How to read books with adhd

How to Read, Retain, and Focus When You Have ADHD

Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP, is a board-certified pediatric psychologist, parent coach, author, speaker, and owner of A New Day Pediatric Psychology, PLLC.

If you’re an adult with ADHD, you’ve probably struggled with remembering what you’ve read. Reading tasks may feel like they take forever, especially if you are finding that you have to read and re-read (and re-read again) in order to process the information accurately.

Does that mean you’re doomed to fail in school or have difficulties in the workplace? Probably not. From learning how to focus when you’re reading to how to remember and retain what you’ve read, there are several tried-and-true strategies to help overcome reading problems. These may benefit people without ADHD, too.

Reading Issues for Adults With ADHD

Why is it so tough for people with ADHD to remember what they’ve read? While research on reading issues for adults with ADHD is limited, there are several issues that could be at play.

It is not unusual to become derailed by internal thoughts or external distractions, particularly when reading something uninteresting or downright boring. You may frequently find that you are losing your place or skipping words in longer passages because you are visually distracted by all the words on the page.

You may have trouble identifying and remembering the main points of what you’ve just read. You may simply zone out and become sleepy while reading.

How to Remember What You Read

To help yourself to stay focused and attentive so that you can remember what you’ve read, try one or more of these strategies. Experiment to see what helps you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s a good technique for teaching a child with ADHD how to read?

In addition to treating ADHD, which has been found to help reading skills, strategies may include reading together, minimizing outside distractions, giving children books about topics they enjoy, and teaching techniques like underlining and highlighting.

How can I read a book faster if I have ADHD?

The speed at which you read a book can differ for many reasons, including how interested you are in the book that you’re reading. Strategies like using a bookmark or ruler to keep your place can help you focus on each line of text and get through the book with less distraction.

How is reading different for adults with ADHD than from children with ADHD?

Reading is a struggle for adults and children with ADHD alike. Many children with ADHD have difficulty with reading comprehension, while both adults and kids with ADHD tend to lose interest, miss details and connections, lose track of where they are on the page, and become easily distracted.

Having a co-occurring reading disability such as dyslexia, which can make it difficult to learn to read, spell, decode, and recognize words, is also common for both adults and children with ADHD.

Paloyelis Y, Rijsdijk F, Wood A, Asherson P, Kuntsi J. The genetic association between ADHD symptoms and reading difficulties: the role of inattentiveness and IQ. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010;38(8):1083-1095. doi:10.1007/s10802-010-9429-7

Friedman LM, Rapport MD, Raiker JS, Orban SA, Eckrich SJ. Reading comprehension in boys with ADHD: The mediating roles of working memory and orthographic conversion. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2017;45(2):273–287. doi:10.1007/s10802-016-0171-7

11 Every-Night Ways to Build Stronger Reading Skills

Children with ADHD and learning disabilities often struggle to become confident readers with strong comprehension skills. Here’s how easy-to-follow tips — like forming a book group or encouraging note-taking — can help your little reader.

Verified Updated on August 25, 2021

In first and second grade, most children learn to read. Beginning in third grade, they’re expected to read to learn. They may be assigned to find facts on the Internet for a project on aquatic mammals, for instance, or asked to identify plot points in a work of fiction. The ability to extract meaning from written sources — to learn independently — becomes increasingly important with each new grade.

Reading comprehension depends on the ability to quickly sound out and recognize words, which can be hard for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities like dyslexia.

Even after the mechanics of reading have been mastered, many children with ADHD have trouble understanding the text, making connections within the story, and relating what they’re reading to what they already know.

Fortunately, reading comprehension skills and strategies can be learned. Children who are taught multiple strategies, and guided in their use, eventually choose some to use on their own. Here’s how to increase reading comprehension in students with ADHD.

1. Read to your child.

Even if your child can read on his own, there is value in reading aloud to him. A child’s listening skills are usually stronger than his reading skills, so your child can comprehend more if he reads along silently as you read the book out loud.

