Eight Mistakes in Reading and Comprehension

Though certain things we do are conducive to Reading and Comprehension as discussed earlier, there are a few don’ts that should be remembered to make reading more efficient.

The following are the eight mistakes committed while reading. This forms the NEVER LIST of Reading and Comprehension.

1. Never Copy

2. Never Read Slow

3. Never Read Each Letter

4. Never Read Word by Word

5. Never Read without Pen and Paper

6. Never Try to Understand what you read

7. Never read the same material over and again

8. Never read the details without analyzing the heading properly

To make our reading more effective we mustn't do certain things. Engaging in these tasks interferes with our reading and comprehension. Let us consider what we should never do.

1. Never Copy

When we take information from some other source we must first try to process it before we record it. One of my 59 secrets to studying states "What is not part of us can't be remembered, what is part of us need not be remembered." When we copy we don't make it a part of us. We just transfer information from one place to another.

Whether it is copying from the board in a classroom or another source, we have to first read and comprehend the information and write it in our own words. This will be more meaningful when you read through it than reading something unknown to you.

Suppose you are studying maths, when you copy the sum as it is from a textbook, you will not understand the problem. To know how to understand maths, see 'Relearn Maths'. The best approach for you would be to go through the sum, close the textbook, and then write it from your memory. In case you go wrong, you will know where you are stuck and you can rectify the mistake. Once you understand the problem, the solution will be easy.

It is not worth copying because you will lose something. Copying is like stealing. Just like a thief can't steal everything, when we copy, we lose out on a lot of information. A student copying in the exam can't be a topper.

So, whenever you have a chance to copy, don't do it because it is comfortable. Avoid it so that you can learn something.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not copy.

2. Never Read Slow

The human brain works very fast. From what we know, information is processed in the brain at the speed of 180 to 200 miles per hour. When the brain works at such a tremendous speed, why are we reading so slowly?

As the brain cannot work so slowly, it switches off and starts processing something more interesting and active.

For instance, let us say a student has been scolded by a parent in the morning. When the student sits to study, all her attention is taken over by the scolding. Thinking speed is always faster than reading speed.

This is the major reason why students complain about being distracted from their studies. As Secret 50 (59 secrets to studying) says, “You are not distracted from your studies, you are attracted to other things”.

We are not distracted while watching a movie, using a mobile, or playing a game because the brain naturally works faster here.

There are around 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) in our brains. Every second each neuron fires 1 to 200 times. We are capable of recognizing words and sentences at the speed of 1/10th of a second. (See the exercises in 'Five Pillars of Reading and Comprehension'). Studies have been undertaken where we can see pictures at the rate of 13 milliseconds!

So, always read as fast as possible. The faster you keep reading the fastest you can develop your speed and at the same time increase your comprehension.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not read slowly.

3. Never Read Each Letter

We have been trained to read every letter. What we don't understand is that not always should we read letters in a word but take the word as a whole.

Look at the sentence below.

T_e hmaun biarn wkros fetsar wh_le procsesnig in_____tion.

Though not a single word is correct in its spelling, we somehow can read the sentence. Once we know the context we just have to see a few letters to make a word and not each letter.

This will enable the brain to work faster and our reading speed and accuracy will increase.

Let us see a few more sentences.

Hwoveer, we tned to solw it d__n be___se o_r pirvoeus l__rning froecs us to mvoe o_r e_e msulces solewr.

We do n_t rmeemebr mo_t of waht we raed be___se o_r raednig is t_o solw.

If we can read the sentences above, there is something serious to consider. Spellings are not at all important when we know the word in the context of a sentence.

How come we read everything with correct spelling and still do not understand the meaning of a sentence?

Actually, without the spelling, we will read faster because the brain is not bothered about which letter is there but get the meaning. When we have the spelling, we are more bothered about whether the spelling is right or not. This is essential during learning a word. But later on, there is no need to read letter by letter.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not read each letter.

4. Never Read Word by Word

Every word is not important.

Scan the sentence to get the meaning of every word.

Leave small words except “no” or “not”.

Ignore prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, pronouns, and adjectives.

Learn your grammar and composition elsewhere but not while reading.

For example, students studying in local languages, though have studied very little English, somehow pick up the language faster than some of those who have studied in English medium.

Reading a storybook is easier than reading a textbook. This is because we are not bothered about the structure of the sentence and every word. We bother only about the story.

While reading a novel, we turn the page without conscious effort but when we read a textbook we keep checking how many more pages are still left.

We focus on what is written there rather than what information we have to get. This happens mainly because of what I call "Conscious Capture".

The structure of a sentence is necessary. However, to understand the subject matter, we need not be concerned with the language part. Language is important when we are studying the language and not other subjects or material. (See “What are Language Skills?”)

Going word by word is like counting how many bricks are used to construct a house. The number and other details of the bricks are unnecessary. What we are concerned about is where each room is situated and what its purpose is.

In case you come across a new word or a concept, only then focus on the word, look at its spelling, refer to the dictionary for its pronunciation and meaning, consult the thesaurus for a similar word, and try to use the word in a sentence, and so on.

A concept, for instance, is explained using hundreds of words. Almost 70% of those words are just English which supports the structure of sentences. When you focus on comprehending the meaning of the concept, the brain will the taking minimum information and be able to process it faster. When we bombard the brain with irrelevant information, the brain will be busier trying to filter out information than to get at the meaning.

