How to Focus While Reading

Learning new skills involves absorbing a lot of information. Quite often this is in the form of text that needs to be read and sometimes depending on what you are studying; there can be a lot of reading to do. This makes reading effectively an important study skill.

Knowing how to focus while reading can improve your reading and the amount of information you absorb. This can save you time by increasing your understanding the first time you read something and reducing whether you have to go back and reread material.

Here are 9 tips on how to focus and improve your reading:

1. Decide what you want from reading the material: It is always a good idea to skim the headings of the material you are about to read so you have a general idea of what you will cover. Think about why you are reading the material – is it to learn a specific piece of information or memorise key points for an exam. Understanding what you want to achieve can help you stay focused and improve your reading.

2. Remember you don’t have to read everything: There is always a desire to read everything from start to finish however this is often not the best use of your study time. Particularly when writing reports or research papers, it is easy to get sidetracked by reading material not related to your topic. Once you know what you know your goals for reading the material, stick to reading material related to those goals.

3. Jot down the key ideas: Through noting down the key ideas of what you are reading not only will you have a handy reference for later but you will also be more involved in your reading and more likely to remember what you read. Mind maps are a good way to jot down key ideas without getting sidetracked from the material.

4. Read out loud: Reading material out loud also makes the reading process more active. While reading out loud will slow your reading speed it can be useful when trying to understand a particularly complex section or when you are having trouble focusing at all.

5. Ask yourself questions: By asking yourself questions about what you are reading you can improve your understanding of the material and link the new knowledge to what you already know. Asking yourself ‘what are the unique points of this material?’ and ‘how does this link to what I already know?’ will help you remember the information.

6. Review what you have read: Reviewing the information at the end of each section or chapter will help you make sure you understand your reading and whether you can remember the key points. Taking the time to mentally review your reading can make huge difference in understanding.

7. Choose your reading environment: Having the right study environment can greatly improve your reading. Try to pick somewhere quiet and comfortable so you are less likely to have distractions created by noise and discomfort. You can learn more about creating an effective study space.

8. Get into the right headspace: Clearing your mind before you start reading can help you focus and improve your reading. You are less likely to concentrate if you are worried about other issues. Meditation can help you clear your mind before you start. If you’re not sure how to meditate,brainwave entrainment can help.

9. If reading makes you physically tired: If reading gives you headaches or makes you fatigued, you might have more than just a focus problem and should check with a professional. Eyesight problems can make reading a real struggle and are often easy to fix.

Reading is an important study skill and a vital part of learning new information so it is important to improve your reading skills. Learning how to focus and absorb information through reading will make it much easier for you to learn new skills.