Start reading your textbook ahead of time instead of putting off reading a whole textbook or sections from the book until the last minute. Break assigned chapters or passages up into smaller increments so that you have more time to focus on different portions of text and think about the meaning within the passages. Read sections more than once if necessary so that you will better understand them and may find them more interesting.
Listen in class and do extra research to get a better understanding of major ideas within your textbooks and a better grasp of concepts that you're having a more difficult time understanding. Use a dictionary or study guide or do outside research online or at the library to get a better understanding of basic concepts with your textbook and to find additional information on topics. Consult different sources to get a more well-rounded perspective on an idea, especially a controversial or multifaceted one.
Look at pictures and captions to give yourself a break from the text and add to your knowledge about the subject about which you're reading. Look at a picture of something, such as a representation of a historical figure or event, to better connect with and better understand the topic. As you're reading, create visuals for yourself, such as notes in the margins, outlines or diagrams, to make reading a more active process.
Read a textbook with one or more classmates, asking and answering each other's questions in the process. Read aloud or silently, depending on your preferences, but try to make it a more interactive activity by discussing the text with others. The person you're reading with could bring a different perspective to the material, which might make it more relatable or interesting to you. Break up passages or take turns reading so that both of you are participating.
Play a learning game, such as a trivia game, using information within your textbook to challenge yourself and others. Use a game, such as Jeopardy, to test yourself or others, working in teams or alone to answer questions before others are able to do so. Also participate in skits or plays that include topics from your textbook to help yourself to better visualize the events within your textbook. When reading a textbook, challenge yourself by taking quizzes from the book or making up your own quizzes to see if you're understanding the text, especially more difficult passages.