What are some ways to improve critical reading and reading comprehension skills?

Is to read slowly and to take notes. Or to link the new facts with other informations that are already in your long term memory.

Whenever you read, ask yourself questions.  Find subtleties in the language that you would normally skip over.  If you're like me and have an almost perfect memory, remember everything that happens using key words.  If you're normal, then write key words down on sticky notes at the page they're at.  Read the text never only once (unless you're taking a timed test our something, then go over it in your head at best).  Always have an opinion.  On everything.  This will help you remember key issues that occurred in the text, what's important and what's not. Most importantly, pretend you are the author of this story.  Emphasize with them.  If available, read their biography.  Pretend what they care about is what you care about.  Fall in love with them.  You will find themes that you never noticed before. On a final note, you have to do all of this all at once.  One or two things won't work.  To maximize affect, everything has to be there.

By practicing everyday and reading. If you do not have the habit of reading books, try newspaper or articles which hold your interest. Once you get the hang of reading fast, try to summarise the article in a line or two. This way you'll be able to chalk out the objective of the article. Try to give it an innovative but relevant title as well. And I cannot stress this enough but practice perfects like nothing else .

An experienced reader can easily analyze by your question that you have just started reading or you can't continue to read for a longer time (not a problem because the best part in this is you will be aware of how you have improved your comprehensive skills). Here I am not going to tell you some points to remember while reading like keep snacks with you or materialistic-environmental cut off like to find a quite place for this specific purpose, rather  I am going to tell you how you should approach If you want to improve your comprehensive skills as you have asked. First and foremost as your last sentence says, let me tell you there is no any other way to improve your comprehension than to pick the book and start reading. Just practice and practice. Secondly I tell you there is no need to go through each and every word by reading slowly while concentrating as best as you can at that time. As your words above, I can predict you are not able to memorize many points or facts which are linked or chained; this is a pattern of your mind. This is not a problem, this is a habit (psychologically) of yours and you must be aware of the procedure to use this for your benefits. Here are the points which will help you to change your comprehensive approach while reading: 1. DO NOT READ. Yes, you read correctly do not read not even pronounce it in your head rather just see the words and go with a continuous flow. Do not visualize, think or imagine anything. 2. DO NOT STOP TO FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC PART OF SENTENCE. Just see every word consciously and go to the next with your pace. 3. MINIMIZE YOUR BODY MOVEMENT while studying and do not chew anything. 4. Understand and practice to differentiate between noun, pronoun, adjectives and adverbs. It is not important that you are aware of these concepts, but it is vital to analyze while reading that which word you should => now this is very vital that I must tell you why this approach is benificai9l.   It’s not always disturbing noise or bright light which disturbs you (I do not deny this fact completely) rather it’s you mind which is conditioned to not to focus one perception of one sense completely. Don’t doubt that by just by watching the words you will not fetch the meaning perfectly. You optical senses are conditioned to pick the matter as it sees something. Try it now before you read next paragraph and see how it you have comprehend more than you ever did and within ½ of the total time you took earlier.   If you focus on specific parts of the sentence your mind tends to make that the centre point or theme of the complete study material. This is the point which decelerates your comprehension and you then try to focus with your full efforts. Your movement in your mouth or body fetches your energy and focus. Initially this is important to condition your mind to work with enhanced focus. Now, the 4th point this is very important to have a deep understanding on grammar of the language. This is the only part which you have to keep in mind that which part of the comprehensive material you need to focus on. This will build your comprehensive skills.   Hope this helps you, Happy reading

1.Review your notes from time to time. The first time you writing along the main point,then you need to review your notes according to memory curve.After several times of strengthening memorize, your brain may try to make a connection of the knowledge you already konw and the news. 2.Try to build a knowledge tree. Do some meditation may be helpful.

Here are a few links in which you can improve VA - reading comprehension http://insideiim.com/the-cat-verbal-enigma-part-i/?source=quora http://insideiim.com/the-cat-verbal-enigma-part-ii/?source=quora http://insideiim.com/the-verbal-reading-comprehension-enigma-part-iii/?source=quora

A classic book in this field is Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book. In it, Adler walks you through the 3 levels of reading, and helps you learn how to critically engage with the author and the subject. One of the most difficult things for me to accept was his Special Criteria for Points of Criticism: Show wherein the author is uninformed Show wherein the author is misinformed Show wherein the author is illogical Show wherein the author’s analysis or account is incomplete Of above 4, the first 3 are criteria for disagreement. Failing in these 3, you must agree with the author, at least in part, although you may suspend judgement of the whole in light of the last point. I always felt I could disagree just because I didn't like what I was reading. Now he showed me that I actually have to refute the author in some way. Which means I had to think.

Reading you can only improve by reading more. With practice you will improve the rate at which you read, try reading at a quiet place to prolong concentration. To improve comprehension, underline/highlight important points as you read. After reading once, ask yourself relevant questions about the text and read it again, this time trying to answer those questions.

Thanks for your A2A.  Any of the suggestions below may be the one to fit your needs precisely.  I will add one more option.  It is important to make mental pictures when you read.  The more detailed the better your recollection and comprehension will be.  That is only one aspect to add to the other ideas, but it may help.  If you want more details about how to accomplish that reply and I'll forward more ideas to you.