Since elementary school, people have been taught a skill that, while at first may seem an obvious one, it occasionally can be neglected, reading comprehension. Reading, especially in thick academic settings, is not necessarily the riveting reading that is done for fun. There has to be a way to gain the information and understanding in the fastest and most efficient way. This is especially true for the academic reading, which tends to be so verbally dense as to be impenetrable to anyone outside of the discipline, and even then, it is best to study ahead of time.

There are five steps to improve reading comprehension that anyone can complete with no classes or special tools. The first two of these lessons revolve around the environment of reading. By emphasizing the selection of the best place and time to do heavy reading, the author offers steps to improve comprehension that are very accessible to anyone, and easy to implement, even for the busiest reader.  The third step offered works more cerebrally than the first two practical steps. Instead of lingering on the familiar stuff, those wanting to improve their comprehension skills should focus on the new information and asking how it connects with the other information that the reader has gained in the past. In fact, spending time highlighting lines can be counterproductive, making the reader more focused on straight lines than the information itself. The fourth tip might seem unusual, but you should speed up while reading, and trust your brain to process the information, which can handle more than most people give it credit for. Finally, the fifth tip for reading improvement is the taking of copious notes. Through effective note use, the reader can not only emphasize the important parts in their own mind, but leave a track and reference for them to look back to in the future.

While academic reading can be like wading through a swamp, a few simple steps can make the reader’s life much clearer and less of a trudge to get through to find the information.