3 Reasons Why Reading Comprehension is Important

You already know how to read, but actually being able to understand what you’re reading can be a bit trickier. It’s not always easy to dive into a text to gain a deeper understanding of it, but doing so will help improve your reading comprehension skills. Reading comprehension is extremely important and you’ll find it necessary for nearly every subject and on most tests. Although it might not seem as important as memorizing facts for history class or perfecting a math equation, reading comprehension is a critical component of academic success. 

Important for SAT/ACT/AP Tests

A big piece of all three of these tests is reading comprehension. Especially when it comes to the SAT and ACT, you’re not being tested on what you know, but on your abilities to understand questions and come to a correct conclusion in a timely manner. If you don’t practice reading comprehension, it will be reflected in your test score. Make sure to focus on fully understanding every text or question that you read. The more you practice, the more prepared you’ll be for test day and the better your score will be. A good score can help determine what college you go to, which can be super important in determining your career path and future.

Helps with Critical Thinking

Being a critical thinker is an important skill not only in the classroom, but also in life. Critical thinking is something you’ll need for tests, class discussions, life decisions, you name it. Knowing how to think deeply, logically and creatively about a variety of topics is a skill you’ll find useful in many situations. When you practice reading comprehension, you also practice critical thinking. Thinking critically about what you read helps you in your understanding of the text and can help you learn how you best process information. This skill can help you with decision making, time management and many other things that will determine your success in school and beyond.

Enjoyment and Effectiveness

A deeper understanding of a text often leads to better appreciation of it as well. When you’re reading a novel, think about the themes, symbols, characters and conflicts and how they all come together to create the story. When you understand how much work the author put into the story and consider what everything means, you’ll have a much better connection to the book itself. This can be true for things other than books, too —look a little deeper in your daily life and you might find some wonderful things you weren’t necessarily looking for. 

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