Choosing A Speed Reading Technique
Author: Jon Kelly | Posted: 13-12-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 19 | Ads by Google
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Before starting to learn a speed reading technique you should establish your current reading speed. Knowing your starting point will allow you to measure your improvement,this will help to keep you motivated. It is also helpful to set a target which you would like to meet, make sure that this is a sensible target, if you feel daunted by the large leap from your current reading speed to the desired reading speed you can always set smaller weekly targets.
The first speed reading technique we will discuss is the line technique. Most people were taught to read by growing letters into syllables, syllables into words and words into sentences. When we read as adults we are continuing the same learnt pattern, starting with the left most word of a line and working across the page or column until we reach the right hand side. This speed reading technique replaces this habit with the concept of reading a phrase, sentence or line at one glance. The idea is to look at the middle of the line and the grasp the whole line at one time, then move onto the next line. By using this speed reading technique you are effectively reading down the page rather than across the page as traditionally taught.
Some people believe that the line speed reading technique can improve your reading speed by as much as fifty percent. The second speed reading technique which we would like to introduce is called the card technique. Since we read one word at a time, there is a tendency for our eyes to be drawn back across text which we have already covered. Research shows us that this very high in primary school children who are just learning to read significantly less in students in tertiary education, implying that the more we read the less we do this. However, even university students have been recorded to regress read by as much as fifteen or twenty times per hundred words. This means that when we complete a passage, there may have been twenty percent of the text read twice. The card speed reading technique aims to reduce this wasted word absorption. This speed reading technique is simple; take a piece of card and place it above the first line you are going to read. As you read each line move the card down so that there is effectively not text to regress read to. As you are hopefully trying to apply the line speed reading technique as well you should draw a line vertically down the middle of the card, this will act as a guide to your eyes to help you apply the line speed reading technique simultaneously with the card speed reading technique.
As will all new skills it is important to practice as much as possible. When learning or practicing a new speed reading technique you must ensure that your are working in a calm and uninterrupted environment, this will help you to achieve the best results.
Good luck in you new speed reading technique.
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Wednesday 16 January 2008
Saturday 7 April 2007
Does speed reading take the joy out of reading?
By Melvin Ng
A common enough remark is that speed reading takes the joy out of reading. However, is this entirely fair? Would it not be fairer to say that being able to speed read actually increases the joy of reading? To answer this, we need to look at some of the reasons why we are speed reading in the first place!
A common enough remark is that speed reading takes the joy out of reading. However, is this entirely fair? Would it not be fairer to say that being able to speed read actually increases the joy of reading? To answer this, we need to look at some of the reasons why we are speed reading in the first place!
Tuesday 27 March 2007
Read Faster and Read Better
Read Faster and Read Better by KEN ASSELIN
Let’s face it, the ability to read faster, and still comprehend what you’re reading, is an essential skill in today’s fast moving environment. We must read extensively if we want to be successful in our studies, or careers. There’s no doubt, learning to speed read is probably the most valuable and time saving skill you can acquire. Frankly, under today's information pressures you must read faster and read better if you are to get ahead at all. Of course, some people will say you can do fine without knowing how to speed read. WRONG! Young men and women trained in Modern Speed Reading show distinct advantages over those who lack this kind of preparation. Schools and colleges have discovered that courses in reading skills give enormous aid to students struggling under the heavier loads of today's scholastic programs. Their higher grade point averages speak for themselves. Just imagine being able to read a novel in less than half the time it takes you now, and knowing how to skim an article effectively so the information you’re seeking seems to pop out of the page for you to find. Once you can speed read, your whole attitude toward reading changes. You will enjoy reading a great deal more and will read with greater intelligence.
Once you have become proficient at speed reading, you’ve prepared yourself to move with confidence into the wonderful world of books. It will be a rich experience with your newly developed skills, for books are an opening of new horizons, a road to new adventures, and a source of unending pleasure and delight. People who have really learned to read are never at a loss and are never lonely. A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
Learning to speed read is not a difficult or painfully long process. In fact, a recently released Learn To Speed Read book that I have just finished had me reading faster by the fourth chapter. Truly fast reading skills come with time and practice of course, but this book can teach you to read faster and read better right from the beginning.
