2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Subscribe

9 simple reading strategies that will improve your memory and

make you smarter
Shana Lebowitz and Weng Cheong 11 hours ago

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 1/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Active readers retain more than passive readers. Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

This story requires our BI Prime membership. To read the full article, simply
click here to claim your deal and get access to all exclusive Business Insider
PRIME content.

Become familiar with the topic

Diignat/Shutterstock

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 2/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Blogger and web developer Ryan Battles recommended gaining some background
knowledge before you dive into a particular text.

"The more you understand about a particular subject the more 'hooks' keep the facts in
there," he wrote. That's because you're able to make more associations between the
new information and what you already know.

You can even start by reading a Wikipedia article on the subject as preparation, he
added.

Skim the text first

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 3/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

A number of great books on diversity and inclusion are slated for publication in 2020. Shutterstock

An article by Bill Klemm, a professor of neuroscience, highlighted skimming as a key

strategy for retaining information. Klemm has written several books like "The
Learning Skills Cycle" on how to learn and improve your memory.

He recommended that skimming the text for important topics and keywords
beforehand can help you understand the context when you dig into the material. The
idea isn't to skip the whole reading process, but being familiar with the general themes
will help you remember the particulars, he wrote.

Take notes on the page

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 4/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Never read without a pencil.

According to an article in the "Behavior Research Methods," journal, active reading

strategies can help you make sense of complicated concepts. Danielle S. McNamara, a
research professor of Arizona State University, introduced the concept of self-
explanation reading, in which the process of taking notes and explaining the text to
yourself actually helps you understand the material better.

Another technique is to practice paraphrasing the text into your own words. That way,
you can ensure you understand the material before moving on to the next paragraph.

Read out loud

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 5/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Mayur Kakade/Getty Images

Psychologist Art Markman wrote in a Psychology Today article that reading out loud
may work best. Referring to a paper in the Journal of Experimental Psychology on the
"production e ect," Markman explained that the brain processes memory of items like
a list of words. The 2010 study administered eight reading experiments — two of which
involved reading a list of words out loud and in silence.

The results showed that words spoken aloud were remembered much better than those
that were read silently.

Ask yourself questions about the material

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 6/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Shutterstock

Quora user Ingrid Spielman recommended interacting with the text by asking yourself
questions as you read along.

If you're reading a textbook, the question can be as simple as, "What is the main idea of
this section?" If you're reading ction, you can ask, "What are the motives of the
character?" and "If you could rewrite this reading, what would your version be like?"

Read on paper

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 7/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

M_a_y_a / Getty Images

E-readers are convenient tools for when you want to bring a ton of books on vacation
and for downloading stories in an instant, but a hard copy might be better for your
memory.

Research suggests that they could also undermine the strength of your memories. In a
2014 study led by Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University, 50 participants were
given the same short story to read. While half of them read the 28 pages on a Kindle,
the other half read it on a paperback. The results found that readers who read it on
paper remembered the story's chronology better.

Mangen said that's possibly because the piles of pages in your hands create a "tactile
sense of progress" you don't get from a Kindle. (Of course, it's possible that people who
are more accustomed to reading online may not have this problem.)

Read without distractions

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 8/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Cut o any distractions for a set period of time when you're reading. This could even
include the distraction of your mind — commit to no daydreaming, no emails, no
phone, and no Net ix.

According to a Science Daily article, multitasking and distractions can impact your
ability to remember. In an experiment among UCLA college students, 192 participants
were divided into six groups for di erent memory tests. Some groups read a list of
words with their undivided attention, while others were given distractions throughout
the test.

The results showed that students managed to remember words that they were told to
be "more important," but distractions impaired their overall memory.

Introduce the information to others

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 9/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/Flickr

Two Quora users listed talking about what you read as a useful means of processing
new material. For example, Venkatesh Rao suggested blogging or trying to explain to
your friends what you learned.

Peter Doolittle, an educational psychologist who spoke at a TedGlobal talk in 2013,

detailed the importance — and limitations — of your "working memory," or the part of
the brain that allows us to make sense of what's happening right now. The expert
explained that part of remembering information is re ecting on what you read or
nding personal examples to support the subject matter.

Similar to why people join book clubs, talking about what you read to your friends and
colleagues can help you better understand the frameworks.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 10/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider

Choose books that matter to you

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Make sure you know why you're picking up this book. What intrigues you about it? Will
it have a discernible e ect on your personal development or contribute to a
momentary escape to a di erent train of thought?

When you're impressed by something, there's a higher chance that you'll remember
what you've learned and be able to tell others about it.

So choose books carefully, start as many as you want, and don't be ashamed if you
nish only the select few you love.

Sherin Shibu contributed to an earlier version of this post

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 11/12
2/13/2020 How to remember everything you read using a memory reading habit - Business Insider
Sherin Shibu contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: Here's why writing things out by hand makes you smarter »

More: Reading Memory BI Prime Strategy Prime

* Copyright © 2020 Insider Inc. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our
Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy.
Sitemap Disclaimer Commerce Policy CA Privacy Rights Coupons Made in NYC
Stock quotes by finanzen.net Reprints & Permissions
International Editions:
INTL DE AUS FR IN IT JP MY NL SE PL SG ZA ES

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9 12/12