I would say the reading methods or your posture while reading. If you are reading while lying on a bed, you would probably feel sleepy after some time. And it is obvious.
Similar way, your sitting position while you are reading has a considerable impact on your remember capacity. If you sit straight on a chair and put a book on the table, bend a bit, and read the book, there are more chances to remember what you are reading.
1. Highlighting and note-making
This can be a great and easiest way to remember what you are reading. You need to develop the habit of note-making and sometimes to highlight the text. It will help you majorly.
What you write down as your notes have more chances to get remembered. Also, the highlighted part. Even though you think you forget something, you can quickly jump to those sections that you have highlighted and prepared the notes for.
2. Think in pictures
Visualization can be your best way to remember. Think about the story that you heard in your childhood. You can tell the same level even you get older. You still remember it as it is because you have a visual for the story.
The same technique you have to apply here. If you can think in the picture that you are reading, you will get more benefits from it.
3. Get context
It would help you if you tried to know the history behind the book. For example, if you are reading an autobiography of a businessman, you would try to know,
➤ What are they successful in?
➤ What do they do?
➤ How did they succeed? And so on.
You can do some preliminary research to know about them a bit. And then you can turn to their book. This will help you remember many things.
4. Be focused
Nothing can be more potent than your focus while you are reading.
It is best if you can read with focus. Don't get involved with watching TV or being surrounded by the crowd while reading, as these things will distract you. And you won't be able to focus on what you are reading.
5. Rehearse again soon
Whatever you write down can be remembered for a long time if you reread it on the next day of making the notes.
Practice will help you a lot to keep remembering what you read. Go through the text again and again. Keep updating your mind with the exact text continuously to reflect what you read. And you will get the progress soon.
6. Become familiar with the topic
If something is too new for you, you will take time to adapt it. Right?
Let me say you are a science student, and you are asked to read something about other fields, excluding science; you will take time to read it, comprehend it, and at last remember it.
The same principle is applicable for every piece of paper of reading. If some topic is too new for you, you won't be able to understand it quickly. But when you get familiar with it, it will be easy for you to remember.
7. Try writing practice
It would be time-consuming. But it works. When you practice some mathematical question, try writing it down multiple times until you understand it and remember it.
You can try out the same method here. It won't be straightforward to write down the theoretical material. But it works on remembering it.
Write down what you want to remember again and again. And you will remember it easily.
8. Take your time
There's nothing wrong if you want to take more time to finish your reading. What important is how much amount of the text you can remember.
So, don't look at the time. Take your time and read out the book. Time should not be the barrier. If you don't understand any line, go through it again and again, and finish it.
Give your mind the required time to get the reading done with comprehension. But, this doesn't mean that you are stuck in with the exact text all day long.
9. Take notes on the page.
As I said earlier, when you take out the notes from what you are reading, it will help you remember what you read.
It would be more helpful if you could make the notes on the first page of your book. This will help you to first go through them and recognize them at first.
Yet you feel you are missing something; you can go back to the chapter and re-read it.
10. Read out loud
Even my class teacher used to suggest we read out loud when we were reading. As, this way, you can remember anything much better.
There is scientific evidence behind this theory. And even successful people agree with this theory. You can try it out.
When you read out loud, your ear is also attentive to what you are reading. This way, you provide your brain the information in two ways, through your speech and your listening path. So, I'm the chances of remembering what you read is more.
11. Practice meditation
Yes, meditation can help you with referring to what you are reading. Meditation is the ultimate way to improve your memory. Meditation makes you calm and teaches you to be present at the moment.
When, after meditation, you will read something, you will be able to remember it better than ever. Please note, I'm not saying that you have to meditate whenever you are reading. But, a small session of meditation can improve your remembering capacity.
12. Read without distractions
Distractions are the killer of your memory. While reading, you need a calm place, probably in the morning time. Also, don't multitask when you are reading. Focus on only one task, i.e., the reading.
Scientifically, whenever you read with concentration, you can remember it better. So, concentration is the best way to comprehend what you are reading.
