All Reading

All Reading

Radically Increasing Your Reading Speed

Speed reading helps you to read and understand texts more quickly. It is an essential skill in any environment where you have to learn bulky pieces of information fast.

The most important thing you need to know about speed reading is to identify what information you need from a document before you start reading. For example, if you only want an outline of the different computer programming languages, then you can skim the document very quickly and extract only the essential facts. On the other hand, if you need to understand the real detail of the document – how program X differs from program Y and Z – then you need to read it slowly enough to fully understand it.

You will get the greatest time saving from speed reading by learning to adjust your reading type depending on your purpose and need.

 

Technical Issues

Even when you know how to ignore irrelevant details, you can make other technical improvements to your reading style that can increase your reading speed.

As what we have mentioned earlier, most people tend to read the way young children do – either letter-by-letter or word-by-word. But the truth is, reading is about fixing the eyes on one block of words, then moving them again to the next block, and so on. Thus, you are reading blocks of words at a time, and not individual words one-by-one.

            Skilled readers are able to read the most number of words in each block. They will dwell on each block for an instant, and will immediately move on. This technique reduces the amount of work that the reader's eyes have to do. It also increases the volume of information that can be read in a certain period.

Poor readers, on the other hand, spend a lot of time reading small blocks of words. They will skip back often, resulting to decrease in reading speed. This irregular eye movement will make reading tiring. That is why poor readers tend to dislike reading, and may find it harder to concentrate and understand any reading material. 

Speed reading aims to improve reading skills by:

• Increasing the number of words in each block:

Consciousness is necessary in trying to expand the number of words that you read at a time. Practice will help you read faster. You may also find that you can increase the number of words read by holding the text a little further from your eyes. The more words you can read in each block, the faster you will read!

• Reducing fixation time:

The minimum length of time needed to read each block is probably ¼ of a second. By pushing yourself to reduce the time you take, you will get better at picking up information quickly.

• Reducing skip backs:

To reduce the number of times your eyes goes back to a previous text, run a pointer along the line as you read. Your eyes should follow the tip of your pointer to smoothen the flow of your reading.

 

Self-Pacing Techniques in Speed Reading

 

Speed reading is not a big incomprehensible subject. Professional speed reading classes mainly teach a handful of quick methods that help people focus their attention better. The eyes are drawn to movement. Speed reading methods put that motion on the material being read.

Your starting position is essential. You should sit up straight, grip the book down with your left hand, and use your right hand to do the pacing.

You should already be an able reader before you try to speed read. Speed reading will not help you if you have problems in understanding the meaning of the words. In fact, it may be fruitless for you to try to rush through things that you can't comprehend. You should have the basics down already first.

Before you start speed reading, you should do a survey of the data first and foremost to get a general idea of what you will be undertaking and of the type of writing.  The self-pacing methods below used in speed reading can help in increasing  focus and understanding. They can also help in breaking the habit of reading and reading again.

The Hand Technique

The first technique is to simply place your right hand on the page and slowly move it straight down the page, drawing your eyes down as you read. Keep an equal, gradual motion, as if your right hand has its own free will. Your eyes may not be exactly where your hand is, but this simple movement will allow you to go faster. Don't start, read a little, stop, read a little, start, read a little. Keep the movement slow and easy. Only do it once per page. If you are "left-handed," use your left hand as the dominant pacing hand.

The Finger Technique

Lift your fingers and make two even bounces on each line. Each time you bounce, you are ought to be making a fixation of about sets of 3-4 words. This should be done with a balance arm muscle and not just wiggling the wrist.

The Card Technique

The next method is to utilize a card or a folded-up piece of paper on top of  the line of print to block the words after you read them. Move it down the page slowly and evenly, and try to read the lines before you cover the words up. This helps break the habit of reading a line of text over and over again. It helps you pay more attention the first time. Be sure to push the card down quicker than you think you can go. Slide the card down once per page.

The Sweep Technique

Another tactic is to use your hand to help draw your eyes across the page. Slightly cup your right hand. Keep your fingers together. With a very loose and fluid motion, sweep your fingers from left to right, underlining the line with the tip of your tallest finger from about an inch in and an inch out on each line. Use your whole arm to move, balancing on your arm muscle. Imagine that you are dusting off dirt from the page.

