| Speed reading is a vastly popular keyword | | | | scarce in today's busy world. Workplaces are |
| internet search term with several million searches | | | | abuzz with phones, pagers, cell phones, people |
| per month. Many people want to discover how to | | | | dropping in, etc. Distraction is the norm. |
| do this vital information management skill today. | | | | Lack of focus and concentration is one of the |
| However, before someone learns to speed read, | | | | biggest complaints I get from prospective |
| it might be helpful to take a step back and | | | | learners. Try this experiment. Take something |
| observe something that is taken for granted. | | | | that you want to read. Hard paper copy is best |
| When you read, whether it is speedy or not, | | | | for this experiment. Limit yourself to one page. |
| what does your mind do? If you take it for | | | | Read the page. Count how many times your mind |
| granted, you might be able to move through print | | | | wanders off from where you are on the page. |
| quickly, but then you probably won't comprehend | | | | Now for the good news! The brain/mind is a |
| well. | | | | powerful tool that can be trained. You can train |
| There is no such thing as speed reading without | | | | yourself to focus and concentrate better, both |
| comprehension. This has to be stated boldly. A | | | | generally and specifically for reading. In fact, within |
| common complaint I get when people have tried | | | | a couple hours of speed reading training, most |
| speed reading in the past is that they are able to | | | | learners will see significant results in their ability to |
| speed up their pass through the material, but their | | | | concentrate while reading. |
| comprehension suffers. There are various reasons | | | | Speed reading can improve your reading |
| for this to happen, but the fact is, if you don't | | | | concentration. One of the reasons the mind |
| understand anything in the material, then reading is | | | | wanders while reading has to do with what is |
| not taking place. | | | | called mind speed versus reading speed. If you |
| Reading, whether it is done with speed or not, is | | | | are a slow reader, mind wandering is a natural |
| comprehension, or understanding the material. In | | | | result. Your mind's processing speed is |
| order to understand the material, you have to | | | | exponentially faster than the average reading |
| consider your mind's experience. As a brain | | | | speed of around 250 words per minute. Some |
| trainer, I have come to understand that being | | | | brain researchers have even estimated the brain's |
| aware of our thoughts is generally taken for | | | | processing speed to be between 80,000 to |
| granted. Either we're fantasizing the future, or we | | | | 120,000 words per minute! Wow! Think of that! |
| are reliving the past. True conscious awareness | | | | How fast do you read? What's the mind |
| escapes most of us most of the time. | | | | supposed to do if you're reading at an average |
| Let's forget about speed reading for a moment | | | | speed? |
| and just consider what does your mind do when | | | | Unfortunately many speed reading programs |
| you read? If you are like most people your mind | | | | focus merely on the speed of moving the eyes |
| is probably not present to what the print | | | | faster and more efficiently. Yes, the eyes do |
| symbolizes. Your mind races ahead. Or, it wanders | | | | need to move faster and more efficiently. But, |
| off into some other task that you should be | | | | the mind needs to stay along for the ride. What |
| considering. Or, perhaps you are remembering | | | | do you do to get the mind involved as well? |
| some pleasurable event that you'd like to be | | | | The short answer is to pay attention and think |
| reliving, rather than paying attention to the task | | | | about what you are seeing. Make connections |
| at hand. Or, any number of things could be | | | | amongst the symbols on the page. Ask questions |
| occupying that mental space other than | | | | of the material. Constantly ask yourself as you |
| considering the print in front of you. | | | | are moving your eyes, "what's this about?" |
| It should be noted that most people suffer from | | | | Reading comprehension is the mind's response to |
| this at almost all times of their waking day. Focus | | | | the print whether you read fast, or whether you |
| and concentration is a precious resource that is | | | | read slow. |