If you are a High School or College Student, read extensively for your work, like reading the morning newspaper each day, or just enjoy reading a good novel occasionally, you really should consider learning to speed read. Once learned, it is a skill that will benefit you throughout your life.
Ken Asselin
Learn To Speed Read Ken Asselin is webmaster for the "Buds Best" series of websites. His 40 plus years experience in retail marketing bring a fresh outlook to website development and promotion. You can visit his “Buds Business Guide” at: http://www.budsbusinessguide.com
Let’s face it, the ability to read faster, and still comprehend what you’re reading, is an essential skill in today’s fast moving environment. We must read extensively if we want to be successful in our studies, or careers. There’s no doubt, learning to speed read is probably the most valuable and time saving skill you can acquire. Frankly, under today's information pressures you must read faster and read better if you are to get ahead at all. Of course, some people will say you can do fine without knowing how to speed read. WRONG! Young men and women trained in Modern Speed Reading show distinct advantages over those who lack this kind of preparation. Schools and colleges have discovered that courses in reading skills give enormous aid to students struggling under the heavier loads of today's scholastic programs. Their higher grade point averages speak for themselves. Just imagine being able to read a novel in less than half the time it takes you now, and knowing how to skim an article effectively so the information you’re seeking seems to pop out of the page for you to find. Once you can speed read, your whole attitude toward reading changes. You will enjoy reading a great deal more and will read with greater intelligence.
Once you have become proficient at speed reading, you’ve prepared yourself to move with confidence into the wonderful world of books. It will be a rich experience with your newly developed skills, for books are an opening of new horizons, a road to new adventures, and a source of unending pleasure and delight. People who have really learned to read are never at a loss and are never lonely. A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
Learning to speed read is not a difficult or painfully long process. In fact, a recently released Learn To Speed Read book that I have just finished had me reading faster by the fourth chapter. Truly fast reading skills come with time and practice of course, but this book can teach you to read faster and read better right from the beginning.
If you are a High School or College Student, read extensively for your work, like reading the morning newspaper each day, or just enjoy reading a good novel occasionally, you really should consider learning to speed read. Once learned, it is a skill that will benefit you throughout your life.
Ken Asselin
Learn To Speed Read Ken Asselin is webmaster for the "Buds Best" series of websites. His 40 plus years experience in retail marketing bring a fresh outlook to website development and promotion. You can visit his “Buds Business Guide” at: http://www.budsbusinessguide.com
Thursday 1 March 2007
Tricks of the Trade: Speed Reading
In the third instalment of our Tricks of the Trade series Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine, highlights why speed reading is so valuable in business.
Why do we need to speed read? Aren’t we under enough pressure at work already?
If this is your premise, then think again. Speed reading is not about forcing you to work harder. On the contrary, by enabling you to triple your reading speed, it is much more about helping you to handle your time and your workload efficiently. In this article I’m going to address some of the key questions that surround this approach.
Information Overload
The most common reason that people want to learn how to speed read is because of information overload. Today’s corporate executives have to take in, absorb and recall more information than ever. Most of this data arrives in written form – through minutes, reports, proposals, brochures texts and emails.
However, speed reading should not be seen as a reactive technology. Many participants on our courses report that one of the main drivers for them is to be able to find a way to read those books that have been sitting on their shelf for too long or those magazines that come every week that they never seem to have time to open. These managers and executives recognise that knowledge is the fuel of career success and, in this respect, speed-reading is a step forward in efficiency - providing people with a real edge in a competitive world.
The Mechanics
When asked, most people assume that they read in a smooth left to right motion across the page. However, when we read our eye movement is not smooth at all. Our eyes have to stop at regular intervals in order for us to take in new data and this means that we actually take a series of small jumps as we read across the page. These jumps are known as fixations.
Fixations are the key determinant of our reading speed. If you take a long fixation, reading each line word by word, you will be a slow reader. If you skip back over words or re-read whole paragraphs, as most people do, this will handicap you further. The skills therefore are these: to spend less time on each fixation and to learn to take in more words with each fixation.