Begin with short passages, and extend the time if your child maintains focus. Books on tape, with accompanying texts, provide another way to pair reading and listening.

2. Engage the imagination.

While your child reads or listens, encourage her to visualize the events in the story, creating a picture or movie in her mind. After a few pages, ask her to describe it.

3. Show how books are organized.

Textbooks are often structured in a way that highlights and summarizes important material. Show your child how paying attention to captions, charts, section headings, and sample study questions can organize his thinking and provide valuable facts.

When your child reads fiction, train him to look for the five W’s: Who are the main characters, where and when does the story take place, what conflicts do the characters face, and why do they act as they do.

Although newspaper and magazine articles don’t always contain a narrative, information about the five W’s typically appears in the first paragraph or two.

4. Ask for predictions.

When reading a book with your child, stop occasionally to ask what she thinks might happen next. This requires her to integrate what she has learned so far about the characters and storyline – and about the way stories are typically organized – to anticipate the rest of the plot.

If she’s reading a Harry Potter novel, for example, asks what she thinks will happen the next time Harry and Draco Malfoy face each other in a Quidditch match. Or get her opinion on what she thinks author J.K. Rowling will write about in her next book.

It doesn’t matter if her hunches are correct: Asking for predictions encourages her to pay very close attention to what she reads. What’s more, it helps you gauge just how much she’s comprehending.

5. Show interest in what your child is reading.

Ask her to tell you about the book or chapter she just finished. What was the main idea? Who was her favorite character? Why did she like or dislike the book? Did it remind her of other stories she’s read or of experiences she has had?

If it was a textbook chapter, what did she learn, and how does it apply to what she’s learning in school? Having to verbalize what she has read requires her to make sense of it.

If your child is unable to provide a coherent summary, read the book yourself. Engage her in a discussion of your favorite parts and characters, and talk about how you connected parts of the story so that it all came together.

6. Encourage note-taking.

Have your child keep a notepad or index cards nearby to jot down important information as he reads. Note-taking pushes a reader to make sense of the material, and the cards become terrific tools when studying for a test later on.

If a book belongs to your child, permit her to mark relevant details with a pencil or highlighter. Do this together the first few times — it’s an opportunity to demonstrate how to pick out important facts.

Does your child learn best visually? Help him create a chart with boxes for the story’s setting, characters’ names, and major themes and events. Or show her how to make a mind map — a diagram that uses key words, colors, and symbols to represent ideas and information.

7. Increase word power.

The stronger your child’s vocabulary, the better his comprehension — and the less frequently he’ll put down a book to ask about a word.

If you know that a passage contains unfamiliar words, define them — or have him look them up in a dictionary — before he begins to read.

8. Translate figures of speech.

A child with a language-based learning disorder can be overly literal: Reading that a character “took the bull by the horns” or “looked like he’d seen a ghost” can stop him cold.

Help your child understand that a phrase that seems out of context may be a figure of speech. Together, compile a list of expressions and what they mean.

9. Teach your child to read between the lines.

Point out sentences in which information is implied, and ask her to fill in what’s missing. She should understand that the statement, “George was excited about winning top prize at his school’s science fair for the second time,” means that George has won the science award once before.

10. Build on background knowledge.

It’s easier to understand subject matter that you know something about. Help your child select reading materials that reflect his interests, and encourage him to bring his own experiences to his understanding of a book.

11. Form a book group.

If your child has friends who enjoy similar books, get them together to discuss what they’ve read or to collaborate on a project, such as a mural or a skit about the story.

Once you’ve introduced your child to this array of reading comprehension strategies, have him write each of his favorites on a separate bookmark. He can use these in schoolbooks — choosing the strategy best-suited to each text — and have a handy reminder to hold his place.

How to Read Books When You Have ADHD.

Related Posts

“I have a lot of books on my bookcase, the problem is I stop halfway through and never finish them”

Does this sound familiar?

