Some people read something once and remember every little detail about it for life, while others struggle to recall the names of the main characters even after reading the same book over and over again. If you can relate with the latter, you may feel as if life hasn’t been fair to you. Why is it that some people are genius and the rest are not so much? Well, to answer your question, the main reason why some can retain what they read for a longer period is how they read.
There are two types of readers, active and passive. Active readers engage with the text during and after reading. They pay attention to the context involved in each excerpt. Their reading speed fluctuates as per the demand of the story. Passive readers, on the other hand, read everything at the same speed, in the same way, and don’t evaluate what they have read. If you fall into this category, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can’t retain information for a longer period.
Developing a good reading habit helps you read more in less time and enhances your retention skills. The good news is you can become an active reader with few adjustments here and there. You just have to exercise your mind as you do for your body. That’s how your brain remains fit and ready to absorb the information like a sponge.
Here are a few reading habits that can help you with retention and recall what you read.
Know why you’re reading what you’re reading
For every action, it’s important to know your why behind it. You should know the reason for doing something before drawing the action plan. This will keep you motivated in your journey as you leap forward. When it comes to reading, you should figure out why you picked up a book or opened a particular blog. Is it entertainment you seek? Learning a skill or improving your health is your goal—such clarity can keep you on track and prevent you from leaving what you are reading midway.
For instance, if Dune by Frank Herbert is the book you want to read, ask yourself why first. Is it because of the movie or you are a fan of the sci-fi genre? The book is not an easy read. It’s riddled with complicated phrases and details that can make the read quite difficult. So before you pick up books like these, know why you want to read them in the first place.
Recap what you have read
Going back to what you have read can help your brain retain more information. So, once you have finished a chapter or a few paragraphs, pause and recap what you read. Then write down the part in your own words. Just writing down the bullet points would suffice. Ask yourself if you understood what the writer is trying to say. This exercise can help you get better clarity into the concept and hold information for a longer duration.
Make notes
Yes, the good old method of learning and memorising something—making notes can help you remember what you read. If you read on Kindle or your phone, making notes is an easy task. Just highlight the part you want to revisit later and tag a note. Whether it’s a realisation, a twist, re-entry of a character, with one tap, you can memorise everything. To your benefit, the internet is filled with tools that can help you take notes on the go.
But what to do, if you are reading a book? You can buy index cards or keep a journal to write down your thoughts. Robert Greene in his book, The 3 Secrets That Help Me Write and Think, throws light on his note-making process. He writes, “As I am reading a book I underline important passages and sections and put notes on the side. After I am done reading I will often put it aside for up to a week and think deeply about the lessons and key stories that could be used for my book project. I then go back and put these important sections on notecards.”
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