Distinctions
There are two quite separate aspects of speed reading that are helpful to distinguish:
Reading better: Speed reading is not only about improving reading speed. It also includes a number of techniques which help you to read more efficiently and adapt your approach to what you are reading. For example, if you have a large report to read then to start with you will probably need an overview. In this case one good technique is to power browse:
Look briefly at the cover of your document and see what it tells you about the subject.
Look at the table of contents to understand the flow of the document.
Run through the document briefly – one or two seconds per page should do. Make a note of how it is put together and what parts interest you.
Highlight those parts that you want to explore in more detail.
Finally do a quick review and Mind Map (www.mind-mapping.co.uk) what you have just browsed.
Reading faster: The second aspect of this approach is improving your reading speed and here again there are a number of techniques to learn. However, one extremely useful example is to use a guide such as a pencil, a cursor or even your finger to underline the words as you read. Your guide is your pacesetter and keeps your eyes moving along the line smoothly. On its own people find that this one technique can sometimes double their reading speed because it simply helps them to improve their focus.
Beliefs and Attitudes
So reading speed is all to do with the way our eyes take in information - is that right? Not wholly. When it comes to speed reading, our challenges stem as much from our beliefs as from our physiology. For example, do you believe that you can read more than one word at a time, maintain comprehension when you are reading faster and recall more of what you have read when you are reading faster?
These benefits are all within reach, if you practise. And this is the real issue. We all have bad habits. For example, most people back-track every now and again to make sure they have understood what they have just read, even though research shows that it makes little or no difference to comprehension. We need to challenge such long established patterns, be willing to try out new techniques and be motivated to practice. However, changing our behaviour is not just a question of willpower. We need to create a positive attitude towards our subject. If we are in a negative frame of mind we will find that we absorb very little of what is in front of us. But if we can engage with interest, enthusiasm and creativity then we can, quite literally, transform our effectiveness as readers.
So, should you be learning how to speed read? Is it worth your time? If you are among the 90% of people who feel that they are suffering from information overload the real question to ask is can you afford not to?
Clive Lewis is the Managing Director of Illumine Training, who specialise in providing personal and management development training to individuals and organisations worldwide. Illumine is Tony Buzan's preferred partner in corporate and public sector training. For more details go to www.illumine.co.uk or call 01753 866633.
Why do we need to speed read? Aren’t we under enough pressure at work already?
If this is your premise, then think again. Speed reading is not about forcing you to work harder. On the contrary, by enabling you to triple your reading speed, it is much more about helping you to handle your time and your workload efficiently. In this article I’m going to address some of the key questions that surround this approach.
Information Overload
The most common reason that people want to learn how to speed read is because of information overload. Today’s corporate executives have to take in, absorb and recall more information than ever. Most of this data arrives in written form – through minutes, reports, proposals, brochures texts and emails.
However, speed reading should not be seen as a reactive technology. Many participants on our courses report that one of the main drivers for them is to be able to find a way to read those books that have been sitting on their shelf for too long or those magazines that come every week that they never seem to have time to open. These managers and executives recognise that knowledge is the fuel of career success and, in this respect, speed-reading is a step forward in efficiency - providing people with a real edge in a competitive world.
The Mechanics
When asked, most people assume that they read in a smooth left to right motion across the page. However, when we read our eye movement is not smooth at all. Our eyes have to stop at regular intervals in order for us to take in new data and this means that we actually take a series of small jumps as we read across the page. These jumps are known as fixations.
Fixations are the key determinant of our reading speed. If you take a long fixation, reading each line word by word, you will be a slow reader. If you skip back over words or re-read whole paragraphs, as most people do, this will handicap you further. The skills therefore are these: to spend less time on each fixation and to learn to take in more words with each fixation.
Distinctions
There are two quite separate aspects of speed reading that are helpful to distinguish:
Reading better: Speed reading is not only about improving reading speed. It also includes a number of techniques which help you to read more efficiently and adapt your approach to what you are reading. For example, if you have a large report to read then to start with you will probably need an overview. In this case one good technique is to power browse:
Look briefly at the cover of your document and see what it tells you about the subject.
Look at the table of contents to understand the flow of the document.