Don’t worry, it is not just you! I have been hearing those words every week for the last 12 years since I became an ADHD coach.

ADHDers have an enthusiasm for learning, which gives you a passion for life, makes you fascinating company and one of the reasons why you seem much younger than your biological years.

There are many ways to gather information including,watching TV, attending lectures, listening to podcasts and surfing websites. However, there is something compelling about books. They are affordable, allow you to do dive deep into any topic and learn from the greatest minds in the world today and throughout history.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss

Not everyone with ADHD enjoys reading, and that is totally ok. This article isn’t trying to convince you to start reading. Instead, this is for ADHDers who genuinely love reading books but feel guilty when they keep starting books and not finishing them.

Reading can be logistically hard when you have ADHD. Some people stop to daydream and others find their eyes moving from word to word but haven’t understood what they have read. Yet even with these challenges you find ways around this and are compelled to read books.

Like many things with ADHD, your reading style might not be consistent.

You might be able devour some books at a record breaking speed.

Yet rather than celebrate finishing those books, it makes you feel worse because you wonder why you can’t always do that.

There was probably something innately interesting to you about those books that captured your attention. Whether it was Harry Potter, War and Peace (one of my clients recently read this 587,287 word novel) or Keith Richard’s autobiography ‘Life,’ it was able to grab and maintain your interest.

That type of interest is different to the logical interest of ‘I have ADHD and so it would make sense for me to read this book about it.’

Your interest level will vary from book to book.

The Traditional Way to Read a Book

The traditional way to read a book is to pick it up and read it from start to finish. Then, when you reach the end, start a new one.

For ADHD readers this method doesn’t work and ends up making your feel bad about yourself. You might think to yourself, ‘Just something else I have started but couldn’t finish.’

Your mind doesn’t work in a linear, methodical way.

Some people’s minds do, and that is why they can read books cover to cover and can also follow instruction manuals step by step.

ADHDers’ strength is gathering information from lots of different sources (books) and linking the information up in unique and novel ways.

Neither way is right or wrong. It’s just very different. It’s our differences that make the world interesting.

You don’t have to read books cover to cover!

An ADHD Way to Approach Reading Books

There is a profound little book called ‘The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results’ by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. The concept is if you focus on ONE thing and take action on it, rather than scattering your focus and attention, you will experience exceptional results.

The ONE thing can be applied to all concepts, big and small. From your life’s mission, to what action to take at work this week. Throughout the day you can ask yourself ‘what is my one thing?’ For example, what is the ONE thing I am going to take action on after attending the meeting?

We are going to use the ONE thing principle and apply it to reading books.

For each book you started to read (you don’t need to finish it), ask yourself “What is the ONE thing I learned and am going to take action on?’

Implementation is how lives are changed. It is much more powerful to read part of book and apply a change in your life, than read the whole book and carry on with life as usual.

My guess is, when you lose interest in a book, it’s because you have discovered your ONE thing. You got the information that inspired you to pick up the book and now are moving on to your next thing.

Recently I started to read “Deep Work. Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport. After reading 28% of the book I changed my morning routine. Rather than checking my email at 6am (while still in bed), I get up, drink my glass of water (see below!) and start writing. Since I have been doing this, I have become much more productive. I am sure the other 72% of the book is fascinating; however, I don’t feel bad for not reading it. I have my one life changing thing.

Back in January 2014, I bought Cameron Diaz’s book ‘The Body Book’. It is a beautiful hardback book full of inspiration and solid facts. Cameron describes how she starts her morning with a liter of water. That sounded like a good idea, so I began to start my mornings like that too. Fast forward to today, nearly 3 years later, it is hardwired in my morning routine.

This habit started before I discovered The ONE thing concept. I did feel guilty for not implementing more of her suggestions. Now that guilt has been removed! I am happy that as a result of reading that book, I have one new healthy habit.

