Why is reading so hard?

Future teacher fag here, if it makes you feel any better OP I'm taking a class in college about how to teach high schooler's to read because currently the average 10th grader in the US has the reading level of a 6th grader.

Anyway, I relate a lot to the whole "have to read 5-7 times" thing, because I have AD/HD. I can read the words, they just have no meaning because my mind wanders without me realizing it. You sound like textbook AD/HD on that front. Might give that a run through with your doctor. Medication was the answer for me.

>>18670699
I suck at reading. From personal experiece, reading outloud to practice really helps. I am slow to start but get faster as I practice, and since I can hear myself make mistakes I can improve and engage as I go. Good luck.

This.

I have the same issue anon. In terms of reading I am fairly good, I don't stutter or have problems pronouncing words like most of the people in my class I've heard read.

But sometimes when I'm reading a few paragraphs I come to the realization that I have absolutely no idea what I just read, I have to go back and reread to make sense.

>>18670699
what kind of books?

I hate reading fiction (drama, comedy, whatever), but I love science fiction and technical stuff. this is because I like science and technical stuff. perhaps you aren't motivated enough by the kind of books you are reading? perhaps you hate them?

>>18670728
This is actually something I've been learning in my class, there's a very big difference between knowing how to pronounce the words and reading.
They're telling us to stop having students read out loud in class because they don't learn anything. Kids don't ever absorb the words they're reading because they're too caught up in making sure they pronounce everything right to avoid embarrassment or something.

File: read nigga.jpg (320KB, 500x572px) Image search: [Google]

320KB, 500x572px

gotta level up appraisal

>>18670699
That is how I am too. Still haven't found a solution.

learn reading comprehension/fast reading techniques

>>18670699
Reading is a skill. Skills require practice. I've been an avid reader from a young age so I take reading for granted, but if you haven't been doing it your whole life like I have you're going to have a learning curve.

>>18670699
bc u dont take your hw seriously, i did the same thing as a kid, read the same paragraph for one hour. in college it goes away.

I can't speak to non-fiction really, and particularly not instructional reading like textbooks or instructional things, but as long as you're reading fiction, there's only one way to retain what you're reading.

As you read, you need to build a picture in your mind, almost like a movie, of what it is you're reading. There's a reason any author worth a shit puts descriptions of people, places, and events in their books, and it's to make it easier to visualize the action of what is otherwise a text-based adventure. Build a picture of the setting in your head using the clues the author gives you as you read. Take to heart physical descriptions of the characters, visualize them as they're described. See them doing the actions the narrator describes just as he's describing them. Hold the image in your head as you read and you'll remember what you're reading even if you can't retain the whole words you've just processed.

>>18670699
>last time i checked my IQ

aight there

Short attention spawn society

>>18670699

>When I try to read a book, I can't understand around 80% of the content

Depends on the kind of a book you're reading. If you read fucking fairy tales and don't understand them then go see a psychiatrist. If it's something like astrophysics then don't worry about it lol

>Also my mind tends to drift off a lot when I read

That's normal. Millenial syndrome, there's no cure. Your brain is set to only focus on stuff it finds interesting. If you happen to read astrophysics and your brain does not like shady math then don't even attempt it.

>Does anyone else experience this?

Yes. Welcome in the millenial kiddos group. Have fun!

By the way, all the books I've tried reading are about subjects I'm interested in. Politics & history.

How do I improve my attention span so I'm not getting easily distracted? Some websites have said listening to white noise while reading helps.

>>18671900

Less time spent doing millenial things. No internet, vidya, etc.

Needless to say - impossible. Just forget it lol

option a) you're not interested in politics & history, you lie to yourself that you are.
b) ADHD --> psychiatrist

>>18671948
>Less time spent doing millenial things. No internet, vidya, etc.

So less time using technology? Difficult considering my life revolves around technology, but possible.

If it helps improve focus and attention, it's worth a shot.

This is a problem I used to have and I have since recovered. Do you also have trouble going to sleep, or sleep at late hours in the night (past 12am)? It's because of overexposure to the internet, video games or other instant-dopamine producing things. I suggest you have a period of complete abstinence from the internet and video games, and after that try to regulate it (an hour a day for each etc).

>>18670699

This strategy helped me decrease the number of times i reread sentences and even made reading somewhat more enjoyable than before.
The basic strategy is to ask questions on each meaningful fragment of a sentence and attempt to answer them both immediately and later on when you read more of the pertinent text.
It seems super autistic compared to ordinary reading but if it is useful and works for you then that comparison matters much less.
Heres an example:
>So I'm 20 years old
How did you conclude that? Whats your evidence?
>and I'm far from stupid
How far specifically?
Stupid compared to who or what criterion?
>or at least I think.
How specifically do you think that?
Why do you think that?

>Last time I checked
When was this?
What did you check?
>my IQ was above 130
How much above 130?
Which test did you use?
>and I don't have any form of autism or dyslexia.
What forms of autism and dyslexia do you believe are out there?
How did you conclude that you dont have any form of those things?

Doing this kind of questioning for a long time will become a habit for you, and then you will not even have to verbalize there questions, you will intuitively answer what you can and search in text to answer what you could not.

Do you think there's been a single time in history where a person who bragged about their alleged high IQ actually was intelligent? I honestly think there hasn't.

try to read in bed, lying down, with lots of light

>>18670715
>future teacher
>can barely read
>thinks he can make others read better
Do they not teach you what "irony" is in teacher school, or is that too advanced a literary concept?

I used to see this shit all the time in uni. My favorite one is this:
>Future math teacher
>Failed calc 2 twice
>Will never take a proof-based math course because of brain dead curriculum decisions by shitty faculty
>Bemoans the nation's lack of mathematical literacy

>>18672316
Yeah, I have trouble sleeping. I use the internet mainly to read news or history. And occasionally to watch sporting events, so I don't think the internet is my problem.

I do play a shit ton of video games though so maybe I'll try to cut down how much I play.