Run through the document briefly – one or two seconds per page should do. Make a note of how it is put together and what parts interest you.
Highlight those parts that you want to explore in more detail.
Finally do a quick review and Mind Map (www.mind-mapping.co.uk) what you have just browsed.
Reading faster: The second aspect of this approach is improving your reading speed and here again there are a number of techniques to learn. However, one extremely useful example is to use a guide such as a pencil, a cursor or even your finger to underline the words as you read. Your guide is your pacesetter and keeps your eyes moving along the line smoothly. On its own people find that this one technique can sometimes double their reading speed because it simply helps them to improve their focus.
Beliefs and Attitudes
So reading speed is all to do with the way our eyes take in information - is that right? Not wholly. When it comes to speed reading, our challenges stem as much from our beliefs as from our physiology. For example, do you believe that you can read more than one word at a time, maintain comprehension when you are reading faster and recall more of what you have read when you are reading faster?
These benefits are all within reach, if you practise. And this is the real issue. We all have bad habits. For example, most people back-track every now and again to make sure they have understood what they have just read, even though research shows that it makes little or no difference to comprehension. We need to challenge such long established patterns, be willing to try out new techniques and be motivated to practice. However, changing our behaviour is not just a question of willpower. We need to create a positive attitude towards our subject. If we are in a negative frame of mind we will find that we absorb very little of what is in front of us. But if we can engage with interest, enthusiasm and creativity then we can, quite literally, transform our effectiveness as readers.
So, should you be learning how to speed read? Is it worth your time? If you are among the 90% of people who feel that they are suffering from information overload the real question to ask is can you afford not to?
Clive Lewis is the Managing Director of Illumine Training, who specialise in providing personal and management development training to individuals and organisations worldwide. Illumine is Tony Buzan's preferred partner in corporate and public sector training. For more details go to www.illumine.co.uk or call 01753 866633.
Friday 23 February 2007
Read more Books with Speed Reading
Do you read as much as you'd like, or as many as you'd like of the books you're interested in? Have you ever ploughed through a book purely because you felt you should finish it, rather than because you were enjoying it?
Try this short exercise - it will profoundly affect the way you look at your reading choices. •
How many books do you read on average a month? • Multiply that figure by 12 • How many years of life would you like to think you have left? • Multiply the number of years by the number of books you can read in a year • That figure is the likely number of books you'll read in the rest of your life, unless you learn to read faster How do you feel about that? And faced with that knowledge, are you happy with the selections you're currently making?
The time spent on today's reading prevents you reading something else. Life is one of choice - make sure your choices take you in the direction you wish to go. The readers in a community are the leaders of the community.
My biggest recommendation to increase your reading rate is to attend a rapid reading course (sometimes called speed reading). You'll probably have access to some in your community (along with the list of reading resources we're building on this site), but the single most important element is the on-going practice. If you want to try a few techniques on your own here are a few key pointers, but please don't consider this the definitive instruction on how to speed-read. It's only to whet your appetite. You really need to attend a course to be pushed to significantly higher levels of competency, because only an external person can push you past the comfort zone of your eyes, your brain, and your current beliefs about your abilities. Some rapid-reading keys
1. Read with purpose. Don't read things you won't remember, and don't waste time reading things that won't further you in any way. If you're going to China, or have a keen interest in the area, an article about Chinese travel will be of relevance. However, many people read mindlessly, ploughing through whatever's under their nose - just because it's there!
2. Review the way you'll use this particular information, before you start. Start with the end in mind.
3. Have an expectation of success. See yourself reading at great speed. Fill your mind with a positive expectation of great deeds. Feel and imagine the power of the rapid flow of information into your mind. And hear the rapid flow of words just pouring into your brain.
4. Affirmations. What is your language and conversation about your reading ability? Do an audit on your words. If you find yourself saying, 'I'm hopeless, slow, or can't do it' - guess what - you'll be right. Instead, use positive present tense statements such as 'I love reading', 'I'm a really fast reader', 'Reading at speed is very easy for me', and you'll be amazed at how quickly it comes true.
