Just like you wouldn't show up to your games without practicing, reading takes active practice, too. If you're looking for ways to engaged more with your texts (novels, textbooks, articles, poems, etc), check out these reading comprehension strategies. And remember, don't multitask while you read, and don't read schoolwork in bed!
Ask questions.
React to what you read.
Give an opinion.
Locate important passages.
Make connections.
Define new words.
Track themes.
Title your chapters or sections.
Summarize what you've read.
Respond to what you've read.
Make a prediction.
Skim/Survey
Question
Read
Recite
Review
Text to Self
Text to Text
Text to World
From MindPrintLearning
Develop your own personal system that you can use every time to make reviewing your annotations more efficient.
Underline the main idea, star the most important facts, circle unfamiliar vocabulary, jot down a question mark where you are confused, connect ideas with arrows.
Use sticky notes to flag pages or write your notes if you're not allowed to write in the book itself.
From MindPrintLearning
Review any background information from your teacher before reading as that information provides important context that will make understanding what you read easier.
Highlight or underline important details as you read.
Stop after every few paragraphs to check in: Did you understand what you just read? Can you describe it in your own words? Can you picture it?
If you don't understand, go back and re-read in smaller chunks. If it is only a minor detail you don't understand, flag it and return to it at the end or plan to ask your teacher.
Look up unfamiliar vocabulary words and write the definition in the text.
Stop and think about numbers or graphs in the text as they often summarize the most important information. Give them extra focus, not less!
After finishing, make sure you can summarize the main ideas and know where to find key details if you will need to know them to answer questions, write a paper, or study for a test.