Improve your Spanish reading comprehension skills

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, September 18, 2025

Open doors to new cultures, friendships, and academic and professional opportunities while learning Spanish in Spain as a second language. Experience an exciting journey while developing an essential skill for your future.

But it's not all about studying in class and memorizing words. Reading comprehension in Spanish is an important skill for advancing in the language, understanding and analyzing what a Spanish text says. Reading well will allow you to obtain information and help you learn new vocabulary, improve your grammar, develop your critical thinking, and increase your confidence in communicating in Spanish.

However, many students have difficulty reading in a foreign language for various reasons. Achieving stable reading comprehension in Spanish can be quite a challenge. At first, it can be frustrating not to understand some words or to need a long time to finish a text and not to translate every single word you don't understand. However, there is good news: reading comprehension can be trained and improved with practice, patience, and the right strategies.

That's why we at Enforex want to help you on your journey and bring you some practical tips and tricks that will help you strengthen your Spanish reading skills in an effective and enjoyable way. Keep reading so you don't miss anything!

1. Choose texts that are appropriate for each level

One of the most common mistakes students make is trying to read texts that are too difficult from the beginning. This can lead to demotivation and frustration because they encounter many unfamiliar words, and the context seems confusing and unintelligible. Therefore, to progress, it is best to start with simple texts that are adapted to your level of Spanish.

You can choose short stories, fables, short articles, or readings that include glossaries and explanations in your native language. When you read understandable texts, your brain can focus on the content rather than deciphering the meaning of each word. Gradually, as your vocabulary expands, you will be able to read more advanced texts such as news articles, young adult novels, or essays.

Remember that the important thing is not to read very complicated things, but to read regularly and increase the level of difficulty gradually.

2. Read with a clear goal

Before you start reading any text, ask yourself: Why am I reading this? Having a purpose will help you concentrate better and read more actively. Some goals might be:

• Find specific information for a project, such as dates, names, places, facts, etc.
• Understand the main idea of the text
• Learn new vocabulary on a specific topic that interests you
• Identify the structure of the text
• Improve your vocabulary and Spanish colloquial expressions

If you read with a goal in mind, it will be easier to organize the information and remember what you have read. You will also be able to assess whether you have understood the content and which parts you need to review.

3. Activate your prior knowledge

When reading in Spanish, try to relate the topic you are reading about to what you already know in your native language or other languages you know. Activating solid knowledge will help you anticipate content, make predictions, and better understand new ideas.

For example, if you are going to read a text about typical Spanish food, think first about what you know about the country, its culture, and its ingredients. This will allow you to connect the new information with your prior knowledge and understand it more easily.

4. Don't translate word for word

A common mistake is to try to translate every word you don't know when reading in Spanish. This practice makes reading in Spanish very slow and causes you to lose the thread or general meaning of the text.

Instead, try to understand the overall meaning using the context. Look at the words you know, the images, the titles and subtitles, and the structure of the sentences. This way, you can understand the general context and then look up the words you don't know.

If you find a word that appears many times and seems important for understanding the text, then you can look up its meaning in a dictionary. Write it down in a vocabulary notebook or in the margins of the book. This way, you will learn new words without constantly interrupting your reading.

5. Use active reading strategies

Spanish reading comprehension improves when you read actively, not passively. Remember that active reading is when the reader consciously participates and reflects on the reading process. Passive reading is when you read automatically and superficially without really understanding what you are reading.

Some useful strategies are:

• Underline or highlight key words and important phrases
• Take brief notes in the margin or in a notebook
• Make an outline or map of the text
• Ask questions about the content as you read
• Stop after each paragraph to summarize it

These techniques force you to process the information, not just look at words and translate them, which will strengthen your comprehension.

6. Read aloud and listen to your pronunciation

Reading aloud may seem slower, but it is very useful for improving both your pronunciation and comprehension. When you read aloud, you pay more attention to each word, recognize intonation patterns, and memorize vocabulary aurally and visually. You can also record yourself reading and then listen to yourself to detect mistakes or words that are difficult to pronounce.

7. Expand your vocabulary constantly

A lack of vocabulary is one of the main barriers to understanding a text. That's why it's important to learn new words every day. A good idea is to keep a notebook or a note on your phone where you write down new words you learn, their meaning without translating them into your language, a sentence with an example, and a drawing or image to help you remember them.

The more vocabulary you know, the easier it will be to understand any reading. And if you find those words again in other texts, your memory will be strengthened even more.

8. Discuss what you read with other people

Sharing what you have read with classmates, friends, or teachers is an excellent way to reinforce your understanding. You can explain the plot of the book, summarize the text, comment on what you liked best, ask questions, and listen to other opinions.

This will help you confirm whether you understood the content well and discovered new points of view.

9. Read regularly and enjoy the process

The most important key to improving Spanish reading comprehension is consistency. Reading in Spanish for a few minutes every day is much more effective than reading for many hours only occasionally. Make reading a habit: choose topics that really interest you, such as sports, music, stories, science, or culture.

When you read for pleasure, learning becomes more natural, your motivation increases, and your progress is much faster. Don't see reading as an obligation, but as an opportunity to travel with your imagination, discover new ideas, and get closer to the Spanish language.

10. Be patient and celebrate your progress

Finally, remember that learning a language takes time and effort. It's normal not to understand everything right away, to make mistakes, or to feel like you're progressing slowly. But every word you understand and every text you finish is a victory that demonstrates your progress.

Celebrate your achievements and continue reading with enthusiasm. If you maintain a positive attitude, you will soon notice how your reading comprehension in Spanish improves without you even realizing it, and you will be able to enjoy any text that Spanish has to offer.