5. Sit upright and hold the book at a comfortable position.
6. Have good overhead light, fresh air, plenty of water, and a comfortable temperature.
7. Read from the back of your head (your visual cortex) through your eyes, not from your eyes. You'll have a broader vision.
8. Preview and review the book by flicking quickly through contents, index, information at the front and back.
9. Use a visual guide, usually your finger, or sometimes two fingers, depending on the size of the column of print. This is where the training by an instructor is really useful (they won't let you get away with bad habits, and they push you beyond your comfort level). Most of us as little children started to read by using our finger to guide our eyes, as we sounded and said the words. Then we graduated to silent reading. The teacher told us to take our finger away but we continued to 'say' the words, inside our head. Speech is many times slower than sight, and yet many people roll into adulthood still silently speaking the words they read. No wonder they struggle. Their brain is bored, the information is therefore hard to retain, and they find themselves labouring over the work. One of the key elements of rapid reading is to use our finger at a very fast rate, running it down the page. We don't need to read every word in order to comprehend and retain the information. All we need is chunks of text, and the sense is gathered at lightening speed.
10. Speed training. Go as fast as your hand can turn the pages, and don't worry that there seems to be virtually no comprehension at this stage. The key is to stretch the eye's capacity to absorb, and to stretch your mind's belief that it can be done. Two hands are needed. With one hand run your index finger down the page as fast as you can. At first you'll notice an occasional word or phrase will jump out at you, but not much else. That's fine - comprehension is not the objective at this stage. With the other hand, turn the pages as fast as you can go.
11. Set yourself a daily target - it might be to race through a thick book that you're interested to read. It might be to practice for a specified amount of time.
12. Practice, practice, practice. Magazines and newspapers are great to practice on. The columns are thin, which helps you go even faster.
13. Comprehension. You may think you're not absorbing much, but try this test. Select a book you want to read. Each time you pick it up to read in your old style, first do the rapid run described above. You'll notice when you come to read in your slow way that in fact you already know, and can remember having seen, most of the key concepts. We call this a conscious convincer. Your subconscious needs reassurance that nothing is being lost, and that you have absorbed the information you need.
14. Coupled with the rapid 'preview', if you do wish to read slower, do it with a highlighter in your hand. Your retention of the material will be greatly enhanced, for you will have visited the information several times. You may still wish to read at a slower speed for enjoyment, or because you need to really absorb every word of an author for study purposes, but if every day you practice this technique, suddenly you'll find you really are reading and absorbing at a much faster rate.
Are you Reading as Many Books as You'd Like? by ROBYN PEARCE
Try this short exercise - it will profoundly affect the way you look at your reading choices. •
How many books do you read on average a month? • Multiply that figure by 12 • How many years of life would you like to think you have left? • Multiply the number of years by the number of books you can read in a year • That figure is the likely number of books you'll read in the rest of your life, unless you learn to read faster How do you feel about that? And faced with that knowledge, are you happy with the selections you're currently making?
The time spent on today's reading prevents you reading something else. Life is one of choice - make sure your choices take you in the direction you wish to go. The readers in a community are the leaders of the community.
My biggest recommendation to increase your reading rate is to attend a rapid reading course (sometimes called speed reading). You'll probably have access to some in your community (along with the list of reading resources we're building on this site), but the single most important element is the on-going practice. If you want to try a few techniques on your own here are a few key pointers, but please don't consider this the definitive instruction on how to speed-read. It's only to whet your appetite. You really need to attend a course to be pushed to significantly higher levels of competency, because only an external person can push you past the comfort zone of your eyes, your brain, and your current beliefs about your abilities. Some rapid-reading keys
1. Read with purpose. Don't read things you won't remember, and don't waste time reading things that won't further you in any way. If you're going to China, or have a keen interest in the area, an article about Chinese travel will be of relevance. However, many people read mindlessly, ploughing through whatever's under their nose - just because it's there!
2. Review the way you'll use this particular information, before you start. Start with the end in mind.
3. Have an expectation of success. See yourself reading at great speed. Fill your mind with a positive expectation of great deeds. Feel and imagine the power of the rapid flow of information into your mind. And hear the rapid flow of words just pouring into your brain.
