General Education Development (GED) Practice Exam

Summarizing sections after reading them is an effective strategy to improve comprehension for reading passages. When students take the time to summarize what they have read, it requires them to process and internalize the information. This practice helps reinforce understanding by encouraging students to identify key ideas, themes, and important details. By distilling the content into their own words, they engage more actively with the material, which aids retention and aids recall during tests.

In contrast, while listening to audio versions of texts can support comprehension for some learners, it may not engage all the cognitive processes involved in reading. Skimming texts can lead to missing crucial information necessary for deeper understanding, and memorizing entire passages often does not foster comprehension but rather rote memorization, which does not translate into meaningful understanding or the ability to apply knowledge in different contexts. Thus, summarizing enhances critical thinking and comprehension skills necessary for success on the Exam.