Systematize your ONE Thing

There is a certain satisfaction that comes from finishing a book. When you started reading a new book, you have subconsciously set yourself a goal… to finish it. Even though you are using the ONE thing method, you might feel a little incomplete.

This is why systematizing your ONE thing is important.

This idea came from Megan, a guest on Hal Elrod’s podcast. Megan explained she keeps track of all the books she reads in a spreadsheet. Each time she finishes a book she adds it to her spreadsheet, along with the ONE thing she is going to implement. With each new entry she reviews the list. If she isn’t implementing her ONE thing, she goes back and rereads the book.

What an awesome idea!

Let’s tweak Megan’s system to make it ADHD friendly.

Volia!

You have a whole new way to approach reading. It is very liberating.

Are you going to try the ONE thing approach to reading? Let me know in the comments below.

p.s. If you would like to listen to Megan Lyons on Hal’s podcast, here is the link

8 Comments

I love this! I read so many things part of the way through, and then feel awful that I haven’t finished them; in fact, that’s how I came to find this article, because I was googling how to get better at reading things all the way through. I’m definitely going to implement the “One Thing” spreadsheet, because there have been many times that I have gleaned something life changing from a book or article that I didn’t finish.

Going to get my wife and son to try this. This idea is definitely not just for adults! They seriously need a solution for helping them through less interesting books..

Yes! This was just brilliant! Reading this took away some feelings of guilt and failure already, and I think I will implement a version of this strategy in my studying, to focus on just one thing on each page that catches my interest and write it down. Doing that a couple of times over and I will be closer to learning what I need when I at other times just become way to overwhelmed and distracted to even finish reading what I am supposed to. Now I can see it as a quest to find that one thing that sparks my interest on each page. 🙂 I know it’s not really how you meant the technique to be used but I really liked the whole idea about just “one thing”, it takes the pressure away. Thanks 🙂

What a wonderful idea Agnes! so happy the article was helpful and it inspired you to come up with an idea that will work for you! yay!

Hello,
My 18 year old son has always been an amazing reader. But not me! We both have AdD (I have ADHD!) he teases me about all of my half read books. I always feel like a failure. When I find articles or stories online I cut and paste them into a new document with 2 columns. I find they are easier to read. I wish books could be like that…like magazines! Less intimidating to the eyes. I tend to read but not absorb the information (since I was a kid making school nearly impossible) – even restaurant menus are overwhelming! But I love to look things up and learn new things! Thank you for all of your advice and this article. You always make me feel less alone with this curse! P.S. yes, I’m medicated & under the care of a doctor – thank goodness. So are my 2 sons!

Hi, I have adult AD/HD mostly HD. I was diagnosed when I was 18 years old. I read Christian books and I really enjoy them but can’t seem to finish them. I still buy many books and consider them as reference books. What about reading a novel? Wouldn’t mind reading Agatha Christie mysteries but they are like 200 plus pages. Tips on novels?

This was very helpful. Thank you for the tips! I am a book junkie and finish very few of them. I love learning the new information but get overwhelmed very fast trying adopt and apply everything I have read. I love this approach and need to start breaking things down into chunks.

I thought your post was excellent.

In my case during the work day I have a tremendous amount of reading to do in my field of healthcare research. Needless to say it is often and endurance test in terms of maintaining focus.

Your systematic approach to applying the ‘One Thing’ is very helpful. Intuitively I use the ‘Pareto principle’ in managing my work and this is a great tool I can use.

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How to Improve Reading Comprehension in Students With ADHD

Strategies for Increasing Reading Comprehension and Recall

Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She’s also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book «13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,» and the host of The Verywell Mind Podcast.

Annie Engel / Cultura / Getty Images

Reading comprehension can sometimes be a challenge for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).   In order to grasp the reading material, a student must be able to recognize and decode words as well as sustain attention and effort. Reading comprehension requires the ability to effectively use working memory and process information in an efficient and timely manner.

