Is this a learning disability? I can read, but I have trouble with reading comprehension.?

Question

I can read outloud just fine, but I have a lot of problems with comprehending what I read. I can write just fine too. My GRE verbal was not good; I had a 420, and I'm not even sure how I did that good because I didn't understand much of it. But I did well on the math (740) and writing (5.5 out of 6). My grades are good, I had about an A- average as an undergrad.

Does this sound like a learning disability?

Answer 1

Not likely a learning disability.  More likely a need for experience.  My guess is that you do not like to read and therefore do not.  Read, read read read read and then read some more.  Then when your done with that, Read!

That will improve your scores more than nearly any exercise that you can have.  Read everything you can get your hands on.  If you don't like novels, read short stories.  Read magazines, news articles, and across a variety of subjects.  Practice is the real answer to your problem.

Answer 2

No! I had the same problem too.The trick is that you have to be able to slow down and cordinate your thought,in little words read just a second slower, just enough time to let your eyes look over what your reading. Don't be in a rush...You'll know what i'm talking about soon practice makes perfect train your eyes and thoughts  to work simultanueos. Play video games.Capiche? These things are taught annd learned some have it natraal some have to work on it! Alberts Enstien had trouble reading comprehension too.

Answer 3

It sounds like you don't have a learning disability to me.. I would almost have to guess you may be reading the words, but not thinking about the overall meaning as you read them.  I used to have this problem.. A  good thing that helped me was to take on a few short paragraphs at a time, and stop to reflect on the meaning before continuing on..  As time went on I found I automatically started comprehending things I read as I was reading them and no longer needed to stop to reflect as much. .

Answer 4

No not really. Your probaly just an nubers person instead of a word person. But it might be worth asking someone just incase.

Answer 5

This happens to me quite often.

Try hearing yourself reading in your head. I know it's easier said than done but the main reason for this problem is a lack of interest in the subject which pushes you to forget almost instantly everything you read earlier because you unconsciously ignored it.

By hearing yourself reading in your head, you're forcing yourself to pay attention on the subject your reading.

I know this by experience since I remember pretty much any article I love but kept forgetting the useful stuff.

Answer 6

No It sounds like you just need a little bit more help with reading comprehension.

Answer 7

This sounds like a visual memory or visual processing deficit. In your case, it seems as though it is short term immediate memory that is causing problems because you are forgetting what you have just read in the sentence, which makes reading laborious. Your brain copes with this by adding an auditory component to the visual element by reading aloud.

It also could be a visual tracking or visual reception deficit. Some (but not all) people with these deficits have problems with the following:

Poor Scanning of the Visual Field,

Trouble with a Visually Cluttered Field

Trouble with Visual Tracking

Because you are a smart person, you have not been tested for a learning disability. However, there should be a department at your college that will perform such testing for free. There are many tests for different visual deficits. If the college doesn't do it, then see if your insurance will cover it.

I would like you to do a 'Net search. Use the key words "visual processing deficits, learning disabilities or perhaps visual memory deficts. These will give you some lists of symptoms and once you have identified some of your problems, the same sites will tell you different strategies to help you get around these difficulties. Visual Tracking tests are usually done by an opthamologist.

Some things that you might try:

*Use a marker under the sentence while you read.

*Look at pictures, subtitles or captions on the page to be read so that you will have an advance idea about the subject to be understood.

*Some people have tried different color transparencies over the page to be read.

Good luck!