Read Smarter, Not Harder: Proven Strategies to Retain Information
Hi Team,
As part of our learning journey, reading is a necessity to keep growing, which means that we want to retain more of what we are reading. Reading is great for improving memory, focus, vocabulary and can help with our general understanding of a topic or another person’s experience. These tips will help you remember more of what you read:
Read Books You Are Interested In
Reading retention starts with reading books that you are genuinely interested in. For those where reading is a choice, rather than a curriculum, focus on the subjects that truly interest you. The more interest and passion we have for a subject, the more likely we are to retain the information. The mentality of ditching a book that isn’t interesting you in the early stages applies here, as persevering with a book that has not matched your expectations can harm your general reading habit. However, caution should be stressed, as getting into a bad habit of ditching books can lead to a future where you are never finishing. Be conscious of this and ensure to keep the right balance between interest and pushing through the harder patches of reading.
Make Notes
To retain more of what we read, writing about a book is a great way to hold information. Our favourite method for note taking from a book is the capture and create method. To do this, you make two sections on a page; the left side is for capturing information and the right side is for creativity. Read the book for around 25 minutes, as this becomes your focus zone, then at the end of that time, write as many notes as you like on the left around the points of the book. As much as possible, try to avoid referring back to the book, unless quoting a particular section. Then on the right, let your creative side flow, by asking and answering questions that the section you have read has posed.
Compare Books
The next tip links into the matter of making notes, if you wish, however can also be done independently. A great way to actively retain more of what we read is through actively comparing the books you have read. Using the capture and create method when reading, the create section is the perfect place to raise questions and compare information against other books you have read. Potentially you have two authors that agree about a topic, so how does this impact your view, or it could be that there are differences of opinion, which means that it is a space for you to add your own viewpoint. Engaging critically in this way will enhance your understanding of the subject, whilst developing your ability to add your thoughts and beliefs.
Keep Reading Books on the Same Topic
The more you can stick to books on the same topic, the more likely you are to retain more of what you read. If you are a beginner starting out on a particular learning journey, then as you read more on a topic, the more likely you are to understand the terminology and phrases used, which may be specific to your chosen subject. As touched on above, the more we read on a subject, the more likely it is that we will have points to compare within our creativity phase of notetaking.
Tell Someone What You Have Read
This tip links very closely to the Feynman approach, which is to tell someone about what you have learnt. The difference here is that the Feynman approach is designed to “teach a child” about a subject, whereas in this scenario it is about talking to someone about what you have just read. That said, the principle still holds true, you may not need to take it back to child level of understanding, however you still want to identify any gaps from what you have just read when telling someone about the elements under discussion.
Closing Remarks
The notable trend that hopefully has appeared throughout these tips are to retain interest and engage creatively in what we are reading. The more interest we can have in a topic, whilst adding our own insights, as well as willingness to share information we have with others, the more likely it is to stick. By engaging in these formats, you will notice that your reading retention levels rise exponentially.
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