Reading Comprehension

[RKS]

If I am reading for fun I can finish a book or magazine in a sitting with pretty good recall of details. With a novel I can even find a certain passage in the book pretty quickly.

My problem occurs when I read other materials. Whether the info is for work or when I used to read countless textbooks in school; I simply can't read quickly or effectively. I often have to read and re-read just to get a basic grasp of the material presented.

Essentially when I read for fun I seem to read sentences but when I read for work I seem to read words. Does that make sense?

Is this just laziness and lack of concentration?

 

[us3rnotfound]

textbooks are written differently than novels. you have to do more than just read the paragraph to understand usually

 

[uberman]

I'm just guessing, but you are probably disinterested in the material you are trying to comprehend. You know you have to read the textbook or literature at work and you do so. You view that reading as a task, rather than seeing it as a chance to learn and acquire new knowledge. The textbooks can help enrich your life and make you a more interesting person. You just don't see that. Remember, I'm just guessing.

 

[Canai]

I have the same problem, but only with dry historical texts. Damn you, history!

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: uberman
I'm just guessing, but you are probably disinterested in the material you are trying to comprehend. You know you have to read the textbook or literature at work and you do so. You view that reading as a task, rather than seeing it as a chance to learn and acquire new knowledge. The textbooks can help enrich your life and make you a more interesting person. You just don't see that. Remember, I'm just guessing.

That is true, but it doesn't have to be. Unfortunately, a lot of people who write textbooks may be well informed, but terrible writers.

 

[sswingle]

I see a lot of people here with that problem.