What is a beneficial reading strategy to understand challenging texts?

Making notes in the margins is indeed a highly beneficial reading strategy for understanding challenging texts. This approach encourages active engagement with the material, allowing readers to process and reflect on the content as they read. By jotting down thoughts, questions, or important points directly on the text, a reader can clarify complex ideas, make connections, and enhance retention of information. This method fosters deeper comprehension because it transforms passive reading into an interactive experience, enabling one to revisit and review key concepts highlighted in the notes.

Additionally, margin notes can serve as useful study aids for later reference, as they encapsulate the reader’s understanding and interpretation of the text at that moment. Overall, this strategy supports critical thinking and facilitates a more meaningful engagement with difficult material, making it an effective tool for tackling complex texts.