Online Class: Reading Comprehension 101

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Writing Basics 101: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Writing Structures

Proofreading and Copyediting 101

Spelling 101

Course Motivation

Most people need to read today.  

Whether it is for school to pass a class, for an entrance exam for college or graduate school, or for their profession, reading is the single most important skill you will ever develop. All three examples above demonstrate that reading is considered to be a critical skill. But even more important than learning to read is understanding what is read. 

Reading is a skill by which we can learn just about anything. The better you read and understand what you read, the better you will do in school, in your job, and ultimately in your life.  

What if you're not that skilled? Then you're in the right place. You're not alone. Many people actually relate better to numbers, or when practically applying their knowledge, than they do by reading and understanding what they read.  

The problem is that no other skill is used more often in life than reading. It is used for school, recreation, and for improving your position at work.  

The good news is that reading and its subsequent comprehension is a skill that can be learned, improved, and assimilated, no matter why you need it.  

As you go through this course, we encourage you to find books on something that you enjoy. Don't force yourself to read books you know you must read. It is better to find books about things that you enjoy for the purposes of this course. Why? Because you will automatically be motivated to read information that is important to you, information that you already find interesting. You will also discover that you already have a certain core knowledge about the subject, so you will see how you can add new bits of information to this core knowledge.  

This is an important step in the process of reading and reading comprehension.

One reason we have difficulty when learning a new topic is that our knowledge about the new material is either non-existent, or is very limited. This makes it difficult to learn something new. As you add to your store of knowledge on a topic you are already interested in, you will see how quickly you can improve your skills.  

This set of skills is transferable. So when you sit down with a new topic, you will understand how your brain works when presented with new material, you will apply methods you learned in the "easy" situation to this more "difficult" situation. Once you understand the process, you will find that learning new material is now easier than it has ever been before.  

When we read, we do so with the expectation that we will both understand and remember what we have read.  

Have you ever had the experience of reading something, only to realize after a few moments that you have absolutely no idea what you just read? The truth is that we have all had this experience, and you must take a moment to try to understand why you didn't understand the material. 

• Are you tired, fatigued, or stressed?
• Do you know much about the topic you're reading?
• Have you done any pre-reading preparation?
• Are you reading in a noisy, distracting environment?
• Is your mind prepared to read for comprehension? 

When you are tired, you don't read as well, nor understand as fully as you do when you are fully rested. Try reading the material after you have had an opportunity to rest. Many people find that they cannot study very difficult material when they are tired. Rather, they must approach it after they are fully rested. 

Have you any experience with the topic that you're reading about? In order to understand something that we're reading, we have to have something to connect it to. Some people find it very helpful to read a simpler book on the same topic or subject so they can begin to find places to anchor new ideas, terms, and concepts. This can take longer than most other types of reading, but with practice, and within three weeks, you will see a significant improvement. 

It is also a good idea to choose your reading environment with great care. While the dorm study might be convenient, it is likely to be noisy and have a lot of distractions. Even the library could be more of a social gathering arena than a study environment. Consider finding an unused classroom to do your reading for your class. The light is good, it is quiet, no distractions, and you are actually in a physical location and position that signals your body that it is time to learn. 

There are few educational environments that do not require a demonstration of reading comprehension proficiency. You will be tested on reading comprehension throughout your elementary and high school career. Then you will be tested for either the ACT, or the SAT exam, or both in preparation for college. Once you enter college you may be further subjected to the ACCUPLACER exam, or something similar, to place you in the appropriate classes your freshman and sophomore year.  

And you're not done yet. There is further reading comprehension testing for the GRE, the LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT. 

As you can see, the further along you go in your higher education career, the more you will be using your reading comprehension capabilities. These skills can be improved at any point in your educational career, and with practice, will remain with you for the rest of your life.