After students take a test and get back their results, ask them to analyze their performance. For example, they can analyze why they missed certain answers. It could be because they were absent from class on the day you covered the topic. If they changed any of their responses during the test and the changes were right, they could dwell on what prompted them to make the changes. At the end of the exercise, they can write a note analyzing what they have learned from this exercise and how they can prepare for their next test. This exercise helps students understand where they fell short and think about how to improve.
In order to enhance their comprehension and retention skills, ask students to come up with questions based on their reading and answer them. For example, they can ask themselves what difficulties they faced in comprehension and how they overcame them. They can also think about why it was easy for them to read certain parts. Students can also write down summaries of the material they read to aid their understanding of the text. An organized approach to reading can better their understanding.
Clearly communicate to students how to be successful in your course. For example, tell them how they should do their assignments to score well. Provide feedback. Tell them how to go about reading course material. For instance, have them read for overall comprehension of the material, or to get insight, or for both comprehension and insight. This helps students form a strategy to successfully complete the course.
Get students to read any material you will cover in your classes in advance. This aids their reading development so they won’t have to depend solely on your lecture to get input on the topic. Besides developing their reading skills, preparing in advance also means students will not be focused on note taking during class. They can spend time on listening to the lecture and thinking about your input, which is a metacognitive skill.