By better I mean more efficiently, faster, without losing focus. I don’t know if the fact that English is not my first language has something to do with it (I don’t think so because I have a large vocabulary and understand most words unless there’s a lot of technical terms). I often feel like I have to reread certain paragraphs/sentences just to make sure I fully understand what I just read and sometimes I lose focus which slows down the reading pace. Do you become better by reading more books (i.e. practice makes perfect) or is there a specific method you can use?
by ThenOwl9314
30 Comments
You find books you like and read those.
You put down the ones you don’t like.
And yeah, it’s just practice.
I find the faster I read the better focus I have.
One thing I do, and it may be stupid, very helpful to me
When it comes to character names and especially with long character names, I shorten them.
For instance, if a charter name was “Milo Minderbinder” I may read it as M
Very helpful in Game of Thrones
Yes, reading non-fiction generally becomes easier with practice and experience.
This may be controversial for some readers but I always read non-fiction in a non-linear fashion. I skip less interesting bits, jump back and forth between chapters, and set it aside when I am satisfied with how much I’ve got out of the book. On average I only read 60-70% of a nonfiction.
Don’t waste time reading books that don’t hold your interest. I wasted so much time in the past determined to finish books that felt like torture to read.
Do reading sprints to help you figure out how many pages you average in a certain amount of minutes to help train yourself to gradually read faster.
Read in a comfortable, quiet setting. Sometimes I’ll even put in my earbuds and listen to either classical piano music or nature sounds(rain/thunderstorms, ocean waves)
Listen to an audiobook on a higher speed than you would normally read on your own while following along with a physical copy.
I learn a lot about style and structuring from reading nonfiction books.
I realized I have this problem too. As a kid I used to be a voracious reader, finishing books in a day or 2(Enid Blyton, Hardy Boys etc). Then I stopped completely. 30 years later I returned to reading again last year. But now I find I cannot read more than a few pages in a day. Max I did for any book was 30 pages and that was 6 months ago- Anne Frank.
It does get easier but may not always be your problem. Non-fiction writing requires subject expertise and writing ability; the former is often strong enough that a book gets published when in fact the writing is poor or weak. A great writer can make any well researched topic interesting but a poor one, even with the most fascinating things to say, still has to get it across in a way that grabs and holds your interest.
I’m taking you mean school/university textbooks? As others have said, the key is to have interest in what you’re reading. However, I know this won’t always be the case with schoolwork. You need to work on your skimming skills. Try to get the main idea of each paragraph. Most of the time, that’ll be enough. You also need to work on reading for specific information. You can work on this by having to answer specific comprehension questions about the text, which either your professors give you or you give yourself (using AI, maybe)? You can practice these two skills by doing IELTS mock reading tests. It’s not super fun but it’s helpful.
Well attention span and ability to focus are part of your cognitive functions, it depends on how well your brain is operating which is tied to your physiological, psychological condition and etc.
No doubt people here will give you reading techniques and so on, but the priority should be to enable your body and mind to read and cogitate extensive literature and complex concepts if it cannot because of unresolved health issues, which a significant portion of us have but doctors won’t and aren’t equipped to deal with. It isn’t the case that the more you read the easier it will get if your health is hindering the process, it could stagnate or worsen.
This is can be a complex process but ultimately the only worthwhile one, our health must come first. I don’t personally know you but I can make suggestions.
The first would be to begin studies of orthotropics especially Dr John Mew and his son Michael Mew. Consult the book Jaws by Sandra Khan, the introduction is free online and really worthwhile. Have a sleep test done to see that you are actually sleeping correctly and don’t have sleep apnea. A blood test to see if your body is producing or absorbing enough of its vital supplements (iron, magnesium, vit b-12, etc). Then doing nutritional management as your stomach is your second brain.
I think that’s enough but a thing to keep in mind is the body keeps count and everything is related, as in every facet of the human body is related to each other in one way or another.
Things like trauma suffered at an earlier age physical or emotional, if left untreated or unresolved can manifest and surface in common things like depression, anxiety but also cardiovascular issues, motor function degeneration and so on.
You probably weren’t expecting such an answer but I hope you take heed, and take care 🙂
I like to read aloud to myself. Not Fully, like I’m narrating an audiobook, just murmuring, particularly if I find a clause or word that I particularly like the sound of. It helps me follow more complex writing, I suppose by just cementing it a bit more in my head
The more you read nonfiction, the easier it gets. This is especially true if you’re reading a lot of books on related topics. The more you know about the topic already, the easier it will be to absorb new information and relate it to things you already know.
For some really dense nonfiction, I plan on reading at least twice. The first time I just let it wash over me and don’t worry about understanding all the details (audiobooks are especially good for this). I’m reading to get the main ideas only. Then I reread and I’m able to retain more details and see how things fit together.
1. Read the introduction, preface, blurbs, and conclusion before you start the book.
2. Read the first paragraph and last few paragraphs of each chapter before reading each chapter. Many nonfiction books have chapters recapped at chapter end.
3. Summarize what you’ve read to a friend or to yourself as you read.
4. Read the chapters that interest you the most. Most nonfiction books have one or two strong chapters.
5. Watch or listen to interviews or TedTalks the author has done to orient yourself to the material.
This might not be what you are asking for, but …. I am a notoriously slow reader. I was asked to join a doctrinal program where I’d have to read a lot. So, knowing I was reading for content and comprehension, I developed a process that worked.
