A repetitive focus process strategy is a method used in reading comprehension to help improve understanding of the text. It involves rereading, rehearsing or reviewing key ideas, vocabulary or content multiple times. This helps reinforce the information and commit it to long-term memory. There are a few different examples of repetitive focus process strategies:
Rereading
Simply going back and rereading a passage, sentence or section multiple times is a repetitive focus strategy. Rereading helps familiarize yourself with the content and pick up details you may have missed on initial reading. It reinforces the information each time you read it.
Note taking
Writing down key points, new vocabulary, questions or summaries as you read can serve as a repetitive focus strategy. The act of writing engages different parts of your brain and helps solidify the concepts. Reviewing your notes multiple times further drills the content into memory.
Highlighting and underlining
Using a highlighter or pen to mark important passages, words or details focuses your attention on that content. The highlighted portions stand out each time you skim or review the text, repeatedly drawing your eye to the key information.
Summarizing
Stopping periodically to summarize sections of the text verbally or in writing requires you to identify and restate the main ideas and details. Repeating this process as you read further cements the content.
Flashcards
Creating flashcards for vocabulary words, key concepts or important information provides repetitive review through self-testing. Flipping through the cards multiple times and trying to recall the content without looking at the back focuses your attention on the material repeatedly.
When to Use Repetitive Focus Strategies
Repetitive focus strategies are useful when you need to thoroughly understand and retain information from reading. Situations where rereading, highlighting, note taking, summarizing or flashcards can help include:
- Studying textbook chapters or class notes
- Reading literature or novels for school
- Learning important work documents or training manuals
- Understanding scientific or technical journal articles
- Memorizing scripts or lines
- Retaining key details from nonfiction books
Anytime you need to really master, comprehend and recall the information—whether it’s for a test, performance, work or personal knowledge—applying repetitive focus strategies can aid retention and learning.
Examples of Repetitive Focus Strategies
Here are some specific examples of how repetitive focus strategies can be applied in different reading scenarios:
Studying Textbook Chapters
- Read the chapter through once to get an overall idea of the content
- Reread the introduction and chapter summary to reinforce the main concepts
- Review any bold or italicized key terms multiple times to commit the vocabulary to memory
- Go through the chapter section by section, stopping to summarize each part in your own words
- Make flashcards for the most important information and definitions
- Highlight key points, processes, dates or formulas as you read
- Rewrite your notes from the chapter, organizing and condensing the information
- Meet with a study group to quiz each other on the content
Memorizing Lines
- Read through the entire script once to understand the context
- Highlight your lines and any cues directly preceding them
- Read your lines multiple times aloud, focusing on memorization
- Practice your lines while looking at the script, then try rehearsing without looking
- Recite your lines and cues into a voice recorder, then play back the recording for review
- Practice your lines repeatedly with other actors
Learning a Training Manual
- Skim the manual to grasp the overall structure and content flow
- Carefully read job duties, safety information, procedures or standards multiple times
- Write down step-by-step instructions for important processes as you read
- Define unfamiliar industry terms and make flashcards to memorize definitions
- Highlight key responsibilities, regulations or deadlines
- Review the table of contents regularly to reinforce organization
- Reread sections before shadowing employees or attempting tasks
Benefits of Repetitive Focus Strategies
Using repetitive focus strategies when reading offers many benefits for learning and retention:
Improves Understanding
The more times you review the information, the better grasp you develop of the concepts, vocabulary and key details. Rereading allows you pick up new layers of meaning.
Increases Retention
Repeating and rehearsing important information from the text imprints it more firmly in long-term memory. You are more likely to accurately remember the content later.
Reinforces Memorization
For scripts, manuals, definitions or formulas you need to truly memorize, repetitive focus strategies like flashcards and summary writing boost recall ability.
Enhances Concentration
Marking, recording or highlighting key passages focuses your attention and prevents zoning out. The active learning keeps you engaged.
Provides Review Opportunities
Techniques like notes, flashcards and recordings give you easy ways to return to the material for repetition and review as needed.
Improves Test Performance
Thorough comprehension and memorization of the information from repetitive focus pays off when it comes time to apply that knowledge on assignments, projects or exams.
Challenges of Repetitive Focus Strategies
While repetitive focus reading techniques offer many benefits, there are some potential challenges to keep in mind as well:
Time Consuming
It takes significantly more time to employ repetitive focus strategies like rereading, highlighting, summarizing, flashcards, etc. This commitment may not always be feasible given your schedule.
Risk of Passive Rereading
If you reread mindlessly, you may zone out and fail to gain meaning from the repetition. Active reading is required for benefit.
Potential Overemphasis on Memorization
Memorizing content through repetitive focus without also aiming for comprehension risks learning information that is disjointed or lacking context.
Decreased Enjoyment of Reading
Stopping to take notes or continuously highlight can disrupt the flow of reading for pleasure. Repetitive focus is generally better suited to academic or job-related reading.
Oversaturation
It’s possible to take repetitive focus too far. Rereading or rehearsing the same content too many times can eventually yield diminishing returns.
Conclusion
Repetitive focus strategies like rereading, note taking, flashcards and reciting important information help reinforce learning and retention when reading. These active techniques allow you to fully master, comprehend and commit the content to memory. Repetitive focus is beneficial when deep understanding and accurate recall are needed for academic exams, job performance or memorizing scripts. However, it requires time commitment and discipline. Passive rereading should be avoided. Repetitive focus strategies should be used selectively for key parts of the reading, not overdone to the point of saturation. Implemented appropriately, repetitive focus provides an excellent reading comprehension tool.
