| A common question asked in speed reading circles | | | | want to read this month's magazine before next |
| is whether or not having the ability to speed read | | | | month's issue! And, that's nothing compared to |
| is suitable for everyone. The straightforward | | | | Sunday's edition of the newspaper. Can you |
| answer to this question is: "yes". The more | | | | image trying to read Sunday's paper without |
| complex answer is: "it depends". | | | | speed reading skills? - Well, it simply cannot be |
| Below we set out some of the circumstances | | | | done these days! |
| under which it may be beneficial to be able to | | | | In short, it doesn't really matter what stage of |
| speed read and other circumstances where it | | | | your life you are at, the ability to be able to |
| may not be so beneficial to be able to speed | | | | speed read is an essential one. |
| read: | | | | Occasions when speed reading may not be |
| When it is beneficial to speed read | | | | beneficial |
| Essentially, the great joy of being able to speed | | | | Having said that speed reading is an essential |
| read is the ability to take in large volumes of data | | | | element no matter what stage you are at in your |
| over as short a period as possible. Consequently, | | | | life, there are a number of circumstances under |
| those of us who find ourselves in circumstances | | | | which it may not be overly beneficial to be able to |
| where we need to read excessive amount of | | | | speed read. These include: |
| information in a short period of time; and, | | | | * If you have a reading problem: |
| importantly, to comprehend that material at the | | | | Speed reading techniques use cluster methods. |
| same time, will benefit from this skill. Such | | | | This is to say, the reader needs to group whole |
| persons include: | | | | paragraphs together and skim read them. |
| * School students: | | | | However, if a person has a reading disability that |
| School students are ideal candidates for speed | | | | doesn't allow them to be able to process the |
| reading skills because they are at an age where | | | | clustering of paragraphs easily, then this may |
| they can still absorb new concepts and ideas, | | | | result in a feeling of embarrassment, discomfort, |
| whilst also having the need to have advanced | | | | or even slowness. In such circumstances, it is far |
| reading skills in order to be able to read lots of | | | | better for the confidence of the reader if they |
| school texts; | | | | resort to traditional methods of reading each |
| * College students: | | | | word on the page word-by-word. |
| As with school students, college students need to | | | | * Age: |
| be able to read lots of textbook material in a | | | | Care needs to be taken at what age a student |
| short space of time. Therefore, the ability to be | | | | starts to learn to speed read as certain clinical |
| able to speed read is an important and useful skill. | | | | studies have shown that students who try to |
| * Work employees: | | | | learn to speed read too early can be left with |
| Those of us who are working "white-collar" clerical | | | | counterproductive problems - such as dyslexia. As |
| jobs certainly need to have the ability to speed | | | | such, it is not recommended that children below |
| read as this will cut-down on an otherwise very | | | | 10 learn to speed read. |
| long day. With almost all of the world's reading | | | | * Comprehension: |
| material being generated in offices, as faxes, | | | | In certain circumstances some readers who |
| memos, letters, reports, etc. being able to speed | | | | speed read are left with a loss of comprehension |
| read becomes more important as time | | | | of the reading material, rather than more. If this is |
| progresses, not less! | | | | the case, then invoking speed reading skill may be |
| * English language students: | | | | counterproductive. |
| As speed reading skills enable you to comprehend | | | | To sum it up, like most things in life, the ability to |
| what you are reading better, English language | | | | speed read is something most of us should try to |
| students are an often quoted group of people | | | | conquer, which is not to say that it is necessarily |
| who benefit from the ability to be able to speed | | | | beneficial to all of us, nor that we should invoke it |
| read. | | | | at all times. |
| * Pleasure: | | | | Learn it and use it to your advantage, as and |
| With the amount of advertising in modern | | | | when is needed. |
| magazines, the ability to speed read is vital if you | | | | |