Good reading means building a foundation of connecting words to thoughts.

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas from a book, paper, webpage, or any other reading material to those you have previously formed in your mind.   If you have no previous understanding of a topic then pouring words from reading material into your mind is similar to pouring water into your hands, it all tends to leak through.

How do you improve your reading comprehension?

The first thing you can do is develop a broad background of understanding.  In order to better comprehend your reading material, prior exposure to the subject can help excelerate your overall learning curve.  Read often and make sure to switch your topics up.

Another good key is to understand paragraph structures.  Good writers structure literature with a beginning, middle and end.  Often the first sentence of any piece of reading material will give you an overview of the entire piece. 

One last tip is to create motivation and interest.  Preview your reading material, ask questions and discuss ideas with colleagues or those with similar reading interests.  The stronger your interest in a topic the greater your comprehension will be.