In our regular usage, we go through the whole explanation but end up not knowing the concept.

We try to be psychologically safe by remembering to go through every word. However, this is what comes in the way of our reading and comprehension.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not read word by word.

5. Never Read without Pen and Paper

Students read a textbook like a novel. Even executives do not jot down anything while reading important documents. However, there are many concepts, constructs, and examples that should be understood

My suggestion to make your retention stronger through reading and comprehension is "Write before and write after you read". Both these activities are essential.

It does not matter how much you know, how much you don't know, and how much you are doubtful. The purpose of your reading is to know these things. So first, you have to take out what is stored in your brain to verify its veracity.

Just write as much as you can. Even one sentence is enough. If you still can't write anything, make sure you don't know anything and write down at least "I don't know". Let your brain know that you have started this concept with a clean slate.

Don't make judgments here as wondering whether you have the right answer or not. If you come out with what you have already recorded, then you will later know its accuracy.

Then come back and read the material. As you have opened up the path to the concept, all you read gets recorded under the concept. This will ensure your memory and concentration.

This helps you during the examination or your presentation because they can't ask you questions without using the word under which you have recorded information. For a detailed understanding of the questions see ''Pass any exam equipped with these Questions".

Once you finish reading close the book and write once again what you have gathered from your reading. After you write, now compare your earlier writing and your current writing. This will tell you how much you have acquired through reading. You will also know how much of what you knew earlier was right, wrong, or unknown.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not read without pen and paper.

6. Never Try to Understand what you read

This appears to be against common knowledge that understanding what we read is most crucial. However, what I mean is that we should not 'try' to understand what we read but allow the understanding to happen on its own.

The moment we try to understand, we are entering into the realm of conscious process and it has been discussed elsewhere how Conscious Capture hampers the automatic process of information processing. Understanding occurs at a sub-conscious level and any kind of voluntary effort by the individual will block information processing.

For example, we don’t try to understand when we see a movie or read a novel, a comic book, a newspaper or magazine, messages, etc. Even then we remember them. However, because we are putting in extra voluntary effort while studying a textbook, we can remember very little.

We delve into a textbook to catch something, similar to catching a fish. All our voluntary effort is to sit in a convenient place, set up the hook, and wait for the fish to bite into the bait. We are fishing into the textbook to get something, catch the concepts, or remember the subject.

This must not be confused with remembering the information in exams. Reading to understand is different from reading to remember. Fishers don’t count the fish while they are catching them. They do it afterward. Similarly, when we read we should allow the information to sink in, and then later we must try to recall what we have understood. Notice here that while understanding is a subconscious process, remembering is a conscious process.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not “try” to understand what you read.

7. Never read the same material over and again

If you don't get at the meaning the first time you read something, then there is no use rereading it. Instead, check how much you have got and read once more to complete the gap between the first reading and later.

For example, suppose you get around 40% in the first reading, repeating it also leads to 40%. Probably, the second one may contain different information than the first one but your quality of reading will not change.

What you should do is write down what you have got from the first reading, and try to get at the rest 60% information. As one of my 59 Secrets to Studying says, 'Do not relearn what you already know'.

There is a major difference between Repetition and Practice. Many people feel that repetition itself leads to practice. However, in repetition, you are doing the same thing without changing anything. Whereas in practice you change what you are doing in every trial by strengthening what needs to be modified. The second one is highly useful than the first one.

Suppose you are given a heap of stones and are asked to hit a target, usually it is assumed that by chance you will hit the target. If you are not changing anything but trying the throw the stones in the same manner, you are not learning anything. First, find out what you should change to succeed. Try to change your posture, speed, angle, trajectory, direction, stance, etc., and work systematically to reduce errors.

The reduction in errors is the essence of trial and error learning and all skills are learned through this method.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not read the same material over and again.

8. Never read the details without analyzing the heading properly

This is the last thing that you should not do. Never get into the details until you are sure that you have understood the heading thoroughly. It is like knowing the depth before getting into the water.

Let us experiment to show how information is lost when the heading is not clear or unknown.

Read the following passage and see if you can make any sense of it.

· A hard surface will be able to do the trick.

· Make sure the surface is flat, else it may roll off.

· A nail and a hammer are most essential.

· You will also need a large bowl.

· Among the three eyes, one will be the softest.

· It is better that the juice is drained out before breaking it.

· If you draw a line on the circumference, it is even easier.

· Make a small crack and keep tapping it nearer to the crack.

· Baking it for 15 minutes is better.

Because the heading is not there it is almost impossible to know what subject matter the above passage is dealing with. Once we know the heading, every sentence above will fall into place and it becomes easy to understand. The title is "How to Open a Coconut with a Hammer, Oven, or Microwave”. [Source: http ://www.wikihow.com /Open-a-Coconut].

When you know the heading, each sentence above makes sense.

This is where everything gets complicated and we don’t know what exactly is happening when we read, because reading, understanding, memory, concentration, processing, working of the brain, etc. are not known properly.

There is a concept called metamemory in psychology. It says that if you know how memory works, your memory works faster and better. So, the secret lies in knowing how we process information. This can accelerate our studying, memory, concentration, etc.

Watch the following video to know more about why you should not read the details without analyzing the heading properly.

Summary:-

To facilitate reading and get the best out of our reading, we should never copy, read slowly, read each letter, read word by word, read without pen and paper, try to understand what we read, read the same material once again, and read the details without analyzing the heading properly.