Because children with ADHD have deficits in these areas, reading can be difficult. While research shows that treatment of ADHD is important in improving reading skills,   there are other strategies these students can use to improve literacy.

Expose Children With ADHD to High-Interest Literature

Have a kid with ADHD who’s struggling to read well? Try giving such children books about subjects that actually interest them. If a student likes trains, for instance, have the child read a book about the topic. Giving children books about topics they enjoy can help them do a better job of recalling what they’ve read.   During the process, teach the student a variety of literacy strategies, including how to become an active reader.

Students with ADHD will have an easier time maintaining attention on reading passages that are exciting, stimulating, and of shorter length.

Help Students With ADHD Stay Focused

Minimize outside distractions during reading time.   Some students do better reading in quiet places, while others prefer white noise, such as background sounds or music while reading. Allow the student to read in chunks of time, taking breaks to move around and refocus. Teach students how to use a bookmark to keep their place on the page. Slide the bookmark down the page one line at a time. When reading longer passages, help students break down reading material into shorter segments so it is not as overwhelming.

Teach Active Reading Strategies

Teach active reading strategies like underlining and note-taking.   Provide students with both regular and colored pencils, colored pens and highlighters, and post-it-notes. Use post-it-notes to jot down points to remember. Use various colors for highlighting important points or passages. Use pencils or markers to underline, star, circle, etc.

If the student is not able to write in the book, one option is for the parent to purchase a second copy of the book so that the student can highlight key information. Another option is to provide a photocopy of the material.

Walk the student through this process, explaining and modeling strategies, highlighting important points together. Continue to provide this guided practice to help the student develop competence with this “active reading” skill and others.

Preview Content to Improve Reading Comprehension

Preview content with the student. Summarize key points of the material to be read in the same sequence as it appears in the passage. Provide general information about the topic area, setting, characters, conflicts in the story, etc. Before the student begins reading a passage, walk them through several previewing techniques by reviewing the title of the reading selection, headings, illustrations, bolded or italicized sentences, sidebars, and chapter questions. Talk about how the reading material is organized.

Teach students how to find introductory paragraphs and summary paragraphs. Use story maps to help students identify and organize the main components of the reading material. Review and provide definitions for any new vocabulary that will be found in the reading sections.

Teach Kids to Quietly Read Aloud

Teach the student how to subvocalize when reading. In contrast to silent reading, subvocalizing means saying the words you’re reading aloud but very softly. Others should not be able to hear the student reading. Reading aloud is a good strategy to help with comprehension,   but for some students, it slows down the reading process and can be frustrating.

Silent reading can be hard for kids with attention issues. The auditory input they receive from subvocalizing often helps these students focus on the text.

Use Monitoring Methods

Teach students techniques to monitor how well they understand what they’re reading. Practice paraphrasing and summarizing paragraphs, asking questions about the material while reading, making predictions about what may happen next, and rereading for better clarity.

The teacher can model this skill by reading aloud to students and stopping at various points in the text to comment on the mental processes related to reading comprehension. When students read material they may benefit from using a tape recorder to summarize these processes with guided help from the teacher.

Another idea is for the teacher to help the student underline key ideas. Have the student read the highlighted points into the tape recorder, replay, and then talk about those ideas. Some students benefit from visualizing material, illustrating points, making diagrams and pictures to increase recall and comprehension of the main elements in a passage. 

Give Students More Time to Read

Allow the student extended time for reading. Many students with ADHD who have weaknesses in working memory and a slower speed of processing information benefit from additional time to read and comprehend the material.   This extended time gives the student ample opportunity to effectively process the material. With more time, they can look back to clarify any confusion and reread the text for better understanding.

Miranda A, Mercader J, Fernández MI, Colomer C. Reading Performance of Young Adults With ADHD Diagnosed in Childhood. J Atten Disord. 2017;21(4):294–304. doi:10.1177/1087054713507977

Rediscovering My Love of Reading After an ADHD Diagnosis

When I was a kid I absolutely loved reading. I probably read more adult level books from the age of 10 to 14 than I’ve read in my entire adult life.

