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Factors that Affect 
Reading Comprehension

Comprehension is a very important function of effective reading ability. It means understanding what you read and remembering it. One of the most important factors that affects your comprehension is your interest in or motivation toward what you are reading.  

One of the first questions you should ask yourself is:  "Am I reading because I have to or because I want to? "

The Stronger your Interest, the Greater your Comprehension. 

Reading because you want to or because you have interest in a subject usually means that you have a positive approach and more focus which means you will understand and retain more of what you read.

If you lack interest or motivation you will tend toward poorer concentration and comprehend less. So, if you are reading because you have to, find a way to become motivated. It is important that you identify a positive reason for reading and allow yourself the opportunity to be enlightened or entertained.

Conditions that Can Affect Reading Comprehension


Physical Setting: 
Read in a well-lit, quiet, and comfortable area—good air circulation, comfortable temperature. Make sure you are dressed for the temperature of the room. Sitting in a good chair at a desk or table helps you to stay alert. Being attentive to what you read reduces distractions.

Mental Well-being:
You should be well rested and relaxed. If you are tired or tense it is difficult to focus.

Attitude:
Establish a positive attitude toward reading. Find a way to arouse your curiosity and maintain your interest. Reward yourself for plodding through a
tedious reading exercise. Think of the end results—better marks, increase in salary, being smarter, finishing faster, etc.

Reading Without Purpose:
Define one to two clear objectives before starting to read.

Suggestions for Improving Comprehension

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. If you are unfamiliar with a subject then comprehending the material will be more difficult and you will not retain as much. 

For example, compare these numbers:

7516324  - this number is difficult to read and remember
751-6324 - this number is easier because of chunking
123-4567 - this is easy to read because of prior knowledge and structure.

Another example is reading a newspaper. 

If you like sports or invest in the stock market the layout of the pages and the terminology will be familiar to you. 

Unfortunately, having prior knowledge about a subject is not always possible so you have to develop a mental framework for understanding and holding ideas.  Also, keep in mind that none of the strategies below will be effective if you dive into reading and rush the process.  You have to do some thinking, questioning and visualizing before, during, and after  reading to enhance your reading experiences and improve comprehension:

  • Learn and practice good study techniques.

  • These strategies require that you take the time to do some thinking before and during reading.  

  • Develop a broad background. Expand your knowledge base by reading newspapers, magazines, and books. Become interested in world events. To stay current you should at least listen to one national radio news broadcast per day and read a weekly newsmagazine.

  • When you read make connections to personal experiences and prior knowledge.

  • Studies have shown that when you can visualize while you read you have deeper comprehension as well as better recall. You can take advantage of images in the reading material or create your own own mental images or actual drawings when you are reading text without illustrations.

  • Discern from paragraph structure. Good writers construct paragraphs that have a beginning, middle, and end.  Often, the first sentence will give an overview that provides a framework for adding details. Also, look for transitional words, phrases, paragraphs or headings that change the topic. When previewing an unknown subject make a point of reading the headings, the first and last paragraph in a chapter, or the first sentence in each section.

  • Anticipate and predict.  Not everything is explicity stated in text.  Sometimes you have to make inferences by drawing on prior knowledge and recognizing clues in the text itself. Smart readers try to anticipate the author and predict future ideas and questions. If you are right, this reinforces your understanding, and allows you to make adjustments quicker.

  • Look for the method of organization. Is the material organized chronologically, serially, logically, functionally, spatially, or hierarchical?

  • Create an interest. Preview material, ask questions, and discuss the ideas with others for new insights, to create more awareness, or reveal interesting things you might not have realized before.

  • Pay close attention to the supporting material. Study pictures, captions, graphs, and text inserts to derive extra meaning or clarification.

  • Manipulate information to improve retention. Just reading a book once may not enough. Preview, highlight, summarize and review important ideas to develop a deeper understanding.

  • Build a good vocabulary. Learn a new word everyday and use it.
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