hey everyone
i am 15 and i have adhd combined type. i have always had lot of trouble in school especially when i have to read something. when i have to read something for homework i always read it but i never understand it. when i go to school the next day and my teacher asks me what the story was about i can never tell her so she thinks i didnt read it but i really did. all the teachers say the same thing they say if you dont understand something read it again. well i do that to and i still have no idea what i read. i started noticing that when i am reading i am not comprehending anything. its like i am reading the book but thats it nothing else. kinda like im reading random words only im not. it gets really frustrating sometimes especially when im really trying to understand it. then i noticed the same thing on tests. i would read the question and i would have no idea what it says or means even though its probably an easy question like what comes after the letter a in the alphabet. i read the question like 10 times before i realize what i am doing. i dont understand why this happens. does this happen to anyone else? does anyone know why this happens? do you have any advice?

Yea I do especially if material is boring. If you are visual try "seeing" what you are reading. Adaught of mine has to read things out loud to get much out of it. In school she reads it "aloud" by simply moving her lips some how this still works. Other kids have made comments but she says that what works so she can pass the class.

yea this happens often to me to like right now for english I have to read the hobbit and it is so $@%# long-winded that I find myself reading but not takeing in the words.

This happens usally when you are sleepy or bored. What you have to do is say the words outloud so you understand them or just mouth them out it works trust me I know.

yeah. the thing is, and here's a quote for you "reading is process of gaining meaning from text"
besides that point, i do exactly this too. and i realised th eother day, im NOT a good reader at all.

i do enjoy reading, but in only enjoy reading good stuff. if the stuff is boring i dont like it, and have a great deal of trouble reading it and keeping on-task.

- read slow
- i lose my place
- i read and im THINKING about other stuff, but still saying all the words inside my head

i will actually read every word, but its as if im not "listening" to it.

some things that might help

* get a piece of paper that as big as the page of your book, and cut a rectangle out of it (you want a 'frame' shape). you need the rectangle to be AS WIDE as the paragraphs, but it can be as tall as you can handle at one point. you might like to make it only 3 - 5 lines tall. (as you get better you can make it taller..)
then what you do is, you use it as a little window for reading, and move it down the page as needed. this helps you look at that part of the text only so you dont get distracted. modify the shape to suit (eg you might need it to cover the adjacent page too)

* read one sentence. STOP and reflect: what happened in that sentence? was there any words i didnt understand? what does the sentence mean? do this after every sentence, to start off with.

* first read only TOPIC SENTENCES (this will mean not using your paper window though!). topic sentences = the first sentence in each paragraph. as you may know from essay writing, the first sentence in the paragraph should describe what happened in the rest of the paragraph.

* another good strategy is to read the FIRST AND LAST sentences of each paragraph. this way you get a better understanding.

using either of the last two; you will get a 'big picture' understanding fairly quickly.

*make notes while you read: after each paragraph, write some key notes about what happened. you may end up with a short timeline of events. this will help you understand what you read, and then when you go to class the next day, you will be able to better explain if the tr asks you what you read. you could even show the teacher your notes! which would prove more that you read the book.

remember, reading doesnt just mean looking at the words with your eyes. it is a process of gaining meaning from text. i'm sure that making short notes is well worth your white.

* the moving your lips thing is good

* if you are an auditory learner; there's nothing wrong with reading aloud to yourself. if your home situation isnt good for that, then sit in your room and whisper the words as you read then - jsut loud enough for you to hear.

*picturing scenes in your mind is great help


so your reading session might go somethign like this:


materials: the book, pencil/pen, paper reading window, notebook or paper

1. read the topic sentence of each paragraph. after each sentence just pause a few seconds and make some sort of meaning from each sentence. (picture in your mind as you read too)

2. now read the topic sentence and the last sentence of each paragraph. the final sentence summs up what happened in the paragraph. it will give you a better understanding of what happened.

3. now here's where you get your reading window, and you place it on the first paragraph. reading the sentences, moving down as needed - keep in mind the topic sentence and the last sentence. IT HELPS TO KNOW WHRE YOU CAME FROM AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING.

4. after each paragraph, write down 3 - 4 words or a short sentence about what happened in the paragraph. write NO MORE THAN ONE SENTENCE (this will also help your skills which you need to develop through school, of being concise! trust me, it will help you in school and in college/university!)

5. now that youve read your topic and last sentences, each paragraph, made notes.... re-read it as a whole.


this will help you. remmeber, tailor the strategy to suit you. try this one first, its a holistic strategy. it helps you concentrate on what youre reading, think about what youre reading, gain meaning from the text, and remember what you read for school the next day!

try this tomorrow for your homework reading, and get back to me, telling me how you found it.

it sounds like a long process, but it seems that doing that is quicker and far more effective than reaidng it more than x2 and still not understanding a thing you read.

:)

oh another thing, when you read , do you just look at each word in silence, or do you "say it" inside your head?

if you dont say it inside your head, then that might be a major contributor to your problem.



(edit)

and i just thought of something else: i re-read your post, and i see you have trouble even gaining meaning from single sentences.

i'm just wondering, in a serious and concerned way, did you have any trouble reading my post? or this post even? (well i know that other one was quite long!)

because if you had trouble reading that post, then you might not be able to take the advice and use the strategy i thought of and wrote there.

just a thought! :)