11 Reading Comprehension Strategies for Achieving an Advanced Level of English.

As a teacher who specializes in B2 to C2 level classes, I have always used reading as one of my primary tools for teaching, whether it be a National Geographic magazine, an academic paper, the biography of Barak Obama, Harry Potter or newspapers. Reading, for me, is without a doubt the best way to improve a student's level of English in an efficient and successful way.

But, for reading to be successful as a teaching tool, students must be able to comprehend what they are reading, to be able to visualize in their minds what they are reading, and to be able to summarize what they are reading in a clear and understandable way. For that to happen, we must first work on their skills of comprehension.

Comprehension refers to the ability to understand written words. It is different from the ability to recognize words. Recognizing words on a page but not knowing what they mean does not fulfill the purpose or goal of reading, which is comprehension.

Imagine, for example, that a teacher gives a student a passage to read. The student can read the entire passage, but they know nothing when asked to explain what was read. Comprehension adds meaning to what is read. Reading comprehension occurs when words on a page are not just mere words but thoughts and ideas. Comprehension makes reading enjoyable, fun, and informative. It is needed to succeed in school, work, and life in general.

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11 reading strategies you can use to improve your 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 eleven 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

2. Come up with questions about the text you are reading

Asking questions about what you are reading can help improve your reading comprehension by allowing you to become invested in the text. It can also broaden your overall understanding of what you are reading by enabling you to explore themes, motifs and other components of text that you otherwise wouldn’t inquire about. The following are examples of questions you could pose as you read:

Why did the author begin the book at that location?

What kind of relationship do these two characters share?

What do we know about the main character up to this point in the book?

Are there any themes that have consistently come up throughout the book? If so, what do they mean?

The more specific your questions, the more likely you will gain further insight into the text and its meaning.

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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.

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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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

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11. Read aloud

Most people read too quickly when they read in their minds. Reading aloud, which incorporates both visual and audio learning into your reading comprehension practice, forces you to slow down and gives you more time to process what you are reading.

By listening to your own reading, you will be in the position to self-evaluate, especially when it comes to your pronunciation.

Well, I hope that you have found these tips to be helpful, and that they assist you on your continuing journey to achieve a proficient level of English.

Good luck and good studying.