Research Based Methods for Improving Reading Comprehension

Many people know how to read, but struggle to understand what they’re reading

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

I recently wrote about critical thinking and the complexities involved in it as one of our more challenging and vital thinking skills. In the same article, I mention the decline of critical thinking within the United States over the last quarter-century, and a few months earlier, I wrote about the decline in reading skills within the US.

Within these two pitfalls is the growing number of people who struggle with reading comprehension — those who can read written words but struggle to grasp their meaning.

I was familiar with this issue since researching it, but then I watched the Netflix show Love is Blind, and something one of the participants said made it feel tangible. A woman asked a guy if he’s a reader, and he replied that he can read, but he struggles to grasp what he’s reading. His response inspired this article because I know he’s not alone, not by a long shot.

The Decline of Reading Comprehension

The only common yardstick for measuring students’ performance in the United States is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card. This…