One of the most fascinating things about watching someone speed reading is the rate at which their hand glosses over the material they are reading. It moves so quickly and for the average reader, it seems as though it’s moving much too fast for the person to be absorbing any part of the text.
If you’ve always read at a natural speed, it might seem impossible to imagine that you could read several times faster. It might also seem unbelievable that you can adopt the principles behind speed reading without too much effort.
Speed reading is based on the principle that your mind absorbs the material that you read at a quicker rate than someone who reads at a normal pace. Normally we take our time reading each page of a book, trying to grasp the meaning of each word and how that word relates to not only the sentence it is in, but the paragraph as well.
For someone who speed reads, they are able to glance at the words and instead of concentrating on each and every single word; they see the words as blocks. They view the block of words and the meaning is absorbed.
There are different methods to speed reading, but the general idea remains common. That is, your eyes must quickly scan the text of the page. To do this you can use different techniques.
The most common of these techniques is to use your hand or your finger. This is typically what we associate with speed readers. Their hand moves remarkably quickly over the page; skimming line by line until they flip the next page to begin the process all over again. They need to do this so that their eyes can follow the text. When you are reading at a rapid rate, it is easy for your eyes to lose track of where you are on the page. By tracing an invisible line beneath the text, their eyes stay completely focused.
Another method that works the same way is to use a card or a straight edge, such as ruler. This keeps the reader’s eyes following the text. They aren’t tempted to skip ahead and miss words. Their concentration is focused on exactly what they are reading, and as they work through the page, the card or straight edge moves with them.
Concentration is one of the most important aspects in reading in general. It is much more important when a person is developing their speed reading skills. Anyone can implement this rule into their reading. Using either their finger or a card the eyes will follow the words of the text at a much quicker rate.
The next time you are reading give this a try and see the difference it makes. You’ll find yourself more focused on what you are reading and you won’t be tempted to skip ahead and miss words that are essential to comprehension. Small tricks like this can make a significant improvement in your reading speed.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Do Strong Readers Need Speed Reading?
If you’re a strong reader, do you really need speed reading? If you’re a student or professional, the answer should be obvious; it can only give you an edge. But more to the point, why keep your reading level at basic comprehension and average speed? If it’s obvious that making a small change in your life results in a big difference, it’s worth investigating. This is the case with speed reading.
When you are small you learn how to read by a method called letter-by-letter reading, which essentially is exactly what it sounds like. You sound out each letter and over time you can form them into entire words. Children learn this process very young when they are shown the letters of the alphabet and the sound associated with each letter.
You wouldn’t stop at letter-by-letter reading if you knew how much more you would get out of reading by moving on to word-by-word reading, which is the ability to recognize entire words. So why limit yourself to block-by-block reading that involves short blocks of words when you can increase that enjoyment and understanding even further by learning how to increase those blocks?
Speed reading is more than getting through a stack of words at high speed. It increases the text you take in at one time, which gives you a better grasp of what you’ve read which in turn increases your ability to understand what you’re reading in bigger, faster doses. We all shift gears when we read, depending on what we’re reading. We automatically read text containing familiar words and ideas fast and slow down when we come across text with new ideas. Speed reading gives you another gear to shift into, saves you time, increases your reading comprehension, and gives you an automatic edge.
Having the ability to speed read allows you to read as quickly through unfamiliar text as you do with text that you have seen before. For the professional or student who needs to get through large pieces of text quickly, this is incredibly valuable. They can pick up a book or document, spend no more than a few minutes going over it and have the same comprehension and absorption that someone reading at a regular speed would have after spending several hours reading it. The time saved is remarkable and for someone who is a busy professional or for a student who is faced with many classes as well as other responsibilities, the difference in their lives can be substantially better.
Although learning to speed read takes time and patience, it’s an investment that is well worth it. Having the ability to grasp and retain information that is read at a fast speed can make a significant difference in a person’s life. If your reading skills are strong now, you can quickly and easily adapt to speed reading. Take some time to learn the techniques, make a concerted effort to employ them, and then reap the many benefits of being able to speed read.
When you are small you learn how to read by a method called letter-by-letter reading, which essentially is exactly what it sounds like. You sound out each letter and over time you can form them into entire words. Children learn this process very young when they are shown the letters of the alphabet and the sound associated with each letter.