 

Speed Reading Tips

• Once you start reading, don't stop! Read the text straight through. If you have any question after you have completed reading the material, go back and reread the relevant sections.
• Reread the marked sections of the text (the items you indicated that you didn’t quite understand).
• Write a small summary at the beginning of the chapter – consisting about 3-4 sentences. If you ever need to return to the text, the information is much more easily found with summary markings.
• Read once. You can't read everything all at once (and wouldn't want to). If it's important, read it now. If it's not, let it wait.
• Read the title and the first paragraph more carefully than the other parts of the section.

• If there is a summary at the end of a chapter, read it.
• Get a grasp of how the material is organized.
• If you need more background, seek another source.
• A paper and a pen at hand while reading are helpful. Make sure to have both beside you before beginning to read.
• Use the cursor on computer as a pointer when you read text on the screen. The cursor will then act as a finger, and your eyes will most likely follow for moving object.
• Use a guide (pencil, finger, ruler, etc.) to stop regression.
• Train yourself to bypass your automatic response to mentally speak each word. Instead, read words and phrases at a time, using only the peripheral vision.
• When you are reading, it is often useful to highlight, underline, and annotate the text as you go on. This emphasizes information in the mind, and helps you to recall important details after reading the material.
• Underline relevant information in a section as if you were preparing brief notes from which you could study.

• Underline all definitions of terminology.
• Mark or label examples that represent main ideas.
• Circle and box special vocabulary words and transitional words and phrases.
• Number important or sequential ideas.
• Jot down paraphrases, questions, and summaries in available spaces within the text.  

 

What Causes Slow Reading?

• Reading word per word
• Longer time in reading chunks of words
• Eyes going back to a word or sentence previously read
• Unable to recognize and respond immediately to the material
• Slow vocalizationand comprehension
• Incorrect eye movements and regression
• Slow reading habits due to past reading experiences
• Inattentiveness and absent-mindedness during reading
• Lack of practice and interest in reading
• Spending a lot of time on individual words to be able to sustain comprehension
• Poor recognition of important and unimportant things
• Remembering everything rather than selectively

Notice that these conditions also act to reduce comprehension. Thus, increasing your reading rate by eliminating all these may also result to increased comprehension.

 

 

 

 

Tips for Increasing Reading Rate

• Improve your vocabulary. Expose yourself with new words so when you encounter them, you won’t spend more time figuring out what they mean.
• Know your reading purpose. For main ideas only, skimming the material is already enough.
• Read faster by reading with the mind instead of with the lips.
• Read more! Take 15 minutes of your time a day reading an average size novel, magazines, or other books. 
• Everyday, increase your reading rate by reading faster (about 2 to 3 times faster) than your normal speed.
• If reading concentration is poor, practice reading for 5 to 10 minutes only at a time. Gradually increase this rate over time.

About the Author

http://www.live-your-potential.com

I am reading Gone With The Wind. How can I read it all the way through?

I am reading Gone With The Wind. How can I read it all the way through? I am only on page 224. I mean, it's a good book so far but, how can I read a 1,023 page book with out getting distracted?
Okay, when I say distracted, I mean that I have to do a lot of things in between reading

I'm not trying to pick on you personally, but your question really bothers me. This is what the public school system, Sesame Street, video games and TV has done for the youth of our country.

Young people now days have the attention span of gnats, and want constant entertainment/stimulation. You shouldn't be bored and have your mind wandering from an interesting and well written book. Unfortunately, you mind has been taught over the years to constantly seek out some new stimulation/activity every few minutes to seconds.

Find someplace quiet, with no distractions, like TV, music, people, phones, computer, ect which make your mind want to wander. Immerse your mind and imagination into the book.

If your mind begins to wander, stop reading, and think about the part you have just read. Add details in your mind. What must the carriage wheels sound like on the road? What do the flowers smell like? What would the dust from traveling in a buggy taste like? What would a room filled with women in those great rustling skirts sound like? What would it be like to try and move around in one of those dresses? What would it be like to live in a hot climate, but have no ice for drinks? How important would dancing be to ladies of that era when there were few forms of entertainment?

Think about the story line, the people and that time era. Your mind will become more interested in the book for longer periods of time.

~Garnet
Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years
Avid bibliophile (I read about a book a day, and can read a thousand page book in 2-3 days, depending on how busy I am on the farm)

"(Rockin') All Nite Long" -- A Bad Lip Reading of Taylor Swift, featuring Wiz Khalifa