What is reading comprehension?

Reading comprehension is the ability to comprehend or understand, what you are

reading. This is an intentional and active part of reading and takes place before,
during and after you read something. By being able to comprehend what you are
reading, you can extract meaning from the text and better realize what the author
is trying to convey.

There are two components of reading comprehension: text comprehension and

vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary knowledge is the ability to understand the
language being used, while text comprehension is using this language to develop
an awareness of what the meaning is behind the text.

Why are reading comprehension skills important?

Reading comprehension is important for several reasons and can provide many
benefits. Being able to effectively read can improve both your personal and
professional life and can increase your overall enjoyment of reading. Knowing how
to understand a text can help boost your knowledge in certain areas and help you
learn new skills and information faster.

Additional benefits of good reading comprehension skills include:

• Being able to understand, analyze and respond to documents and

written communication in the workplace
• Improved your ability to write clearly and effectively
• The ability to comprehend and engage in current events that are in
written form such as newspapers
• Increased ability to focus on reading for an extended period
• Better enjoyment of and motivation to read

7 strategies to improve your reading

comprehension skills
There are several reading strategies that you can begin implementing today to
improve your reading comprehension skills. The more you practice, the better you
will become at understanding what you are reading. The following are seven
simple strategies you can use to work on your comprehension skills:

1. Improve your vocabulary

Knowing what the words you are reading mean can improve your ability to
comprehend the meaning of the text. To improve your vocabulary, you can:

• Take an online vocabulary quiz to assess your current level of

vocabulary understanding
• Use flashcards to quiz yourself on words you don’t know once or
twice a week
• Make a point to use newly learned words in verbal and written
communication
• Read as much as possible to improve your ability to guess what a
word means in a certain context
• Make a list of unfamiliar words as you read and look them up in the
dictionary

3. Use context clues

Using context clues is a great way to understand what you are reading even if you
don’t know all the vocabulary being used. Context clues can be found in the words
and sentences surrounding the word that you aren’t familiar with. To use context
clues, you can focus on the key phrases or ideas in a sentence and deduce the
main idea of a sentence or paragraph based on this information. You can also look
for nearby words that are synonyms or antonyms of the word you don’t know.

4. Look for the main idea

Identifying the main idea of a paragraph or article can help you determine the
importance of the article. Understanding why what you’re reading is important
can give you a better comprehension of what the author is trying to convey. When
reading, pause every few paragraphs and see if you can decipher what the main
idea is. Then, try to put the main idea in your own words for even further
understanding.

5. Write a summary of what you read

A great way to increase your knowledge of what you have read is to write a
summary. Summarizing requires you to decide what is important in the text and
then put it in your own words. Summarizing allows you to determine if you truly
understand what you have read and better remember what you have read in the
long term.

6. Break up the reading into smaller sections

If you are reading longer or more challenging text, consider breaking it up into
smaller sections. For example, you could read two paragraphs at a time and then
pause to quickly summarize what you just read in your mind. Breaking up what
you are reading can help you feel less overwhelmed and give you a better chance
of truly comprehending the information in the text.

7. Pace yourself

Pacing yourself is also an effective way to work on your reading comprehension

skills by allowing you to set realistic goals for your reading practice and habits. This
is especially true for books or other literature that you find challenging. Set a goal
for yourself that you know you can meet each day. For example, rather than saying
that you want to read an entire book in two days, say that you will read three
chapters a night. This allows you to reach your goals and also provides adequate
time for you to process what you are reading between each session.

Tips to make the most of your reading

comprehension practice
Reading is a fundamental part of everyday life. The more you incorporate and
prioritize reading and understanding what you read, the better your overall
reading comprehension will become. These tips can help you make the most of
your time when practicing your reading skills.

Eliminate distractions

When you are distracted, your ability to comprehend what you are reading is
negatively impacted. When reading—even if it’s a simple email—eliminate
distractions and focus solely on the text. This will help you learn to hold your
attention to what you read and enable you to know whether you understand what
you are reading.
Read a book below your reading level

Starting with books below your reading level will allow you to develop a baseline of
your reading comprehension and build on that. Instead of starting with books or
other text that you find challenging, read something that is comfortable and that
you can easily comprehend. You can take an online quiz to establish the reading
level you are currently at.

Re-read text to ensure understanding

If you finish a sentence or paragraph and realize that you don’t understand what it
was trying to convey, take the time to re-read it until you do. Try to read more
slowly the second time around and look up definitions for any words you don’t
know the meaning of.

Read aloud

Reading aloud incorporates both visual and audio learning into your reading
comprehension practice. It also forces you to slow down and gives you more time
to process what you are reading.