You wouldn’t stop at letter-by-letter reading if you knew how much more you would get out of reading by moving on to word-by-word reading, which is the ability to recognize entire words. So why limit yourself to block-by-block reading that involves short blocks of words when you can increase that enjoyment and understanding even further by learning how to increase those blocks?
Speed reading is more than getting through a stack of words at high speed. It increases the text you take in at one time, which gives you a better grasp of what you’ve read which in turn increases your ability to understand what you’re reading in bigger, faster doses. We all shift gears when we read, depending on what we’re reading. We automatically read text containing familiar words and ideas fast and slow down when we come across text with new ideas. Speed reading gives you another gear to shift into, saves you time, increases your reading comprehension, and gives you an automatic edge.
Having the ability to speed read allows you to read as quickly through unfamiliar text as you do with text that you have seen before. For the professional or student who needs to get through large pieces of text quickly, this is incredibly valuable. They can pick up a book or document, spend no more than a few minutes going over it and have the same comprehension and absorption that someone reading at a regular speed would have after spending several hours reading it. The time saved is remarkable and for someone who is a busy professional or for a student who is faced with many classes as well as other responsibilities, the difference in their lives can be substantially better.
Although learning to speed read takes time and patience, it’s an investment that is well worth it. Having the ability to grasp and retain information that is read at a fast speed can make a significant difference in a person’s life. If your reading skills are strong now, you can quickly and easily adapt to speed reading. Take some time to learn the techniques, make a concerted effort to employ them, and then reap the many benefits of being able to speed read.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Do Speed Reading Programs Really Work?
Speed reading programs are becoming more popular. Evelyn Wood discovered this technique, and introduced it to the public over 60 years ago. Since that time, many others have improved on her techniques, and several different speed reading programs are available today. With the massive amount of information we are required to process every day, developing the skill of speed reading has almost become a necessity.
Many speed reading programs help you to identify the bad reading habits that slow you down. The most common one is moving your lips when you read. This is something we all did when we first learned how to read, but now it holds us back from reading at optimum speeds. If this is one of your bad habits, try chewing gum when you read, or eating a piece of chewy candy. Placing your hand over your mouth when you read will also stop the problem.
There are many different types of speed reading programs, but they all work on the basic philosophy that your eyes can bring in information at a rapid rate and your brain will process this information as quickly as you can absorb it. This is why you also improve your reading comprehension as you learn to speed read.
There usually are speed reading programs offered at your local university, or college. Computer programs are also available to help you develop this skill. It is worth the time to investigate the different types of programs, as they differ in the level and skill set they teach. Some programs are simply reading improvement programs for poor readers, while others are true speed reading programs for people who already have good reading skills.
Most programs will begin by having you assess your own reading speed. From there they will show you how to read in groups, rather than single words. Some speed reading programs will show you how to skim pages to find the most relevant information. Others advocate reading the first and last paragraph of each chapter so you will be familiar with the information presented. All programs will help you eliminate the unnecessary words, so you will be able to quickly focus on the important ideas that are expressed in what you are reading.
If you want to start cutting down the time you spend reading emails, reviewing reports, and keeping up with your professional reading, then it is time to investigate the many programs available to help you master the skill of speed reading.
Many speed reading programs help you to identify the bad reading habits that slow you down. The most common one is moving your lips when you read. This is something we all did when we first learned how to read, but now it holds us back from reading at optimum speeds. If this is one of your bad habits, try chewing gum when you read, or eating a piece of chewy candy. Placing your hand over your mouth when you read will also stop the problem.
There are many different types of speed reading programs, but they all work on the basic philosophy that your eyes can bring in information at a rapid rate and your brain will process this information as quickly as you can absorb it. This is why you also improve your reading comprehension as you learn to speed read.
There usually are speed reading programs offered at your local university, or college. Computer programs are also available to help you develop this skill. It is worth the time to investigate the different types of programs, as they differ in the level and skill set they teach. Some programs are simply reading improvement programs for poor readers, while others are true speed reading programs for people who already have good reading skills.
Most programs will begin by having you assess your own reading speed. From there they will show you how to read in groups, rather than single words. Some speed reading programs will show you how to skim pages to find the most relevant information. Others advocate reading the first and last paragraph of each chapter so you will be familiar with the information presented. All programs will help you eliminate the unnecessary words, so you will be able to quickly focus on the important ideas that are expressed in what you are reading.