4. Affirmations. What is your language and conversation about your reading ability? Do an audit on your words. If you find yourself saying, 'I'm hopeless, slow, or can't do it' - guess what - you'll be right. Instead, use positive present tense statements such as 'I love reading', 'I'm a really fast reader', 'Reading at speed is very easy for me', and you'll be amazed at how quickly it comes true.
5. Sit upright and hold the book at a comfortable position.
6. Have good overhead light, fresh air, plenty of water, and a comfortable temperature.
7. Read from the back of your head (your visual cortex) through your eyes, not from your eyes. You'll have a broader vision.
8. Preview and review the book by flicking quickly through contents, index, information at the front and back.
9. Use a visual guide, usually your finger, or sometimes two fingers, depending on the size of the column of print. This is where the training by an instructor is really useful (they won't let you get away with bad habits, and they push you beyond your comfort level). Most of us as little children started to read by using our finger to guide our eyes, as we sounded and said the words. Then we graduated to silent reading. The teacher told us to take our finger away but we continued to 'say' the words, inside our head. Speech is many times slower than sight, and yet many people roll into adulthood still silently speaking the words they read. No wonder they struggle. Their brain is bored, the information is therefore hard to retain, and they find themselves labouring over the work. One of the key elements of rapid reading is to use our finger at a very fast rate, running it down the page. We don't need to read every word in order to comprehend and retain the information. All we need is chunks of text, and the sense is gathered at lightening speed.
10. Speed training. Go as fast as your hand can turn the pages, and don't worry that there seems to be virtually no comprehension at this stage. The key is to stretch the eye's capacity to absorb, and to stretch your mind's belief that it can be done. Two hands are needed. With one hand run your index finger down the page as fast as you can. At first you'll notice an occasional word or phrase will jump out at you, but not much else. That's fine - comprehension is not the objective at this stage. With the other hand, turn the pages as fast as you can go.
11. Set yourself a daily target - it might be to race through a thick book that you're interested to read. It might be to practice for a specified amount of time.
12. Practice, practice, practice. Magazines and newspapers are great to practice on. The columns are thin, which helps you go even faster.
13. Comprehension. You may think you're not absorbing much, but try this test. Select a book you want to read. Each time you pick it up to read in your old style, first do the rapid run described above. You'll notice when you come to read in your slow way that in fact you already know, and can remember having seen, most of the key concepts. We call this a conscious convincer. Your subconscious needs reassurance that nothing is being lost, and that you have absorbed the information you need.
14. Coupled with the rapid 'preview', if you do wish to read slower, do it with a highlighter in your hand. Your retention of the material will be greatly enhanced, for you will have visited the information several times. You may still wish to read at a slower speed for enjoyment, or because you need to really absorb every word of an author for study purposes, but if every day you practice this technique, suddenly you'll find you really are reading and absorbing at a much faster rate.
Are you Reading as Many Books as You'd Like? by ROBYN PEARCE
Wednesday 21 February 2007
Speed Reading Tips
Speed Reading: Top 10 Ways To Improve Reading Speed And Reading Comprehension
Education, Hobbies, Self Improvement
Given the volume of printed matter that business people, professionals, and students encounter each day, it's easy to accumulate piles of unread material. Richard Feldman, president of Learning Techniques®, a Merrick, NY firm that conducts educational seminars for companies and for college students, offers suggestions to help you read more quickly and effectively. Most people can double their productivity by applying these ten tips.
10. Skim Before Your Read - Speed read for main ideas in nonfiction works and textbooks. Scan the table of contents and first and last sentences of each paragraph. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension if you understand a book's main ideas first. After you've skimmed the material, return to the beginning and read every line with improved reading speed and comprehension.
9. Prioritize Reading Materials - Categorize your reading into "important," "moderately important," and "least important" piles. Then tackle your reading, one pile at a time, in its order of importance. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension by getting to the most important material first while your mind is sharp and clear.
8. Select the Proper Environment - Avoid reading important or difficult material in bed. Read at a desk instead.
7. Read Early in the Day - Improve your reading speed, comprehension, and concentration by reading during your "mental prime time." For most people this means reading in the morning, not in the evening. Wake up early to take advantage of reading early in the day.