Raj Sharma
What are the reading mechanics?
I would say the reading methods or your posture while reading. If you are reading while lying on a bed, you would probably feel sleepy after some time. And it is obvious.
Similar way, your sitting position while you are reading has a considerable impact on your remember capacity. If you sit straight on a chair and put a book on the table, bend a bit, and read the book, there are more chances to remember what you are reading.
1. Highlighting and note-making
This can be a great and easiest way to remember what you are reading. You need to develop the habit of note-making and sometimes to highlight the text. It will help you majorly.
What you write down as your notes have more chances to get remembered. Also, the highlighted part. Even though you think you forget something, you can quickly jump to those sections that you have highlighted and prepared the notes for.
2. Think in pictures
Visualization can be your best way to remember. Think about the story that you heard in your childhood. You can tell the same level even you get older. You still remember it as it is because you have a visual for the story.
The same technique you have to apply here. If you can think in the picture that you are reading, you will get more benefits from it.
3. Get context
It would help you if you tried to know the history behind the book. For example, if you are reading an autobiography of a businessman, you would try to know,
➤ What are they successful in?
➤ What do they do?
➤ How did they succeed? And so on.
You can do some preliminary research to know about them a bit. And then you can turn to their book. This will help you remember many things.
4. Be focused
Nothing can be more potent than your focus while you are reading.
It is best if you can read with focus. Don't get involved with watching TV or being surrounded by the crowd while reading, as these things will distract you. And you won't be able to focus on what you are reading.
5. Rehearse again soon
Whatever you write down can be remembered for a long time if you reread it on the next day of making the notes.
Practice will help you a lot to keep remembering what you read. Go through the text again and again. Keep updating your mind with the exact text continuously to reflect what you read. And you will get the progress soon.
6. Become familiar with the topic
If something is too new for you, you will take time to adapt it. Right?
Let me say you are a science student, and you are asked to read something about other fields, excluding science; you will take time to read it, comprehend it, and at last remember it.
The same principle is applicable for every piece of paper of reading. If some topic is too new for you, you won't be able to understand it quickly. But when you get familiar with it, it will be easy for you to remember.
7. Try writing practice
It would be time-consuming. But it works. When you practice some mathematical question, try writing it down multiple times until you understand it and remember it.
You can try out the same method here. It won't be straightforward to write down the theoretical material. But it works on remembering it.
Write down what you want to remember again and again. And you will remember it easily.
8. Take your time
There's nothing wrong if you want to take more time to finish your reading. What important is how much amount of the text you can remember.
So, don't look at the time. Take your time and read out the book. Time should not be the barrier. If you don't understand any line, go through it again and again, and finish it.
Give your mind the required time to get the reading done with comprehension. But, this doesn't mean that you are stuck in with the exact text all day long.
9. Take notes on the page.
As I said earlier, when you take out the notes from what you are reading, it will help you remember what you read.
It would be more helpful if you could make the notes on the first page of your book. This will help you to first go through them and recognize them at first.
Yet you feel you are missing something; you can go back to the chapter and re-read it.
10. Read out loud
Even my class teacher used to suggest we read out loud when we were reading. As, this way, you can remember anything much better.
There is scientific evidence behind this theory. And even successful people agree with this theory. You can try it out.
When you read out loud, your ear is also attentive to what you are reading. This way, you provide your brain the information in two ways, through your speech and your listening path. So, I'm the chances of remembering what you read is more.
11. Practice meditation
Yes, meditation can help you with referring to what you are reading. Meditation is the ultimate way to improve your memory. Meditation makes you calm and teaches you to be present at the moment.
When, after meditation, you will read something, you will be able to remember it better than ever. Please note, I'm not saying that you have to meditate whenever you are reading. But, a small session of meditation can improve your remembering capacity.
12. Read without distractions
Distractions are the killer of your memory. While reading, you need a calm place, probably in the morning time. Also, don't multitask when you are reading. Focus on only one task, i.e., the reading.
Scientifically, whenever you read with concentration, you can remember it better. So, concentration is the best way to comprehend what you are reading.