how can i quickly increase MY reading level and comprehension?

[mrs.m]

I do ok with reading. I can get through most children's Classics but I often find myself :confused1:  when reading a classic for high school level (Scarlet Letter, Moby ?Dick). It takes me a long time to get through it. Some of it is vocabulary. I must not have a large bank. But I often get lost unless it is conversation if it is written in antiquated language. Any suggestions?

[nd293]

Why not start with audiobooks? There is a huge range for free at Librivox.com. I find listening helps me to get into the 'rhythm' of antiquated language. I also find that reading older classics on my iPad helps, as I can look words up simply by highlighting them, rather than hauling out my huge Oxford dictionary. Also, choose things that you think you will enjoy. So far I've listened to (and enjoyed) The Three Musketeers, Around the World in Eighty Days, Frankenstein, Ivanhoe, and Great Expectations.

[Amber in SJ]

Try the book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas C. Foster.  "The Well Educated Mind" by (our own) Susan Wise Bauer is also great, but not a quick read :)

 

I agree with needing to hear the language out loud sometimes.  I find Shakespeare so much more accessible when seen as a performance first and then read.

 

Amber in SJ

[Tammi K]

Try Cliff Notes or Spark Notes to preview the subject, vocab, plot, etc. If you're already familiar with the overview story it might make comprehending the work that much less of a challenge. That might  leave you more able to focus on the rhythm and flow of the story.

 

[Hoot]

I think the most beneficial ways to increase your reading level are to study vocabulary and to keep reading.  Don't choose lower level books just because they're easier.  Stretch yourself, but not with every single book, because then you will just burn out.  Try some of the Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classics.  There aren't many of these books, but they are fantastic and have the vocabulary right on the opposing page in the book.  In order to increase comprehension, summarize each chapter in a notebook after you read it.  You don't need to record every single detail, just the overarching idea and the main points of the chapter.  You can work on speed using short but challenging magazine articles.  You don't want to sacrifice comprehension for speed though, so start with very short passages, time yourself, and make sure you understood it before moving on to something longer and more complex.  Of course, speed typically does eventually come with practice, so you could simply just keep reading and working on vocab. and see where you end up from there.

[Mergath]

I think it's just a matter of practice and persistence.  I remember when I started college and I had to suddenly read endless academic journal articles.  I thought my brain was going to explode. :P  It would take me half an hour to decipher one sentence.  By the end of the year, I could skim an article in ten minutes and understand everything.  Our brains are pretty good at adapting, but you have to give it time.  It doesn't happen overnight.

 

Also, if you're having trouble understanding some of the more difficult words, get an academic edition of the book with the little footnotes.  The good ones will define quite a few of the more antiquated words, and it's a lot easier to have the definitions right there than to have to google them or whatever.

[PrincessMommy]

Agreeing with all of the above.  Definitely audiobooks and Sparknotes (which is found online for free).   For Shakespeare you can find some great movie adaptations of them (Kenneth Branaugh has done some great ones) and read/watch along with it.

 

Another option is to get Great Books (The Teaching Company) literature studies.  Our library has them in audio form, but if you want to watch, they often have 70% off sales.

[mrs.m]

Try the book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas C. Foster.  "The Well Educated Mind" by (our own) Susan Wise Bauer is also great, but not a quick read :)

 

I agree with needing to hear the language out loud sometimes.  I find Shakespeare so much more accessible when seen as a performance first and then read.

 

Amber in SJ

 

I looked at the list of books in The Well Educated Mind and :svengo:. I need to take it slow and choose some that are high interest.

 

It seems I'm doing the right things (Spark Notes, Audio, clicking the words on Kindle to get the definition). I just need to keep reading and listening. It seems I was able to do this in College but my brain has lost its reading level because it was hard for me then.