Since adulthood, I’ve struggled profusely with getting through an entire book. While this is a common phenomena I hear from many friends, for me a huge factor is my ADHD. I don’t know if it’s because my ADHD has gotten worse as I’ve aged — some research shows that symptoms of ADHD may onset later in women — or if I just have more be distracted by than I did when I was a child, but I literally cannot focus.

I’m proud to say that this year I finally feel like I’m on a roll again. I’ve gotten more reading done this year than any other recent year in history! Here are some of the tips that have worked for me in managing my ADHD while reading.

Forgive Yourself

This year I’ve finally internalized that my struggles with reading are due to cognitive issues and not a lack of intelligence, interest, or self control. People with ADHD just have brains that work differently! This means that we’re going to have to employ different strategies than neurotypical folks to accomplish the same activities. There’s no shame in that.

Expand Your Definition of Reading

Full length books aren’t the only thing worth reading! There’s an enormous amount of knowledge to be gained from reading articles, short essays, speeches, poetry, or any other form of written work. Sometimes these are easier for me to finish and weaving them in with full length books I’m reading can help me feel more accomplished.

For example, recently I’ve been intrigued by learning more about socialist theory. Some of the most valuable texts I’ve read this year include the transcript of Fred Hampton’s speech Power Anywhere There’s People, the Ten Point Program of the Black Panther Party, and Mao’s Combat Liberalism. These each ranged from a two to fifteen minute read.

Log Off, Highlight, and Annotate

Reading on my phone or computer is disastrous for me, as it opens up so many more avenues to be distracted. I have a strong preference for reading a physical book rather than reading on a tablet or Kindle. If I’m reading an article, I’ll typically print it out rather than reading it online.

Highlighting and annotating text as I read it is also enormously helpful to me. Having something active to do with my hands helps my attention stay focused, and annotating in the margins allows me to jot my miscellaneous thoughts down as they come to me rather than letting them lead me off track. If you’re reading a book borrowed from the library, having a notebook on hand to jot down key quotes and reflections could be a good alternative!

Don’t Restrict Yourself

One of the biggest challenges with reading books for me is finishing what I’ve started. I’ll frequently read just a few chapters of a book before something new and shiny catches my eye. It’s not uncommon for me to have 5–10 different books in progress at any given time! Rather than chastising myself for this habit, this year I’ve embraced it. There’s no need to finish a book I’m reading for fun on any time frame, and I’m more likely to finish what I started if I can come back to it when I regain interest rather than forcing myself to finish it before starting anything else.

Discuss with Friends

Perhaps most importantly, I’ve benefited enormously from forming discussion groups with my friends for books we have a mutual interest in reading! For example, I’m currently working my way through the entire Marx Engels reader with friends and meeting once a week for lunch. Knowing that I’ll be letting friends down if I don’t finish our assigned section before our meeting time has added the external time pressure I need to stay on track. Additionally, our discussion sections have really helped me get more out of the reading. No matter how focused I am, my mind will inevitably drift while I’m reading, and I sometimes miss key points because of this. In our weekly discussion group, my friends and I can pool our knowledge, and I end up getting more out of the text than I did on my first pass.

These strategies have definitely not “fixed” my ADHD or made it possible to read the same way as someone who’s neurotypical. That being said, they’ve significantly improved my reading throughput and enabled me to be excited about reading again rather than bogged down with shame about everything I wasn’t getting done.

If you have ADHD, I hope these tips can help you gain the confidence to rediscover your love of reading! If you don’t have ADHD, I hope you gained some insight into the struggles that folks with disabilities face in accomplishing activities that you may view as everyday tasks. Let’s work together towards a better world where we can all be more patient and aware of each others varying strengths and abilities.