Developing Intermediate Reading Comprehension Skills

Strategies for understanding authentic English texts with confidence

At the intermediate level, you're ready to move beyond simple texts and engage with authentic English materials. This guide provides practical techniques to help you understand newspaper articles, short stories, blog posts, and other intermediate-level texts while building vocabulary and reading fluency.

1. Pre-Reading Strategies

Effective reading begins before you start the text. These preparation techniques will help you approach intermediate texts with better comprehension from the first sentence.

Previewing the Text

What to Look For:

  • Title and headings - Predict content
  • Images/captions - Visual context clues
  • First/last paragraphs - Main ideas
  • Bold/italicized words - Key vocabulary

Example Practice:

Before reading an article titled "Urban Gardening Trends," ask yourself:

  • What do I already know about this topic?
  • What specific trends might it discuss?
  • What vocabulary might appear?

Setting a Purpose

Determine why you're reading and what you need to get from the text:

For an article about climate change:

  • "I need to understand three main effects of global warming"
  • "I should identify the author's recommended solutions"
  • "I want to note any statistics about temperature changes"

2. Active Reading Techniques

Intermediate readers need to engage actively with texts. These strategies will help you maintain focus and extract meaning more effectively.

Chunking the Text

How to Do It:

  1. Divide text into logical sections (paragraphs or groups)
  2. Read one chunk at a time
  3. Pause to summarize before continuing

Example:

For a 10-paragraph article:

  • Introduction (par. 1-2)
  • Main argument (par. 3-5)
  • Examples (par. 6-8)
  • Conclusion (par. 9-10)

Guessing Meaning from Context

Follow these steps when encountering unfamiliar words:

1

Identify the word type (noun, verb, adjective)

2

Look at surrounding words for clues

3

Consider the overall topic

4

Make an educated guess before checking a dictionary

Example sentence: "The researcher wanted to corroborate her findings, so she repeated the experiment three times."

Clues: "repeated the experiment" suggests corroborate means to confirm or verify

3. Post-Reading Comprehension

Solidify your understanding after reading with these verification and reflection techniques.

The 5 Ws Method

Check your understanding by answering:

W

Who is the text about?

W

What happened or was explained?

W

When did it occur (time frame)?

W

Where did it happen (setting)?

W

Why is this important?

Applied to a news article:

  • Who: Local community members
  • What: Organized a recycling program
  • When: Last month
  • Where: Springfield neighborhood
  • Why: To reduce landfill waste

Summary Practice

Write a 3-sentence summary focusing on:

  1. The main idea or purpose
  2. 1-2 key supporting points
  3. The conclusion or outcome

Example Summary Template:

"The article discusses ______. It explains that ______. The author concludes by ______."

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Context Clues Practice

Read this paragraph and guess the meaning of the underlined words:

"The entrepreneur displayed remarkable acumen in her business decisions. Her astute investments in technology startups yielded impressive returns. This shrewdness made her a respected figure in the industry."

Based on context, these words all relate to:

  1. Financial loss
  2. Business skill
  3. Technological knowledge

Exercise 2: Identify the Main Idea

Read this short passage and select its main purpose:

"While many people blame social media for reduced attention spans, recent studies suggest the reality is more complex. Research indicates that digital natives actually develop enhanced skills in filtering information and task-switching. However, sustained focus on single tasks may require conscious effort in today's media environment."

The main purpose is to:

  1. Criticize social media platforms
  2. Present balanced research findings
  3. Promote digital detox programs

Recommended Intermediate Reading Materials

Online Resources:

  • BBC Learning English - News Reports
  • Voice of America - Learning English
  • Graded readers (Penguin/Longman)

Reading Tips:

  • Start with topics you enjoy
  • Read slightly above your comfort level
  • Keep a vocabulary notebook