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Many adults with ADHD struggle with reading comprehension. People with ADHD have a tendency to lose interest, miss important information, become easily distracted and have unrealistic expectations. Does this sound familiar to you?
Since many of my patients struggle with this issue, I have developed 7 researched-based steps to improve their reading abilities and comprehension.
Write It Out
To improve comprehension, write down the “why”. Am I reading this for background material? Something I may need in the future? To prepare for a meeting? Or to use for a project or presentation? When the “why” is very clear, it can help you to focus on what to look for and increase your motivation.
Start With The End
The other day, a patient told me that he needed to improve his reading comprehension for technical documents. He was going to attend a meeting where specific questions were going to be asked about the material related to his expertise. He could get the questions ahead of time and then do the reading. Thus, I suggested he write out the questions and answer them as he read the material. This increased his motivation and helped him delve more efficiently into the relevant material. This greatly improved his reading comprehension.
Always Read Paper
This may sound old-fashioned; however, there are many distractions when people read on the computer screen. Thus, I always recommend printing out the article or material in paper form to improve focus.
Summarize In One Word
I learned this vital skill in improving reading comprehension in a test preparation class. It has served me well during my training and professional career. First, read the paragraph, and then designate one word or a simple phrase representing the material. If you can’t do this, you might feel that you didn’t understand what you read. And the sooner you realize this, the more time it will save you. Then, while reading, your brain is thinking about how the paragraph can be summarized. It can be challenging but make all the difference.
Engage With The Text
I feel like I am sounding like an English teacher. But engaging with the text is crucial. In the margins, write questions and comments. Which parts don’t you understand? What do you agree with and disagree with? Engaging with the text improves your reasoning skills and your comprehension of the material.
Read For 15 Minute Chunks
So often, people have great aspirations, and they may avoid a task or project. For example, aim to read for 15-minute chunks of time. The brain can easily handle this. Planning to read a document or report for two hours feels onerous. The “procrastinating” brain will latch onto a more pleasurable behavior. Thus, aiming for a shorter period can make the task more approachable.
Change the Environment
Do whatever it takes to get through the 15 minutes. Stand up rather than sitting at your desk or go to a coffee shop. Changing the environment can make reading more palatable.
Conclusion
I hope you have found these reading comprehension tips helpful and that you try them out today, maybe even right now. Look for something that you have been wanting to read. Give yourself 15 minutes and practice these skills.
I want you to incorporate these strategies into your life. If you do it right now and notice what helps and what doesn’t help, the chances that you will benefit from these tips will be higher. I wish you the best of luck.
Debra Crenshaw says
I’m excited to try this new skills. I’m trying to get my Real Estate Brokers License.
Scott Shapiro, MD says
Debra- I am so glad that you found the new skills helpful. I wish you pass your Real Estate Brokers License with flying colors and excel in your career! Dr. Shapiro
Malika Ishmael says
I will actually give it a try
Malika Ishmael says
I like what I read I hope it can help me I have dropped out to school very young when I lost my parents
Scott Shapiro, MD says
Malika-That is so encouraging and exciting that you found the article helpful. I’m so sorry that you lost your parents when you were young and I’m sure that caused challenges that got in the way of achieving your goals. I hope that with some of these recommendations and the other articles, you make the progress that you desire! Keep at it. Dr. Shapiro
Kim Poisson says
Thank you for these suggestions. I have struggled with comprehension all my life. I would panic when I was in middle school and we had to take what was then called, Iowa Basic Standard Tests. We were given a certain amount of time for each “section.” I didn’t like being timed and felt a huge amount of anxiety. When the teacher would call out that we had 5 more minutes and I wasn’t close to being finished, I would panic and color in the ovals on the Scantron sheet so I finished the test. When the results came back, the teacher would go over our results individually and would tell me that I was in the lowest range, like 11% range or lower. It would make me feel bad about myself but I also knew that for more then half the test, I just filled in whatever. No one did anything to help me. I struggle so much now and have to read, sometimes just a sentence, over and over to understand it. I always found English, Phonics and Spelling easy. It just came natural to me. I never earned less than an A in these subjects yet if the teacher gave us a short story and asked for the main idea, I would panic. I never could get it. It had severe negative effects on my self esteem. I don’t know if this matters but I went to a Catholic school and I remember this clearly in 4, 5, and 6th grade. This was in the late 70’s/early 80’s so I’m sure things were different then. ADD and ADHD weren’t terms you heard of. I have a twin brother and he was always getting into trouble, not being able to sit still. He was diagnosed hyperactive and put on Ritalin. There were 7 children in our family and my brother and I were the 2nd oldest. My mother didn’t like that the medicine made my brother like a zombie (her words, not mine) and therefore took him off of the medicine. I have been diagnosed with adult ADD about a year ago. However, diagnosing is one thing but I still struggle with reading and explaining what I just read. I can hear a news report and can’t summarize it to my husband. It’s very frustrating!!!! Thank you, again, for your suggestions.
Wallace says
Wow! These reading comprehension strategies are the reading tools i wish i had a lifetime ago. A lot of water has run beneath my bridges of life. Thank you for providing me these valuable game plans I can use in my future reading adventure. I wish I was as skilled as you in reading.
Barbara says
I have had ADHD all my life and comprehension was always a struggle. The older I got and the more I started reading. I found if I was totally immersed in what I was reading I so enjoyed it much more. Unfortunately don’t ask me a day later what it was about or to be able to recite a phrase or passage I couldn’t do it That is one thing I’ve always wanted to be able to do. Be that as it may, I do enjoy reading now and wish I loved reading when I was younger. I missed out on so much. But thank you just for this article.
Scott Shapiro, MD says
Hi Barbara- Thank you so much for leaving a comment. Also, I am excited that you found the information and strategies helpful! I wish you the best of luck on your journey and continuing to move towards your goals!
Katie says
I’ve struggled with reading comprehension my whole life. So grateful for the tips to improve comprehension.
Thank you 🙂
Bee says
I’m glad I found this article! I’m currently a graduate student and finding it hard to complete all the required reading and comprehend everything. These strategies are helpful and practical – I’m printing them out so I can post them in my study area.
Thanks
James says
I’m studying for mathematics to go back to school at 34. Glad I found this because I have ADHD and trying to work with word problems in math is throwing me really off and I just want to do better. Thanks Dr.Shapiro I hope this brings me where I want to go.
Scott Shapiro, MD says
Hi James- Thanks for your comments. I wish you the best of luck with your studying and hope you find the suggestions helpful. Dr. Shapiro
Scott Shapiro, MD says
Hi James- Good luck on your journey and studies!! This is something that can get better. I wish you the best of luck. Dr. Shapiro
JOHN says
Thank you I am in college now. I am a non traditional student of 72
I just realized my problem and thank you very much.
Scott Shapiro, MD says
It is very rewarding to hear when someone benefits from these articles. Thank you for taking the time to comment and I hope that the information helps you with your goals and journey!
Kristen says
Kim, you and I struggle in the same way, we are about the age. I have found that typing or writing something out is the best way to comprehend because I don’t skip words. The issue with this is that it can be time consuming and then it doesn’t always produce the effect I want it to have. Especially when the topic is math. Math is like learning another language for me. I look at the book and it seems like it is a foreign language. Then I try to learn a foreign language (SPANISH) and now I feel I really don’t even know the english language because I cannot comprehend the names they are using such as Adjectives, Pronouns and the fact that you cannot structure the sentences in Spanish the way you do in english. It feels so degrading. I wish I had more answers on how to comprehend something just from reading.