10 Best Ways Students Can Improve Their Reading Comprehension Skill
Large-scale assessments show sliding reading performance in recent years. In the OECD’s PISA 2022 cycle, reading scores dropped across many systems compared with 2018.
In the United States, NAEP 2022 reported average declines of 3 points in grade 4 and grade 8 reading versus 2019, with many states showing lower results.
This guide turns well-established research into practical routines any learner can apply at home, in class, or during tutoring.
The foundation: how comprehension works
The Simple View of Reading
A widely used model explains reading comprehension as the product of two components: accurate word recognition (decoding) and language comprehension. Weakness in either side limits understanding. Keep both in view when planning practice—especially for developing readers who still need accuracy and automaticity.
Why background knowledge changes outcomes
Readers understand and remember more when they know the topic. Knowledge reduces strain on working memory and helps with inference. Over time, small knowledge gains compound.
Academic vocabulary and morphology
Academic words such as analyze or factor show up across subjects. Learning roots, prefixes, and suffixes (morphology) gives students a toolkit for unpacking unfamiliar terms during reading.
The top 10, evidence-based strategies
1) Build background knowledge on purpose
How to do it
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Spend 5–8 minutes previewing the topic: key people, places, dates, processes.
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Skim a short primer, glossary, map, figure, or timeline before the main text.
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Note three facts you expect to see and one question you want answered.
Why it helps
Knowledge supports inference and recall. Even brief previews pay off when reading dense nonfiction.
2) Grow academic vocabulary (with morphology)
How to do it
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Keep a living glossary for each unit with student-friendly definitions and examples.
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Teach 5–7 high-utility words per week.
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Map word families: a root plus common prefixes and suffixes (e.g., geo-, micro-, -logy).
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Add a quick sentence that connects each word to the current text.
Why it helps
Vocabulary knowledge transfers across texts and subjects. Morphological awareness speeds meaning-making when a word is new to the eye.
3) Read with text structure and graphic organizers
How to do it
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Identify the structure: cause–effect, problem–solution, compare–contrast, sequence, description.
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Choose an organizer that fits the structure: chains for causes and effects, T-charts for comparisons, timelines for sequences.
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Fill the organizer as you read; keep it visible during discussion or retrieval.
Why it helps
A meta-analysis shows text-structure instruction improves comprehension. Concept maps and other organizers also support learning across content areas. Tie summaries to the structure for better recall.
Classroom snapshot: In a grade-8 science unit on plate tectonics, students used a cause–effect chain to track “stress → faulting → earthquake → aftershocks.” Short, structured summaries came easier once the chain sat on the desk.
4) Use reciprocal teaching (predict–question–clarify–summarize)
How to do it
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Work in pairs or triads.
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Rotate roles every few paragraphs: predict what’s next, ask a question, clarify tricky sentences or terms, summarize the gist.
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Keep each rotation short—about 3–5 minutes.
Why it helps
A review of multiple studies reported consistent comprehension gains when students learned and used these strategies together.
Coaching note: Short cycles beat long ones. Students stay on task and finish a section with a clear sense of what mattered.
5) Add retrieval practice and spaced review
How to do it
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After a section, close the text and free recall two or three key ideas without looking.
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Review the same material the next day for two minutes, then again a week later.
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Use brief cues: “three causes of…,” “steps in…,” “definition of… + one example.”
Why it helps
A major review ranks practice testing and distributed (spaced) practice among the most effective techniques for long-term learning. Research on spacing shows bigger retention when study sessions spread out across days or weeks.
Real-life example: A ninth-grader kept a sticky note on the laptop lid: “2-minute recall before you log off.” Short, frequent recalls raised test scores without adding long study blocks.
6) Self-explain during reading
How to do it
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Pause at natural breaks (subheads, paragraph clusters).
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Answer two prompts: What does this add? How does it connect to earlier ideas?
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If the link feels fuzzy, slow down and reread the sentence with the organizer in mind.
Why it helps
Guided self-explanation strengthens coherence building. Research on SERT/iSTART shows gains for learners across skill levels when they practice prompted self-explanations.
7) Generate questions with intent
How to do it
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Turn the title and subheads into questions before you start.
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Add one “why” or “how” question per page or screen.
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Track which questions the text answers and which remain open.
Why it helps
Teaching students to ask their own questions boosts engagement and supports comprehension, especially when paired with reciprocal teaching routines.
8) Build fluency when text feels slow
How to do it
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Use repeated reading of a short passage with brief feedback.
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Model first, then student reads; aim for accuracy and expression before rate.
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Keep sessions short and frequent.
Why it helps
Meta-analytic evidence shows repeated reading raises fluency and often improves comprehension, a helpful move for developing readers and students who find complex syntax heavy going.
