| Have you ever wondered what happens in your | | | | attempts to understand the "big picture," and then |
| brain when you read? When you understand how | | | | creating meanings by literally "connecting the |
| different parts of your brain become activated | | | | dots." By not relying on sequence and too many |
| doing different types of mental tasks, then you | | | | specifics, the right hemisphere creates pictures |
| can take control of your ability to read better and | | | | (often by filling in the blanks) and "trusting the gut" |
| faster. On the other hand, by not understanding | | | | while it seeks meaning and high concepts. |
| some simple facts of how your brain works, the | | | | The right hemisphere, then, does have an |
| process of learning to read better and faster will | | | | important place in your learning how to speed |
| continue to be a mystery. Speed reading mastery | | | | read. By engaging the right hemisphere, you can |
| requires you to know how to unlock your whole | | | | more quickly grasp the larger meaning of a |
| brain. | | | | document or book. From that general framework, |
| Reading is a mental/cognitive skill by which the | | | | you can then more quickly absorb the facts and |
| reader views the printed symbols on a page and | | | | details because they have a place to hang onto in |
| derives the meaning of those symbols by | | | | the comprehension process. The right |
| connecting them to previously experienced | | | | hemisphere's visual preference helps the speed |
| symbols and meanings. That was a tough | | | | reader to by-pass the need for grammatical |
| sentence. Let's break it down. As you see the | | | | structures as meaning becomes more important |
| print, you make mental connections. Understanding | | | | than word sequencing. The right hemisphere |
| this fact means reading is a thinking skill. You can | | | | needs to be engaged especially when reading to |
| read as fast as you can think (or make | | | | enjoy a novel. Additionally, engaging the right |
| connections amongst the symbols of print). In | | | | hemisphere and "seeing" or understanding the big |
| order to read fast, you need to think (respond to | | | | picture first, helps reading non-fiction as well |
| the print) faster. However, how do you do that? | | | | because the facts and details can more easily be |
| Before getting to that, it would be helpful to | | | | absorbed. |
| understand some basics of how your brain | | | | Therefore, it's not a question of reading with |
| perceives information. | | | | either right, or left hemispheres. Effective speed |
| The left hemisphere takes in information in a | | | | reading requires both hemispheres to be engaged. |
| structured, sequential logical manner in | | | | So stop reading as a "half-brain." |
| step-by-step sequences of information bits. The | | | | To better engage the right brain and read in a |
| left hemisphere is also the center of speech | | | | more "whole-brained" fashion: |
| recognition and expression. The left hemisphere | | | | 1. Read with a purpose. Know why you are |
| understands language, then, in a linearly | | | | reading something and what you need to learn or |
| grammatical sequenced fashion. | | | | get from the material. |
| Traditional reading by its nature is almost | | | | 2. Try to understand the gist or main idea first |
| completely a left hemisphere activity. Reading | | | | before focusing on the details and specifics when |
| word-by-word, left to right in a linear manner, you | | | | reading documents longer than a couple |
| read in the grammatical fashion as if you were | | | | paragraphs. |
| saying the text aloud, except you are doing it | | | | 3. Ask yourself, "What's this about" continuously, |
| inside your head. Thus, subvocalization, one of the | | | | and allow your mind to respond. Listen to your |
| most commonly understood limiting habits to | | | | mind's "gut response." |
| speed reading, is inevitable. This will always hold | | | | 4. Learn and understand the differences between |
| you back in your speed until you learn how to | | | | concepts, ideas, facts, and details. Knowing these |
| break out of this pattern. | | | | differences can help you adjust your approach to |
| Traditional linear reading also keeps your mind | | | | comprehension. |
| limited to focusing on the parts (individual words) | | | | 5. Know that comprehension is a building process, |
| before you can recognize the "whole," or larger | | | | not a onetime event. Learn and understand how |
| picture, framework, or concept and meanings. By | | | | to "layer" your approach to comprehension based |
| limiting your comprehension to this method or | | | | on your reading purpose. |
| approach, you "can't see the forest for the | | | | Although there are several more things you can |
| trees." Your speed may get up to around 600 | | | | do to engage your right brain, using these tips can |
| wpm, but you will not breakthrough to truly rapid | | | | go a long way to helping you read faster and |
| speed reading. | | | | better. |
| The right hemisphere, on the other hand, | | | | Bonus tip: the above ideas and tips are necessary |
| perceives information quite differently. The right | | | | for longer documents, books, and articles. They |
| hemisphere is visual and imaginative. The right | | | | do not necessarily apply to text messages, sms, |
| neo-cortex takes in data and information in a | | | | or short one-paragraph postings. |
| more random fashion capturing snapshots in | | | | |