How to Increase Critical Reading Comprehension

Critical reading comprehension centers around gaining a better understanding of the text you are reading. As you comprehend a passage of text, words are decoded and associated with their meaning in your memory. You can increase your critical comprehension by incorporating the basic fundamentals of reading with some added techniques. By absorbing the information you read, and recalling it later, you can use it effectively in every aspect of your life.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Reading study guide

Assess the Reader's Comprehension Level

1. Get an age-appropriate reading assessment at your school district English program or other educational agency, such as an adult education class.
2. Visit the U.S. Department of Education website, where you can find a program in your state to help increase your reading skills (see Resources below).
3. Schedule a meeting with a tutor to evaluate you or your child. More information about tutors can be found at the U.S. Department of Education website.

Learn Critical Reading Comprehension Techniques

4. Select a book to read. Use exercises to increase critical comprehension such as making personal connections to the text while you read it.
5. Explore the use of literary elements such as characters, vocabulary and themes by taking notes while you read.
6. Develop an understanding of how a paragraph is structured. Make notice of transitional words that indicate a change in voice or topic. Often, these small transitions provide keys to the meaning of the text.
7. Perform after-reading methods. Reflect on what you have read using self-questioning strategies (when a reader triggers her previous knowledge in connection with the topic).
8. Summarize and retell what you have read to another person or a group.
9. Complete the exercises in the book 'Kaplan New SAT Critical Reading Workbook,' available at Amazon (see Resources below).
10. Get in the habit of highlighting text, summarizing it and reviewing important points. Develop good study habits such as reviewing text over and over and taking notes.

Tips & Warnings

• Use paraphrasing strategies to help increase your critical reading comprehension. This is done by reading a paragraph then recalling the main idea and putting it into your own words.
• Enhance your vocabulary to increase critical reading skills. Try carrying around a pocket dictionary and use it to look up new words. Start a new Word file on your computer and add to it each day.