Know the difference between reading and reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is the ability to read an entire story, book or piece of literature, and then be able to explain and understand the concepts behind the work. Merely reading and getting a baseline idea of a story is not the same as being able to understand everything that has been discussed in the book. Explain this difference to teens and let them know that grasping both broad and minute concepts is considered a critical thinking skill.
Instruct the teen to read chapters or sections of the material at a time. Do not try to force reading entire books at once, as they may not be able to actively remember all details in large doses. Have the teen take notes in a notebook after every chapter or after every 20-30 pages. Make sure the teen reads without distractions such as a television, music player or cell phone. Have the teen sit or lay comfortably, so that she can read in quiet relaxation.
Instruct the teen to go through his notes and highlight key words, phrases, thoughts and sentences that help him explain the book, using a highlighter.
Give the teen blank note cards which she can use to highlight words and phrases. Use one note card per concept and put them in chronological order, as the concepts appeared through the book. Assist as necessary and explain to the teen that it is acceptable to go back and re-read something for clarification.
Read the book yourself and take your own notes, even for books that you have read before. Lead by your own example to get the teen to truly understand the concept. Make a set of questions relevant to the book. Make the questions open ended for the teen to discuss with you verbally. Include questions such as "Where did the setting take place?", "What was the worst thing that happened in the book?" and "What was the moral of the story?"
Instruct the teen to use the note cards to write a one- to two-paragraph summary of the book. Use the questions you prepared as a guide if the teen is struggling to get started on his summary. Have the teen read the overview to you. After the process is complete, sit down with the teen to review the book, notebook, note cards and summary. Point out areas where the teen missed concepts. Ask the teen to tell you if anything in particular caused her to fail to comprehend certain portions of the material, such as misunderstood or unknown words, and use those stumbling blocks as a gauge to what other areas need improving. For example, the teen may simply need to strengthen his vocabulary skills to increase his reading comprehension abilities.