If you want to start cutting down the time you spend reading emails, reviewing reports, and keeping up with your professional reading, then it is time to investigate the many programs available to help you master the skill of speed reading.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Developing Reading Fluency
How many times have you heard a child reading aloud and it sounded like they were counting instead of reading? This is a problem that many teachers and parents face. It is caused by a lack of reading fluency. While it has long been recognized that fluency needs to be developed, teachers have been reluctant to teach it over the years. Fluency has been one of those skills that have been left to chance. However, fluency need not be left to chance, it can be taught. Here are some strategies to develop fluency in children:
1. Echo reading is modeled reading. An adult shows how a passage should be read taking care to show proper pronunciation and intonation. The adult reads a sentence or part of a sentence from the text and then the child follows trying to imitate the pattern shown by the adult. This strategy is effective because children have a model. They have a set guideline for how the passage or particular paragraph should sound.
2. Choral reading is another good way to develop reading fluency. During choral reading the teacher or adult reads along with a group of students. Choral reading is a traditional strategy that has been used by teachers for years. It is a good method. However teachers should watch out for those students who simply cannot keep up with choral reading. This strategy usually intimidates them and they will pretend to be reading but may simply be moving their lips. These children will usually succeed with other reading fluency strategies mentioned in this article.
3. Tape assisted reading is a tried and true method of developing reading fluency. Students read aloud from their books while listening to someone reading the same book on tape. There are many books that now come with tapes so tape assisted reading shouldn't be hard to do even if you don't want to record yourself modeling fluency. It is tedious to make tapes of yourself modeling reading, children however tend to appreciate the personal touch, be it from a teacher or a parent so before going out and buying tapes consider the do-it-yourself approach.
4. Peer reading is a strategy that partners a weak reader with a strong reader. This creates a support framework for the weaker reader and has often proven to be highly effective as the strong reader usually models fluency for the weaker reader. The personality of the partners selected for peer reading should be taken into consideration as some people get along together better than others. If the level of friction between the two partners becomes too high you might have to find each a new partner.
5. Children enjoy drama and they like it even better when they get to be the players in that drama. Let them act out scenes from a book using the dialogue from the story. This activity is good for developing reading fluency and it is also fun. While they are having fun they will be learning how to express themselves and learning drama skills at the same time. Playing a character from a book requires them to focus more on the details of the characters personality. Acting it out is not just good for reading fluency it is good for reading comprehension as well.
1. Echo reading is modeled reading. An adult shows how a passage should be read taking care to show proper pronunciation and intonation. The adult reads a sentence or part of a sentence from the text and then the child follows trying to imitate the pattern shown by the adult. This strategy is effective because children have a model. They have a set guideline for how the passage or particular paragraph should sound.
2. Choral reading is another good way to develop reading fluency. During choral reading the teacher or adult reads along with a group of students. Choral reading is a traditional strategy that has been used by teachers for years. It is a good method. However teachers should watch out for those students who simply cannot keep up with choral reading. This strategy usually intimidates them and they will pretend to be reading but may simply be moving their lips. These children will usually succeed with other reading fluency strategies mentioned in this article.
3. Tape assisted reading is a tried and true method of developing reading fluency. Students read aloud from their books while listening to someone reading the same book on tape. There are many books that now come with tapes so tape assisted reading shouldn't be hard to do even if you don't want to record yourself modeling fluency. It is tedious to make tapes of yourself modeling reading, children however tend to appreciate the personal touch, be it from a teacher or a parent so before going out and buying tapes consider the do-it-yourself approach.
4. Peer reading is a strategy that partners a weak reader with a strong reader. This creates a support framework for the weaker reader and has often proven to be highly effective as the strong reader usually models fluency for the weaker reader. The personality of the partners selected for peer reading should be taken into consideration as some people get along together better than others. If the level of friction between the two partners becomes too high you might have to find each a new partner.
5. Children enjoy drama and they like it even better when they get to be the players in that drama. Let them act out scenes from a book using the dialogue from the story. This activity is good for developing reading fluency and it is also fun. While they are having fun they will be learning how to express themselves and learning drama skills at the same time. Playing a character from a book requires them to focus more on the details of the characters personality. Acting it out is not just good for reading fluency it is good for reading comprehension as well.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Choosing A Speed Reading Technique
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.
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.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Reading Sets You Free
With books we able to escape to any place at any time in history or the future. All it takes is a vivid imagination and the ability to read.
