 How to Use Active Reading Techniques This video explains some strategies for active reading. Active reading involves actively engaging with the material. It helps you understand and remember your material better than you would by just reading through it. Try the following tips to read more actively. Highlight As you read, highlight important information so that you find it again later. Don't highlight too much. You want the important points to stand out. Write in the margin. Annotate your texts with comments, questions, examples, and more. Read out loud. Rather than reading silently in your head, read your material out loud, either to someone else or to an invisible audience. Explain what you've read to someone else. Relaying information to other people helps you understand it better. It can also help you notice information that you haven't quite grasped. Test yourself. After you've read a chapter, try to write down the key points without checking the text. Use these techniques when reading your textbooks to better understand what you read. Happy studying!