Tutoring tip: Two minutes of modeled phrasing, then two minutes of student reading, then a quick second attempt. Gains appear fast when the routine runs three or four times per week.
9) Monitor understanding and recalibrate
How to do it
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Use quick checks: Could I teach this diagram? Can I restate the process in two steps?
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If the answer feels shaky, try a different tactic: slower pace, vocabulary check, or a fresh organizer.
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Close with a brief free recall to see what stuck.
Why it helps
Retrieval and spacing naturally support metacognitive monitoring. Strategy instruction adds tools for fixing breakdowns once they are spotted.
10) Read more within a topic
How to do it
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Cluster short texts, videos with captions, and primary sources on the same theme.
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Keep one-line retrieval notes after each piece.
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Compare overlaps and differences at the end of the week.
Why it helps
Topic knowledge multiplies benefits across texts. Readers make faster connections and need fewer re-reads.
Daily and weekly practice plans
A 15-minute daily routine
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Preview (2 minutes): Turn headings into questions. Scan figures, graphs, and key terms.
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Read (8–9 minutes): Use an organizer that matches the text structure. Pause to self-explain at subheads.
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Retrieve (2–3 minutes): Close the text. Recall three main ideas and one open question.
Short sessions repeated across days beat one extended session near a deadline.
A weekly cycle that builds knowledge
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Mon–Tue: Topic preview plus vocabulary/morphology for the unit.
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Wed: Small-group reciprocal teaching on a central section.
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Thu: Two quick retrieval rounds on earlier material.
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Fri: Update the concept map; write a short summary tied to text structure.
Spreading study across the week supports durable memory and reduces last-minute stress.
On-page tactics that make tough texts easier
Turn headings into questions
Treat each heading as a question. Read the section, then answer that question in one or two lines. This tactic sets purpose and improves focus.
Match the organizer to the text
Use a cause–effect chain for science explanations, a compare–contrast table for history debates, and a sequence timeline for procedures. The right fit reduces cognitive load.
Annotate with intent
Swap broad highlighting for margin notes with a clear role: a definition, an example, a link to prior knowledge, and a cue for retrieval later. Highlighters come out after the note, not before.
Common pitfalls (and better moves)
Highlighting nearly every sentence
Better: Guided notes plus free recall before looking back.
One long cram session
Better: Short study blocks spaced across days, each ending with a quick retrieval.
Summaries with no structure
Better: Tie the summary to the text’s organization: two causes and one effect; three similarities and two differences; key steps in order.
Skipping fluency practice for students who read slowly
Better: Short repeated readings with feedback to support smooth, accurate decoding that frees up attention for meaning.
Real-life mini-cases
Grade-7 social studies
Students studied migration. The class opened with a short map preview and a three-term glossary: push factors, pull factors, remittances. During reading, groups used a problem–solution organizer to capture challenges migrants face and policy responses. Retrieval notes the next day focused on “two pushes, two pulls, one open question.” Discussion ran cleaner and more grounded in evidence.
Grade-9 biology
A teacher used reciprocal teaching on a dense section about cellular respiration. Roles rotated every paragraph. By the end, students could explain glycolysis in two steps and label a figure without prompts. A week later, spaced recall showed strong retention.
After-school tutoring
Two older readers struggled with long sentences in history. Short repeated readings with phrasing practice improved fluency within weeks. Comprehension checks shifted from “I’m lost” to accurate summaries tied to cause–effect chains.
Key takeaways
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Reading growth rests on a mix of knowledge, vocabulary and morphology, text-structure awareness, strategy routines, and memory-smart practice.
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Reciprocal teaching, retrieval practice, and spaced review offer strong return for time invested.
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Short, regular routines outperform long, irregular study. Students feel more in control, and results stick longer.
Final Thought
Pick two strategies and use them every day this week: a structure-matched organizer and a two-minute recall. Add vocabulary work next week. Keep the cycle going, and the gains accumulate.
FAQs
1) Does highlighting help?
Only when tied to prompts, such as “define–example–link,” and followed by free recall. Passive highlighting adds little on its own.
2) How often should I review notes?
Short reviews across days beat one long session. A next-day recall and a one-week recall work well for most units.
3) Do graphic organizers work in literature?
Yes. Story grammar charts, character compare–contrast tables, and theme trackers support analysis and discussion. Evidence for concept maps and related tools spans subjects and ages.
4) Is fluency work only for young readers?
Fluency practice still helps older students who read slowly or without expression. Gains in smooth, accurate reading free up attention for meaning.
5) What one change improves studying right away?
Close the text and recall key ideas in your own words after each section. Then check what you missed. The habit is short and powerful.
Students Learning Skills