Take John, who was wrongly convicted of a crime and sentenced to three years in the state penitentiary. At his introduction to the prison system he was read the rules and warned about solitary confinement. John interrupted his prison guard and said he had two requests. He requested that he be confined to solitary confinement to protect him from the rest of the prisoners. Secondly, he requested that he would be allowed to keep his Kindle. The guard honored his requests and thus was John confined to solitary with only his Kindle for his companion.
For the next two years John sat in his cell with no human contact. Only once every 24 hours was he allowed outside for exercise and shower. The rest of the time he remained in his cell reading his Kindle and sleeping. It was via his Kindle that he was to escape the prison bars to all kind of exotic places both past and future.
At the end of two years his case was retried and new DNA evidence made him a free man. The government paid him a handsome sum for the inconvenience and he came out of prison a self educated man. In fact, he was more educated than if he had spent four years at a college.
John used his government payoff to purchase an RV and proceeded to live rent free in the Southwest. He spent part of the year taking some camp host job at various National Forest campgrounds. The remainder of the year he traveled around visiting our National Parks.
The secret to John's success began as a young toddler when his mother spent many hours reading to him. This instilled in him a love for books. And it was his love for books that permitted him to escape the prison bars for those two years.
Now with his many hours of leisure he still maintains his habit of reading on his Kindle. Only now instead of bare walls of a prison cell it is the surroundings of some National Forrest.
Take John, who was wrongly convicted of a crime and sentenced to three years in the state penitentiary. At his introduction to the prison system he was read the rules and warned about solitary confinement. John interrupted his prison guard and said he had two requests. He requested that he be confined to solitary confinement to protect him from the rest of the prisoners. Secondly, he requested that he would be allowed to keep his Kindle. The guard honored his requests and thus was John confined to solitary with only his Kindle for his companion.
For the next two years John sat in his cell with no human contact. Only once every 24 hours was he allowed outside for exercise and shower. The rest of the time he remained in his cell reading his Kindle and sleeping. It was via his Kindle that he was to escape the prison bars to all kind of exotic places both past and future.
At the end of two years his case was retried and new DNA evidence made him a free man. The government paid him a handsome sum for the inconvenience and he came out of prison a self educated man. In fact, he was more educated than if he had spent four years at a college.
John used his government payoff to purchase an RV and proceeded to live rent free in the Southwest. He spent part of the year taking some camp host job at various National Forest campgrounds. The remainder of the year he traveled around visiting our National Parks.
The secret to John's success began as a young toddler when his mother spent many hours reading to him. This instilled in him a love for books. And it was his love for books that permitted him to escape the prison bars for those two years.
Now with his many hours of leisure he still maintains his habit of reading on his Kindle. Only now instead of bare walls of a prison cell it is the surroundings of some National Forrest.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Good readers are the achievers in our society. Poor readers are the non-achievers. The key factors which determines our status in life is our ability to read and faithfulness in reading. It is as simple as that.
And the key to becoming a good reader is practice. Of course if our parents read to us while we were young we had the advantage of appreciating reading drilled into us right from the beginning.
If we did not have parents who read to us as a child we have to have the benefits of reading firmly engraved in our mind to motivate us to invest the effort to learn to become a good reader.
There is only one way that we can become a good reader. And that is to practice. We should begin small by reading one page on the first day then two pages the second day and on until we are reading ten pages on the tenth day. Then at ten pages per day we will read one book per month.
Be sure to select reading material that interests you. Most of us were burnt out on reading back in grade school when our teachers assigned us to read books that were too boring and uninteresting. That is the reason we have a country of such poor readers. YouTube has become the alternative to books. Will we even have libraries and bookstores when this current generation dies off?
Histories and biographies are an excellent choice of material to read. We can learn from the mistakes of others and avoid their failures simply by reading. Or we can learn from their successes and be encouraged to copy their choices and benefit in our own lives by simply reading.
The secret to becoming a good student is to become a good reader. Once we have arrived at that level we can then learn almost any subject. Why should we go into a huge student debt to pay some instructor to assign us to read a textbook? Why not rather avoid the instructor and his huge salary and just stay at home and read the same textbook? In fact, why not rather read material that really interests us rather than what is assigned to us by some educational institution?
If the book that we are reading answers questions that we have on our minds then our comprehension will be so much greater.
And the key to becoming a good reader is practice. Of course if our parents read to us while we were young we had the advantage of appreciating reading drilled into us right from the beginning.
