Strategy I Employ to Remember Everything I Absorb in My Reading
Reading is more than just a passive activity; it's a conversation between the reader and the author. For years, the author prided themselves on being a fast reader, but found that their speed came at a cost - shallow understanding and poor retention.
However, a change in approach can transform this experience. By adopting active reading strategies, readers can enhance their understanding and retention of the material, making their reading more engaging and effective.
Active Reading Strategies
1. Previewing
Before diving into the text, it's essential to gain an overview of the content. This can be achieved by pre-reading scanning the headings, subheadings, bold text, and any images. Identify the main topics or questions you want to answer as you read.
2. Questioning
Based on the preview, write down questions you have about the material. This helps focus your reading. As you read, try to answer these questions. This process engages you more deeply with the content.
3. Reading and Interacting
Use highlighters, pens, or digital tools to annotate the text. Mark important points, write questions in the margins, and highlight key concepts. After each section, pause to summarise the main ideas in your own words.
4. Reinforcing the Material
After completing a section, recite the main points aloud. Reflect on what you've learned and how it relates to your prior knowledge or questions. Immediately review the material to reinforce retention.
5. Structured Techniques
Consider using PQ4R or SQ3R, methods that involve previewing the material, generating questions, reading to answer them, reflecting on the information, reciting what you've learned, and reviewing periodically.
6. Quiz and Discuss
Quiz yourself on the key points to ensure you understand them. Engage in discussions with others to share insights and clarify any misunderstandings.
Brain-friendly lifestyle choices, such as the ones mentioned, can support the reader's ability to retain information. Distractions, fatigue, or passive reading habits make it harder to retain what we've read. Sleep, hydration, and short breaks during long reading sessions contribute to improved retention.
The author, in their quest for better understanding, began taking a high-quality nootropic supplement daily, which includes citicoline for brain energy, bacopa monnieri for memory formation, and L-theanine for calm focus. By implementing these active engagement strategies, readers can improve their retention and enjoy a more satisfying learning experience.
The author noticed an improvement in their ability to remember and recall information more quickly and accurately. The key to retaining what we read is active engagement. Considering targeted nutrition, such as nootropic supplements, can provide additional support for the reader's brain. If information during reading is not processed and stored properly, it slips away.
By actively engaging with reading material and making lifestyle changes, readers can improve their retention and enjoy a more satisfying learning experience. The author, who once struggled to recall what they read a week later, now finds themselves recalling key arguments, examples, and specific phrasing with ease. The transformation from a fast but shallow reader to an engaged and retentive reader is possible with the right strategies and mindset.
- The author's fast reading speed previously led to shallow understanding and poor retention, highlighting the importance of active reading strategies.
- Previewing the content before diving in can help readers gain an overview of the material and focus on the main topics or questions.
- Asking questions based on the preview can engage readers more deeply with the content, improving their understanding and retention.
- Annotating the text, either using highlighters, pens, or digital tools, can help reinforce the main ideas and concepts for better retention.
- Structured techniques like PQ4R or SQ3R can be effective in enhancing understanding and memory, by previewing, generating questions, reading to answer, reflecting, reciting, and reviewing the material.
- Quizzing and discussing the key points with others can help clarify any misunderstandings and improve retention.
- Adopting a brain-friendly lifestyle, including adequate sleep, hydration, and breaks, contributes to improved retention during reading.
- The author's use of nootropic supplements, which contain ingredients like citicoline, bacopa monnieri, and L-theanine, supports their brain's ability to retain information and maintain focus during learning.
