The Secrets of Reading Comprehension for Teens (Intro)

I was a late bloomer. It wasn't until I was in my 30s when I was halfway through grad school that I learned about critical thinking. I dropped out of college after a year with a GPA below 1.0. I could barely write my papers in college. It wasn't until I finished grad school (3-year full-time program in seminary) and started homeschooling my 2 sons that I things began to make sense as a learner. Mortimer Adler is the Godfather of the Classical Education / Great Books method of learning. One of the books on my son's reading list (that I compiled) was How to Read a Book by Adler. This book transformed my learning, with his reading methodology, critical thinking, writing, and teaching.

My memory is ok. But, I'm terrible at remembering names. I can't believe how fast I can forget a name after hearing it when I meet someone.

For years I struggled as a student and didn't do well. My problem was that I was a slow reader. Not only was I a slow as a reader, but the real problem was also that my comprehension was terrible. I couldn't keep track of what I'd read and what it was all about. My problem was that I read linearly - one word at a time and didn't keep what I'd read in my head and carry it forward from page to page. It all just disappeared just like retaining the names of people after meeting them. Before long I would just fall asleep. When classes were class text-driven (a book), I was in trouble. When quizzes and exams were based on a text (book), I was also in trouble and all of this was clearly reflected in my grades.

In the late 90s, the book, How to Read a Book changed my reading crisis. The four levels of reading, how to read different types of literature, and a critical thinking model regrouped my method of reading. More than just changing my reading, now reading a whole book and grasping its meaning with easy made learning fun rather than painful. I started reading the Oprah list, business bestsellers, biographies, books that fed my soul, books that helped me grow emotionally and relationally. I started to average reading 2 books a week. There were books I finished while standing in a bookstore for 20 minutes using this method. My memory changed too along the way. I was able to recall content from many of these books. This affected more than my learning, teaching, mentoring, counseling, and business. It has been my delight to teach this method and help others to enjoy learning and the critical thinking model. The framework is also one that makes writing and speaking totally unique.

Education Background
BA, Azusa Pacific University, Biblical Studies and minor in Business.
MDiv, Biola University, Pastoral counseling, teaching, and care emphasis.

Experience
40 years of teaching vocationally and vocational with children, youth, college, and adults.
3 years of substitute work in Downtown Los Angeles and in San Diego.
6 years teaching as a Homeschool Dad.
10+ years of coaching and mentoring men who are CEOs and Business Leaders.