Do you find it hard to get stuck in a good book? Do you feel that it is difficult to retain the information you read? Active reading may be the perfect solution. Used by all ages, from young children to academics, active reading is an incredibly useful reading strategy, used for improving reading retention and comprehension.
Active reading focuses on really making sure that you take in the text, rather than just reading the lines. It focuses majorly on note taking, so it is recommended that you opt for a physical copy, either a paperback or hardback.
You Will Need:
- Your chosen book
- Lots of colourful pens and highlighters!
- A notebook (Optional)
The main goal of active reading is to ensure that you are engaging with your text, rather than just reading it. As an ADHD reader, you may often find that you are forgetting key details of text that you have just read, making it harder to maintain your attention and level of focus.
To start active reading, make sure to underline key details as you read through your text. This can be new characters, locations, or even just general plot points you find interesting. Then, make sure to add your thoughts in alongside what you’re highlighting and underlining – what are your thoughts on this character? What questions do you have that you’re waiting to be answered? What do you think will happen next? In my experience, the best annotations you can make for reading stories sound more like your internal monologue than a careful selection of bullet points. Active reading is there to help you engage with your text, so your own thoughts and feelings towards things that may seem trivial are the most important parts!
For your annotations, while jotting them down in the margins is the most ideal choice, not all books are created equal. Look at these two books that I have in my collection: on the left is Rootbound by Margaret Owen, and on the right is a Wordsworth Classics edition of The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald. Rootbound has much larger margins and slightly larger texts, making it perfect for active reading annotations. However, books with smaller margins and texts leave little to no room for annotations, making them less accessible for ADHD reading. Before buying a text, especially classical books that have multiple editions published, be sure to shop around for find a layout that is perfect for you.
If you happen to have a book like my copy of The Great Gatsby lying around, fear not! Active Reading is still possible. You can pair your book with a cheap notebook, highlighting your book as usual. Then, instead of leaving your annotations in the margins of your book, you can write down your thoughts in your notebook. You can also jot down the page number in your notes, so that you can refer back to that page in your book later!