6. Turn Headings into Questions - For textbooks and other reference materials, turn chapter headings and subheadings into questions. Scan the text to find the answers to your questions. Your reading speed improves by doing this, and you stay focused on the material.
5. Avoid Using a Highlighter When Studying - Highlighting, although a commonly used technique, actually reduces comprehension and reading speed. People who highlight end up reading the material twice. Follow tip number 6 instead.
4. Preview Before You Read - Take a few minutes to preview a chapter before reading it. You'll get a sense of what's interesting and relevant. More important, you'll get a sense of the overall structure of the chapter. This results in improved reading speed and comprehension.
3. Be Flexible with Your Reading Speed - Certain reading material must be read slowly and carefully: legal contracts and mathematical texts. Other materials can be read at much faster speeds: newspapers, novels, and magazines. Adjust your reading speed to the type of reading material and your reading purpose.
2. Read Correspondence Only Once - After you complete your reading of each piece, make a decision about what to do with it before moving on to the next one. By doing this, you avoid the need to read the same correspondence a second time in the future.
1. Enroll in a Speed Reading Class - Check the credentials of the speed reading instructor before enrolling in a speed reading class. If you are in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, I'd love to see you in one of my speed reading classes!
COPYRIGHT (C) 2006 Learning Techniques
Dr. Richard Feldman is the founder of Learning Techniques®, the leader in speed reading courses and study skills courses in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Columbia University. View his upcoming speed reading classes at http://www.learningtechniques.com/speed_reading_courses.html
Education, Hobbies, Self Improvement
Given the volume of printed matter that business people, professionals, and students encounter each day, it's easy to accumulate piles of unread material. Richard Feldman, president of Learning Techniques®, a Merrick, NY firm that conducts educational seminars for companies and for college students, offers suggestions to help you read more quickly and effectively. Most people can double their productivity by applying these ten tips.
10. Skim Before Your Read - Speed read for main ideas in nonfiction works and textbooks. Scan the table of contents and first and last sentences of each paragraph. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension if you understand a book's main ideas first. After you've skimmed the material, return to the beginning and read every line with improved reading speed and comprehension.
9. Prioritize Reading Materials - Categorize your reading into "important," "moderately important," and "least important" piles. Then tackle your reading, one pile at a time, in its order of importance. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension by getting to the most important material first while your mind is sharp and clear.
8. Select the Proper Environment - Avoid reading important or difficult material in bed. Read at a desk instead.
7. Read Early in the Day - Improve your reading speed, comprehension, and concentration by reading during your "mental prime time." For most people this means reading in the morning, not in the evening. Wake up early to take advantage of reading early in the day.
6. Turn Headings into Questions - For textbooks and other reference materials, turn chapter headings and subheadings into questions. Scan the text to find the answers to your questions. Your reading speed improves by doing this, and you stay focused on the material.
5. Avoid Using a Highlighter When Studying - Highlighting, although a commonly used technique, actually reduces comprehension and reading speed. People who highlight end up reading the material twice. Follow tip number 6 instead.
4. Preview Before You Read - Take a few minutes to preview a chapter before reading it. You'll get a sense of what's interesting and relevant. More important, you'll get a sense of the overall structure of the chapter. This results in improved reading speed and comprehension.
3. Be Flexible with Your Reading Speed - Certain reading material must be read slowly and carefully: legal contracts and mathematical texts. Other materials can be read at much faster speeds: newspapers, novels, and magazines. Adjust your reading speed to the type of reading material and your reading purpose.
2. Read Correspondence Only Once - After you complete your reading of each piece, make a decision about what to do with it before moving on to the next one. By doing this, you avoid the need to read the same correspondence a second time in the future.
1. Enroll in a Speed Reading Class - Check the credentials of the speed reading instructor before enrolling in a speed reading class. If you are in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, I'd love to see you in one of my speed reading classes!
COPYRIGHT (C) 2006 Learning Techniques
Dr. Richard Feldman is the founder of Learning Techniques®, the leader in speed reading courses and study skills courses in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Columbia University. View his upcoming speed reading classes at http://www.learningtechniques.com/speed_reading_courses.html
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