6 Easy Tips for Reading and Remembering What You Have Read This New Year

By Tobi Akanni

Reading is one of the primary activities we engage in. We read to learn, be informed, or be entertained. For whatever purpose we read, it all points to one fact — adding value, and we can only add value when we apply what we have read, inwardly or outwardly.  If you have been struggling with remembering things you read and are wondering what you can do to start recollecting all you have read, then these six easy tips (that I have tried and tested to be true) will help you.

1.    Jotting

This is such a simple but highly beneficial reading trick. It is a form of reinforced reading. When you read and have found something noteworthy, jot it down; that particular detail at some other time will (more often than not) jump out to you. You will easily recall having put it down.

Jotting can also help with summarizing a large body of text, and you can always go back to your notes to refresh important bits you have singled out.

2.    Highlighting

Like jotting, highlighting is another trick I use when reading, and I want to remember something I find interesting. Highlighting is usually simpler than jotting and can be helpful when you cannot find jotting material.

3.    Revising

Revising is an excellent tip for successful reading that is as old as time. If you do not remember what you have read, chances are that you never revised it. 

There are different ways to revise, depending on your preference. You could revise paragraph-by-paragraph, sub-topic by sub-topic, chapter-by-chapter, or according to whatever breakdown arrangement works for you. The point is to assimilate significant bits, no matter how small, instead of consuming many details that are not retained.

4.    Bite-Sizes

Breaking texts down into sizeable portions aids comprehension. Note, however, that you should not cram. Besides, recalling is the goal here, so cramming is not recommended.

Find a pattern that suits you; you can switch up your reading schedule hourly, weekly, or monthly. The idea is to keep coming back to what you have gone through so it stays fresh and eventually permanent in your head.

5.    Mnemonics

This is my favourite reading tip. A mnemonic (ne-mo-nik) is a memory device that aids learning, such as letters, songs, numbers, acronyms, or symbols associated with texts and details for easy recollection.

For example, I came up with the mnemonic that describes statistics as the "copia of data": the Collection, Organization, Presentation, Interpretation, and Analysis of data. This is much like songs we were taught as kids to remember some table manners, greetings, and grooming habits.

6.    Association

Association is a little like mnemonics but broader. Learning it is linking a detail to something commonplace or fun. You could associate a fact or knowledge with a story, a picture, a place, or an object, and whenever you see these things, your brain reminds you of other related facts you learned together.

I hope you have found these tips helpful for improving your recollection of what you have read.

Have a book-tastic 2023!