Tips for Reading with ADHD
(or without ADHD, if they help regardless)
Physical print:
cover the page with a piece of paper and reveal lines/paragraphs as you read them
use a highlighter to emphasize important/interesting parts
take notes as you go to be physically engaged with the material
Digital media:
copy and paste the text into a doc/word processor
change the font size/style/colour to something more legible
make your own paragraphs and spacing
copy and paste one paragraph at a time to isolate them from the distraction of the rest of the text
install a browser extension like BeeLine Reader or Mercury Reader
zoom in on the page and scroll slowly so you’re revealing lines as you read them
physically cover the screen and reveal lines as you read them
if you do better with physical media, print it out or find a physical copy
Both:
read out loud
pace, move around, or use a fidget while reading
set a timer for 5 minutes and read in small chunks with breaks in between
divide the material into sections and read one section at a time with breaks in between
have another person, audio book, or text-to-speech program read it aloud as you follow along
A quick an dirty tip when nothing else can be employed: I find it most helpful when I read on my phone to scroll constantly so the line I am reading is always the first one visible on the page. Helps me keep my place.
Another quick tip I use: when I’m reading on my laptop, I highlight the row I’m reading with my cursor. It gives my eyes something to focus on.
coulda used these b4 dropping out of college
