Strategies for Better Reading Comprehension?

Hi there. I've been struggling a bit with comprehending complex texts that I read, especially those for school. I often find myself having to re-read paragraphs multiple times to understand. Does anyone have strategies or techniques that you use to better comprehend what you're reading? Your advice would be really appreciated!

Sure, I have a few techniques that might help you improve your reading comprehension skills:

1. Annotation: Make notes as you read. These could be summarizing the paragraph in your own words, underlining main ideas, circling unfamiliar vocabulary, or jotting down questions you want to explore. The key is to engage actively with the text.

2. Preview the Text: Before you dive deeper, spend a few minutes to skim the content - look at section titles, headings, tables, or other relevant features to give you a sense of the structure and main points of the text.

3. Think Aloud: This process involves literally speaking out your thoughts as you read. It works particularly well with complex texts because it forces you to slow down and process each sentence.

4. Continual Reflection: After you read a section, take a moment to summarize it in your own words. This not only reinforces what you've read but also reveals areas you may need to revisit for better understanding.

5. Visualization: When you can, try to picture what you're reading. This could be imagining a scene described in a history book, for example, or visualizing a problem you're reading in a math textbook.

6. Dictionary usage: Keep a dictionary handy for any words you don't understand. The flow of the text makes more sense when you understand each phrase. You could choose to use a physical dictionary or digital ones available on devices.

Remember, reading comprehension is a skill and like any other skill, it can be developed with practice and patience over time. Good luck!