If we did not have parents who read to us as a child we have to have the benefits of reading firmly engraved in our mind to motivate us to invest the effort to learn to become a good reader.
There is only one way that we can become a good reader. And that is to practice. We should begin small by reading one page on the first day then two pages the second day and on until we are reading ten pages on the tenth day. Then at ten pages per day we will read one book per month.
Be sure to select reading material that interests you. Most of us were burnt out on reading back in grade school when our teachers assigned us to read books that were too boring and uninteresting. That is the reason we have a country of such poor readers. YouTube has become the alternative to books. Will we even have libraries and bookstores when this current generation dies off?
Histories and biographies are an excellent choice of material to read. We can learn from the mistakes of others and avoid their failures simply by reading. Or we can learn from their successes and be encouraged to copy their choices and benefit in our own lives by simply reading.
The secret to becoming a good student is to become a good reader. Once we have arrived at that level we can then learn almost any subject. Why should we go into a huge student debt to pay some instructor to assign us to read a textbook? Why not rather avoid the instructor and his huge salary and just stay at home and read the same textbook? In fact, why not rather read material that really interests us rather than what is assigned to us by some educational institution?
If the book that we are reading answers questions that we have on our minds then our comprehension will be so much greater.
Better Speed Reading Techniques
Research shows that there is a big relationship between reading rate and reading comprehension.
Some people read rapidly and comprehend well; others read slowly and comprehend badly. Thus, there is some reason to believe that the factors producing slow reading are also involved in lowered comprehension.
Good comprehension depends on whether you can extract and retain the important ideas that you’ve read, not on how fast you read them. If you can do this fast, then your reading speed can be increased.
If you pair fast-reading with worrying about comprehension, your reading speed will drop because the mind is occupied with your fears and you are not paying attention to the ideas that you are reading.
But, if you concentrate on the purpose of reading (locating main ideas and finding answers to your questions), your speed and comprehension should increase. Your concern should be not with how fast you can get through a chapter alone, but with how quickly you can comprehend the facts and ideas that you need.
Comprehension
Comprehension during speed reading is easier than during standard reading.
This is because the mind is busy looking for meaning, not rereading words and sentences.
The average reader spends about 1/6th of the time rereading words than actually reading them.
Rereading interrupts the flow of comprehension and slows down the process, that’s why the habit of it should be eliminated.
How to comprehend easily?
Scan the chapter first. Identify the sections to which the author devotes the most amount of space – what where the text focuses. If there are lots of diagrams for a particular topic, then that must also be an important concept.
If you're really under time pressure, you can skip the sections to which the least amount of space is devoted.
Take note on headings and read the first sentence of every paragraph more carefully than the rest of the paragraph. The main idea is usually situated there. Read the important parts and the main ideas. Focus on nouns and main propositions in each sentence. Look for the noun-verb combinations, and focus the mind on these.
Then, close the book and ask yourself what you now know about the subject that you didn't know before you started.
Reducing Skip Backs
Important: Don't reread the same phrases from the text!
Poor readers read and reread the same phrase over and over again.
This habit of making "regressions" doubles or worse triples reading time and often does not even result in better comprehension. A single careful, attentive speed reading may not be always enough for completely comprehending the matter you are reading, but is often more effective than constant regressions in the middle rate of a reading.
It is best to work on paying closer attention and doing a preview first before the careful reading.
To help reduce the number of times that the eyes goes back to a previous word or sentence, run a pointer along the line as you read. This could be a finger, a pen or any pointed material.
Your eyes will follow the tip of your pointer, smoothing the flow of speed reading. The speed at which you read using this method will largely depend on the speed at which you move the pointer; so if you want to speed up your reading, you also have to increase your pointing rate.
Some people read rapidly and comprehend well; others read slowly and comprehend badly. Thus, there is some reason to believe that the factors producing slow reading are also involved in lowered comprehension.
Good comprehension depends on whether you can extract and retain the important ideas that you’ve read, not on how fast you read them. If you can do this fast, then your reading speed can be increased.
If you pair fast-reading with worrying about comprehension, your reading speed will drop because the mind is occupied with your fears and you are not paying attention to the ideas that you are reading.
But, if you concentrate on the purpose of reading (locating main ideas and finding answers to your questions), your speed and comprehension should increase. Your concern should be not with how fast you can get through a chapter alone, but with how quickly you can comprehend the facts and ideas that you need.
