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| 1.3 - Reasons for Poor Comprehension | |||||||||
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Reason # 1 - Reading Without a Plan
Reason # 1: Reading Without a Plan Too often as readers we pick up the material and just start reading (hoping our brain will remember the important information). But that is not how the memory process works. If the reading material is not well-structured (i.e. section headings, bullet points, etc.), it is very difficult for the brain to mentally coordinate the information as we read. Reason # 2: Treating Reading Material as a "Chore" At work, you occasionally have to read books and reports that you may find boring, or even irrelevant to your professional goals. Unfortunately, if you tend to approach unwanted reading assignments as a chore (i.e. I don't want to do it - but I have to do it), your comprehension will suffer. Basically, our brain is very self-serving. It is only interested in satisfying our own personal goals and interests. Therefore, when we believe we are reading for someone else, we are essentially telling our brain the information is not important to us, and doesn't warrant our full attention. Reason # 3: Reading Material Doesn't Conform to Your Personal Thinking Style Have you ever had to read a report that was highly readable, a report that was presented information in a way that simply made sense to you? However, have you ever had to read a report that had the opposite effect on you - with material that required you to read, and re-read certain paragraphs over and over just to get some type of comprehension? Often our poor comprehension is blamed on the complex subject matter, but the subject matter is only partly responsible; our brains are capable of learning any type of subject. However, if we try to learn a new subject, and the information is presented in a manner that doesn't conform to our personal way of thinking, it can be extremely difficult (and frustrating) to put the pieces of information together. Sadly, many writers will write a report that mimics their personal way of thinking (i.e. they write in a style that is most natural to them). Therefore, if the writer is very linear-oriented and the reader is very global-oriented, the reader will likely struggle with the format and content. Negative stress can limit access to our higher level thinking skills. Without our higher level thinking skills, we are unable to coordinate ideas and information effectively, thus minimizing our comprehension and retention. Negative stress can also be physically draining, which can minimize the effectiveness of our senses (i.e. weakened vision, inability to block out distracting noises, etc.).
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