Improving Reading Comprehension: 10 Effective Vocabulary Strategies (PDF)

Are you struggling to understand complex texts or remember information when reading? Perhaps you need to focus on improving your vocabulary skills. Vocabulary is crucial to reading comprehension, and it affects your ability to understand and remember what you read. Luckily, there are several effective strategies you can use to improve your vocabulary and ultimately enhance your reading comprehension. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 of these strategies in detail.

1. Read Widely and Regularly

One of the best ways to expand your vocabulary is to read a variety of texts regularly. Reading exposes you to new words and their usage in context, helping you understand how they fit into the English language. The more you read, the more you’ll encounter new words that can improve your vocabulary. Aim to read different genres, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and articles.

2. Learn Words in Context

Learning words in context means understanding the meaning of a word based on the sentence or the surrounding sentences. This helps you avoid misunderstanding a word’s meaning or using it in the wrong context. Try to read a sentence with a new word and then use clues in the sentence to define its meaning. This is a helpful vocabulary strategy that can enhance your reading comprehension.

3. Use Mnemonics to Memorize Words

Mnemonics are memory aids that help you remember words by associating them with something else. For example, you can associate ‘absurd’ with ‘a bird with glasses and a beard.’ The more memorable the association, the easier it is to remember the word. Mnemonics can be helpful in vocabulary tests or when memorizing new words.

4. Play Word Games

Playing word games like Scrabble, Boggle, or crossword puzzles can improve your vocabulary skills as well as make it fun. Word games challenge you to think of words from scratch or use words to create something new, and frequent practice of these games can boost your vocabulary in the long run.

5. Use Online Vocabulary Resources

There are numerous online resources that offer vocabulary building options like flashcards, games, and quizzes. Websites like Vocabulary.com, Quizlet, and Memrise are great places to start. These sites will help you learn and remember new words by giving you contextual examples of usage.

6. Use a Dictionary or Thesaurus

Dictionaries and thesauruses are great tools to help you look up words you don’t understand or find synonyms for words you want to use. Whenever you come across a new word while reading, look it up in a dictionary to understand its meaning or a thesaurus to find an alternative word that can better express your thoughts.

7. Learn Word Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Many words in English are derived from common roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Knowing these can help you understand new words more easily and expand your vocabulary. For example, ‘manicure’ is composed of the prefix ‘manu’ (hand) and the root ‘cure’ (to heal).

8. Use Vocabulary in Writing

Using vocabulary words in your writing can help you remember them and improve your writing skills too. Challenge yourself to find ways to incorporate new words or phrases into your writing, whether it’s a blog post, an email, or a journal entry.

9. Engage in Conversations

Reading is not the only way to improve your vocabulary; conversations can be useful as well. Engaging in meaningful conversations can introduce you to new words and their context, helping you remember them better. Try starting new conversations with people or join social clubs that encourage group discussion.

10. Visualize Words and Create Associations

Whenever you learn a new word, try to visualize a picture in your mind and create associations between the word and its meaning. This technique can help you memorize the word and its context better. For example, if you learn the word ‘ephemeral’ (short-lived), you can visualize a butterfly or a firefly that only lives for a short period.

Conclusion

Improving your vocabulary skills is essential to improving your reading comprehension. The more words you know, the better you can understand and remember what you read. Implementing these effective vocabulary strategies can help you enhance your vocabulary and ultimately, improve your reading comprehension. Start by reading more, using mnemonics, playing word games, and engaging in conversations, and you will see gradual improvements. Remember, learning new words is a lifelong process, but it’s worth the effort.