Sometimes, putting confusing passages into the wider context of the book will help you reach a sudden “ah-ha!” moment.
Maybe you’re stuck at a description of the Battle of Gettysburg in an American History textbook. Write a timeline listing the start, major turning points, and end of the battle. Next to the timeline, note how each phase of the battle shifted the advantage to one side or the other.
When looking online, be sure to look for credible websites. Try for . org or . gov sites first. Keep an eye out for articles that have misspellings or grammatical errors. By looking up terms and concepts you don’t understand, you get a more full picture of what’s going on. These context clues are important to understanding hard books![4] X Expert Source Jake AdamsAcademic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist Expert Interview. 24 July 2020. If you use Apple or Kindle books, you can look up words and terms right on the same screen. [5] X Expert Source Jake AdamsAcademic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
Write down the page numbers of any passages in a book that you can’t puzzle out right away. Once you’ve finished reading the entire book, go back and see if they make sense to you now.
For instance, you may find that you are better able to focus early in the morning, after working out, or when all your chores or tasks are done for the day.
If you prefer e-readers, that’s okay too! However, if you are struggling to understand books, try reading a paper one and take note of any changes that occur in your comprehension.
It can be helpful to re-read the last page, paragraph, or chapter when returning to a book. Think of it as recapping what happened, similar to the way a TV show might recap what happened in previous episodes at the beginning of the next one.
This is especially helpful for academic texts. When reading a book for pleasure, however, frequently stopping can disrupt the flow of your reading.
You can also find book clubs and forums for discussion online.
It may also be important for you to think about who wrote the book. Maybe you’re reading a novel written by someone who was put in prison because they had opinions their government thought were dangerous. Think about what could be dangerous about the book you’re reading. This goes for textbooks, too! A history textbook written in 1950 might be really concerned with the Cold War, for example. You can also read articles about the time period or situation the book focuses on to help improve your understanding. For instance, consider reading about the hardships women in the early 20th century faced if you’re reading a realistic fiction novel about a female character in the U. S. during the 1920s.