1. Google the book and get a summary, preferably an academic or other breakdown or walkthrough.
2. Skim the last chapter of the book.
3. Skim the first and last paragraph of every chapter (don’t take long, your goal is to get the book in you a bit so that as you read, you already have an idea of where it is going and how it gets there so you can better understand the process and the pieces).
4. Read/Skim the book — focus on the first and last sentences, skimming over the middle part if it seems to feel connected and making sense, slowing down if it doesn’t.
5. Highlight key points
I got to the point where I could do a 300 page book and a 3 page review/evaluation in a day, maybe 5 hours. (before books like these would take me a couple of weeks). I was shocked to realize that I retained as much this way as I did my old way of basically reading word for word in my head.
Enjoy.
A lot of non-fiction is simpler than hard literature. If you read a lot one day it gets easier. Don’t push yourself through your discomfort, respect your rhythm. Unless is for college… yeah, I didn’t thought about it, if is for college I wish you luck, I can’t help you. If it is not, cut yourself some slack, you have your whole life to that get easier, and it will, dont try to jump over the steps, and don’t treat yourself badly trying to do something that’s hard, I believe besides college, there’s no need to put yourself through that.
You do become better the more you read yes.
Also maybe trust yourself more on your understanding and try not to go back too much.
Supplementary material is great. Interviews, summaries, people discussing the book, even the books Wikipedia page can all be helpful. Just like, don’t consider those part of the book, or expect them to cover everything, or even agree with you what the most important parts are, or the interpretation of them.
Nonfiction is a tough nut to crack at times for me. I enjoy reading much more as an adult, and that makes it easier to try. It helped me to seek stories further from my lived experience to get my intrigue up and bolster myself against the drier narrative.
Part of this is it’s just more difficult. The more of it you read, the easier it will get. A lot of time we’ve only got the barest inkling of what’s going on. There will be new vocabulary, there will be new people we have to remember, maybe new geography, new processes, etc. It takes some time build enough causal links between stuff for it to make sense to you quickly. That just takes a lot of repetition. Reading your first book on WWII is a lot different than reading your 5th, b/c you have a better understanding of timelines, where things and people were, what’s generally going on, and who was important and where. It’s true for just about anything. If you’re reading sociology or psychology, you’l have to read a few books before you start getting a feeling for if something uses an appropriate sample size or not, what’s endogenous, what other factors can’t be controlled for, etc.
All this stuff needs a lot of context and it takes time to build familiarity with it. The only way to do that is to keep reading. It will keep getting easier. But it’s slow at first.
Start reading them. *mic drop*
I understand the difficulty of reading new material. But honestly I have found that the best way is to just force myself to read. That’s all I know. I hope you have a great time reading and learning from whatever you find.
If the book doesn’t engage you, then forcing yourself to read it just isn’t going to happen.
Personally I prefer audio books for non-fiction – I listen to them in the car or whilst doing chores or work that doesn’t require much brainpower (a big part of my work is drawing).
I find that makes them more enjoyable, whereas forcing myself to read them just isn’t.
Find someone else interested in reading the same book and talk about the portions you have both completed occasionally. This will get you over the odd hump, but won’t pressure you to finish a bad book like a book club may.
You get treated for ADHD. At least in my experience
What about enjoyment, appreciation, impactfulness, memory retention, inspiration, desire to read more like it? Rereading is normal. If it’s your copy and not a fine binding, consider marking it up, making marginalia. If it’s nonfiction check out the TOC, notes, bibliography, index, everything supplemental. If it’s a book that’s really important to you, consider taking notes separately or writing a summary. Compare online reviews or check out if your local library has any discussions online about it.
Obviously reading more improves your reading, and there is nothing wrong with seeking out titles that challenge you and take weeks and months to finish. Fast is not the point, the experience and the effect on you and your thinking is. Does a book’s memory prompt itself in certain situations or when reading other things? Become part of a conversation? Then it’s worthwhile.
Do you have to complete them fast? I read a little at a time, digest, and read another section. I get sleepy tbh reading them. Sometimes I’ll read a bit then walk a bit. Brain works better walking anyways.
Re-read paragraphs as much as you need to.
I don’t see any problems with re-reading paragraphs. You want to understand book, not to maximize number of read books, right? Non-fiction could be really dense (for me, it’s escpecially hard when philosophy gets involved). It does get somewhat better over time, but any new book on unfamiliar topic would still take a lot of time.
For lost focus, I just take breaks. It’s hard for me to keep focus over two hours, my mind just slips away. So I take a break, go for a walk, think about stuff I just read, watch a video. I find Reddit a bad idea, because you still reading, so it doesn’t give you enough relaxation.
Lots of practice, as everyone suggests here.
Start with something you have always been interested in; be it a childhood obsession or totally unrelated field of study that actually has nothing to do with your current standpoint. Anything that will surely strike your interest and keep you engaged might help you to build a disciplined habit.
Audiobooks
Look up the SQ5R method- I tutored undergraduates for 3 years and I always taught them this for reading textbooks.
Here’s a link from a google search:
https://www.etown.edu/offices/learning/SQ5R_Method.aspx