Reading long chapters when your attention wanders

You read a whole page and realise you have no idea what it said. Your eyes moved, but your mind was elsewhere. This happens to everyone sometimes, and to students with ADHD often. Long textbook chapters, with dense paragraphs and little variety, are a particular challenge.

You can make reading more active, which makes it harder for your mind to leave.

Before you read

• Preview. Look at the title, headings, images, summary and end-of-chapter questions. It takes two minutes and gives your brain a map.
• Ask questions. Turn headings into questions: "What are the types of reflection?" Reading to find answers is more engaging than reading for no reason.
• Set a small target. One section, not the whole chapter.

While you read

• Read in short bursts. Five to ten minutes, then pause.
• Use a finger or ruler to track lines if you lose your place.
• Highlight sparingly. Mark only key terms or ideas, otherwise the whole page turns yellow.
• Write short margin notes or a one-line summary after each section.
• Read aloud or whisper tricky parts. Hearing helps some students stay locked in.
• Pause at the end of a paragraph and say what it said in your own words. If you cannot, reread it.

When your mind drifts

• Notice it without blaming yourself.
• Return to the last sentence you remember and continue.
• Take a quick movement break if it keeps happening.

After you read

• Close the book and recall the main points on a blank page.
• Test yourself with the end-of-chapter questions.
• Turn key ideas into flashcards.

Use other formats

If reading is hard, supplement it with audio, videos or diagrams. Many students understand better after hearing an explanation first, then reading.

Choose a good time and place

Read when you are most alert, in a quiet spot with good lighting.

ZEKO breaks chapters into subtopics, with short notes and figures that can be turned straight into flashcards or a quiz.