignment into achievable components -- those that can be accomplished in 60 minutes or less -- is necessary for success. SQ3R is easy to follow; once learned it can be shared with others from first grade through graduate school.

Survey - This is the step that takes the reader from present time (where they were on the phone or watching TV) to the text, where they will focus on retaining the written word. Surveying means looking over the entire four page segment in one minute or less to get the gist of the section. Read the title, sub-titles, and the text under the pictures. Look at all the photos, then look for any words that are in bold or italics, as they have special meaning. Read the first paragraph and last paragraph of the segment, looking for what will be covered as well as what was covered in the segment. This serves as the first of the needed 7 to 14 repetitions needed for memory.

Question - This is the time when the titles and sub-titles are turned into questions, written down, and then answered. Look at the title of the article, use question beginnings like Who, What, When, Where, Why or How to formulate a question. Before writing it down, divide the piece of paper into two columns -- with 1/3 on the left of the line and 2/3rd's on the right of the line. The questions are placed in the left column, aptly called the Question Column, and the answers will be placed later in the right column. Write as many questions down as needed to get through the segment. Include questions about words in bold or italics. This time consuming part of SQ3R will take about 10 minutes. This serves as the second and third repetition needed for recall.

Read - Go back and read the first question in the Question column, now start reading the material in the book and look for an answer to the question. When you find it, write the answer on the right side of the line on the page. Continue reading until all questions have been answered. If 15-20 minutes have elapsed, stop this activity, take a short break then resume. This serves as the third repetition needed for recall.

Recite - Now you will recite out loud the questions you wrote and the answers you found. Recitation is critical to learning and uses four of the fives senses. The eyes "see" the written words, the ears "hear" the question and answer aloud (which means say it loud enough for the ear to hear it). The throat is where the words are "felt" before they are repeated, touch is used when the questions are written down. Reciting will progress from reading the questions and answers, to reading just the question and recalling the answer from memory, to reading the question and covering the answer with a separate clean sheet of paper on which answers are written from memory. This will serve as the fourth, fifth and even sixth repetition needed for recall and could take 10 minutes.

Review - It is important to review regularly before a test in order to assure the information is actually in memory. Each review will be easier as the information becomes part of one's long term memory. The final seventh repetition, which could take up to 10 minutes, is included in the Review stage.

This method has been taught to every college reading and composition class for the past several years as it assures students they have a success strategy to follow as they methodically read and retain information for success. Give it a try on anything you need to read and retain and you will be delighted with the results.
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