Comprehension
Comprehension during speed reading is easier than during standard reading.
This is because the mind is busy looking for meaning, not rereading words and sentences.
The average reader spends about 1/6th of the time rereading words than actually reading them.
Rereading interrupts the flow of comprehension and slows down the process, that’s why the habit of it should be eliminated.
How to comprehend easily?
Scan the chapter first. Identify the sections to which the author devotes the most amount of space – what where the text focuses. If there are lots of diagrams for a particular topic, then that must also be an important concept.
If you're really under time pressure, you can skip the sections to which the least amount of space is devoted.
Take note on headings and read the first sentence of every paragraph more carefully than the rest of the paragraph. The main idea is usually situated there. Read the important parts and the main ideas. Focus on nouns and main propositions in each sentence. Look for the noun-verb combinations, and focus the mind on these.
Then, close the book and ask yourself what you now know about the subject that you didn't know before you started.
Reducing Skip Backs
Important: Don't reread the same phrases from the text!
Poor readers read and reread the same phrase over and over again.
This habit of making "regressions" doubles or worse triples reading time and often does not even result in better comprehension. A single careful, attentive speed reading may not be always enough for completely comprehending the matter you are reading, but is often more effective than constant regressions in the middle rate of a reading.
It is best to work on paying closer attention and doing a preview first before the careful reading.
To help reduce the number of times that the eyes goes back to a previous word or sentence, run a pointer along the line as you read. This could be a finger, a pen or any pointed material.
Your eyes will follow the tip of your pointer, smoothing the flow of speed reading. The speed at which you read using this method will largely depend on the speed at which you move the pointer; so if you want to speed up your reading, you also have to increase your pointing rate.
Speed Reading: The Course of Speed Scientific Reading
If you have the extreme passion for reading but you experience difficulty in absorbing large quantities of information from the material you read, then you’ve got to engage in some speed reading practices.
Speed reading will also encourage you more to appreciate your studies, enjoy reading bulky novels, books, and other write-ups. Speed reading has a designated purpose. There is literally no one in this world who can escape reading. At all rates, reading is an integral part of man’s life.
The Secret Steps to Speed Reading - Do some warm-up exercises before focusing entirely. Using your hands one at a time, create some imaginary infinity symbols. Then, close your eyes and visualize the creation of narrower infinity symbols. Become aware of how your eyes move from left to right and vice versa. After which, get a pen and scribble on a page using the Zorro strategy.
There are three essential elements that make up a soft-focus. Firstly, you’ve got to focus your eyesight into the upper-half portion of the letters of those words comprising the sentence. The retina will be much comfortable in this setup and speed reading is increased by up to 35%.
Secondly, look indirectly into the words in a sentence just like how binoculars work out. In a snail-pace, focus on the words one by one just like how you would read through a microscope.
Thirdly, using your mental ability, divide the sentence into about three clauses and into three words each. Continue practicing in this manner.
Do the hard focus. There is a need for you to first understand what soft-focus means before you will get the chance to get into the real depths of the hard-focus. Hard-focus of the vision is engaged to when you get to watch tv, play video games, work on the computer, and so on. Hard focus in speed reading is likewise referred to as the tunnel-vision as compared to the lateral left and lateral right vision of the horses. The main difference of the hard-focus with the soft-focus is that the first one is concerned with a narrowed spectrum whereas the latter one is more of eye relaxation.
Remember that speed reading can only be achieved through constant practice. If you are up and about to the training that you must engage to, you know for certain that speed reading can soon be one of your fortes.
Speed reading will also encourage you more to appreciate your studies, enjoy reading bulky novels, books, and other write-ups. Speed reading has a designated purpose. There is literally no one in this world who can escape reading. At all rates, reading is an integral part of man’s life.
The Secret Steps to Speed Reading - Do some warm-up exercises before focusing entirely. Using your hands one at a time, create some imaginary infinity symbols. Then, close your eyes and visualize the creation of narrower infinity symbols. Become aware of how your eyes move from left to right and vice versa. After which, get a pen and scribble on a page using the Zorro strategy.
There are three essential elements that make up a soft-focus. Firstly, you’ve got to focus your eyesight into the upper-half portion of the letters of those words comprising the sentence. The retina will be much comfortable in this setup and speed reading is increased by up to 35%.
