Goal setting

8 SMART Goals Examples for Reading Comprehension

1. Improve Vocabulary

I want to improve my vocabulary to better understand what I am reading. I will try to learn five new words every day. Whenever I come across a word, I will look up its definition and then use it in a sentence to understand its meaning.

Specific: Improve vocabulary by learning five words daily

Measurable: Five words daily allows you to measure your progress daily

Attainable: The goal is achievable if the steps of searching for a definition and using it in a sentence are followed

Relevant: I want to better understand what I am reading, and vocabulary is a crucial factor in reading

Time-Bound: One day is the deadline for five words

2. Break Text Up into Chunks

I will take a break of two minutes after every fifteen minutes of reading. Instead of going on continuously, I will give my mind some time to absorb the information I have read. I will gradually increase my continuous reading time from fifteen minutes to thirty minutes in the next fifteen days by adding one or two minutes every day.

Specific: Break up large bodies of text into smaller passages to understand them better, and increase continuous reading time to thirty minutes

Measurable: A break of two minutes after every fifteen minutes. Increase reading time to thirty minutes

Attainable: The goal is achievable because I am making small improvements every day

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and giving myself breaks will allow my mind to refresh and grasp information better

Time-Bound: The deadline for taking a break is fifteen minutes initially. This will be increased to thirty minutes over fifteen days.

3. Information Overload

To keep myself focused on what I read, I will limit myself to reading 5,000 words per day. I will gradually increase the word count to 15,000 words per day over the next 30 days.

Specific: I want to read 5000 words per day to keep myself focused

Measurable: A daily goal of 5000-15000 words will allow me to measure my progress

Attainable: Allowing myself to build the habit of reading gradually will make me better at understanding what I read

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and reading too much can cause me to lose concentration.

Time-Bound: The deadline for reading 5000-15000 words is one day, and for building the habit is 30 days.

Reading comprehension is a skill that you need to succeed in life.

4. Summarize

I will summarize whatever I read. I will write a 50-100 words summary after reading approximately 2000 words or after every fifteen minutes. I will consciously practice this for 30 days, and it will help me build a habit of focusing on what I am reading.

Specific: Write a summary to make sure that I understand what I am reading

Measurable: I will write 50-100 words after every 2000 words

Attainable: The goal is achievable as writing a summary should not be too difficult after reading

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and summarizing the passage will ensure that

Time-Bound: The deadline for starting a summary is fifteen minutes, and for building the habit is 30 days.

5. Skim and Prepare

I will skim through the headings and the passage before reading to understand what I am about to read. I will write down three questions that I am looking to get answered from the text before I begin reading. I will practice this habit for the next 30 days.

Specific: Write questions regarding expectations from the text

Measurable: I will derive three questions from the passage I am about to read and will continue skimming until I get three questions

Attainable: The goal is achievable as skimming through the text will give me an idea of the context and what I am going to read about

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and having questions beforehand will keep me more focused because I will be searching for answers

Time-Bound: The deadline for building this habit is 30 days

6. Reading Aloud

I will practice reading at least 1500 words aloud every day. This will help me slow down and break my habit of skipping over words. I will carry on this practice for 15 days.

Specific: Read 1500 words aloud every day

Measurable: 1500 words aloud per day

Attainable: The goal is achievable because reading aloud will stop me from skipping words

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and reading each word can help me understand what I am reading

Time-Bound: The deadline for 1500 words is one day, and for breaking the habit of skipping words is 15 days

7. Ask Questions

I will practice taking a break after reading for 15 minutes, ask myself questions like “What did I read about?” and try to define what I read in my own words.

Specific: Ask a question about what I read after every fifteen minutes

Measurable: One question for every fifteen minutes of reading

Attainable: The goal is achievable because recalling 15 minutes' worth of reading should be challenging but not impossible

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and asking questions will ensure that I understand what I am reading

Time-Bound: The deadline for one question is fifteen minutes

Reading comprehension is a skill that requires continuous improvements throughout our lives.

8. Reflection

I will try to recall at least three ideas from what I read during the day. Thinking about what I read will help me retain the text and will help me understand it better. I will build a habit of this over the next 15 days.

Specific: Recall three ideas from what I read after a few hours

Measurable: If I am unable to recall at least three ideas, it means that I will have to reread the text

Attainable: The goal is achievable because recalling three ideas should not be too difficult if I understood what I read

Relevant: I want to make sure that I understand what I am reading, and pondering over what I read will ensure that I understand it better and retain it longer

Time-Bound: The deadline for three ideas is one day, and for building the habit is 15 days

Final Thoughts on SMART Goals for Reading Comprehension

Reading is not about going over the words. It is about learning, thinking, and reflecting on what you read. Passages of texts can transform into thoughts and ideas when read with proper comprehension; otherwise, they are mere chunks of the alphabet.