Secondly, look indirectly into the words in a sentence just like how binoculars work out. In a snail-pace, focus on the words one by one just like how you would read through a microscope.
Thirdly, using your mental ability, divide the sentence into about three clauses and into three words each. Continue practicing in this manner.
Do the hard focus. There is a need for you to first understand what soft-focus means before you will get the chance to get into the real depths of the hard-focus. Hard-focus of the vision is engaged to when you get to watch tv, play video games, work on the computer, and so on. Hard focus in speed reading is likewise referred to as the tunnel-vision as compared to the lateral left and lateral right vision of the horses. The main difference of the hard-focus with the soft-focus is that the first one is concerned with a narrowed spectrum whereas the latter one is more of eye relaxation.
Remember that speed reading can only be achieved through constant practice. If you are up and about to the training that you must engage to, you know for certain that speed reading can soon be one of your fortes.
Better Reading Fluency Results In Better Reading Comprehension
Reading fluency is the ability to read quickly and accurately. A person with good reading fluency is able to comprehend more because they instantly group and recognize words. Doing this instantly frees up the brain for comprehending what is actually being read. Good reading fluency will help people learn more and excel at school or on the job. It is common for people to struggle with reading fluency. There are, however, specific training programs that allow an individual to strengthen their reading fluency.
An individual struggling with reading fluency can be extremely frustrated with learning because they have to spend extra time trying to understand what they are reading. This can negatively impact people in a school or professional work setting. When a person struggling with reading fluency reads out loud their reading will typically be slow, choppy, and without natural expression.
Besides having difficulty reading aloud an individual who struggles with reading fluency may also notice that they identify words in a list well, but they can't read the same words fluently in a phrase. It is vital that you help students move from word recognition in isolation to reading fluency in context. This can be accomplished with the proper testing, training, and practice.
The National Institute for Literacy said on their website that, "Repeated and monitored oral reading improves reading fluency and overall reading achievement." This is one of the two steps researched by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The second step they found for improved reading fluency is silent reading done independently by the students. Practice is one of the key factors to an improvement in reading fluency.
The NAEP has also laid out their definition of reading fluency. They define it as: "the ease or 'naturalness' of reading."
In 1995 the NAEP found that 44% of United States fourth graders were on the lower end of the fluency scale. The study also confirmed that reading fluency and reading comprehension are directly related to each other. It has been proven that many American classrooms neglect to teach or train students to become more fluent readers. This in turn affects student's reading comprehension in the present and carries over later in life.
To help your child or a loved one become a more fluent reader it is important to have them take a simple reading fluency test at a quality learning training center. This test will help you understand their strengths and weaknesses on the reading fluency scale. After the test the learning training center can put together a plan of action for helping to improve the reading fluency. This includes having your child receive professional feedback on their reading. This training process has proven to help improve reading fluency for a lifetime.
An individual struggling with reading fluency can be extremely frustrated with learning because they have to spend extra time trying to understand what they are reading. This can negatively impact people in a school or professional work setting. When a person struggling with reading fluency reads out loud their reading will typically be slow, choppy, and without natural expression.
Besides having difficulty reading aloud an individual who struggles with reading fluency may also notice that they identify words in a list well, but they can't read the same words fluently in a phrase. It is vital that you help students move from word recognition in isolation to reading fluency in context. This can be accomplished with the proper testing, training, and practice.
The National Institute for Literacy said on their website that, "Repeated and monitored oral reading improves reading fluency and overall reading achievement." This is one of the two steps researched by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The second step they found for improved reading fluency is silent reading done independently by the students. Practice is one of the key factors to an improvement in reading fluency.
The NAEP has also laid out their definition of reading fluency. They define it as: "the ease or 'naturalness' of reading."
In 1995 the NAEP found that 44% of United States fourth graders were on the lower end of the fluency scale. The study also confirmed that reading fluency and reading comprehension are directly related to each other. It has been proven that many American classrooms neglect to teach or train students to become more fluent readers. This in turn affects student's reading comprehension in the present and carries over later in life.
To help your child or a loved one become a more fluent reader it is important to have them take a simple reading fluency test at a quality learning training center. This test will help you understand their strengths and weaknesses on the reading fluency scale. After the test the learning training center can put together a plan of action for helping to improve the reading fluency. This includes having your child receive professional feedback on their reading. This training process has proven to help improve reading fluency for a lifetime.
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