| "body"> | | | | writer will merely be reinforcing the notion set out |
| The ability to speed read is an important skill in | | | | in sentence one. However, this technique does |
| today's world, where - whether we are students | | | | fall-down on one major point - it pre-supposes |
| or at work - we are often expected to read | | | | that a paragraph only has one idea, which is |
| hefty amounts of materials on a daily basis. As a | | | | clearly not always the case! If you find that you |
| result, improving your speed reading technique is | | | | are reading material where the writer has used |
| something each and every one of us should not | | | | multiple ideas in the same paragraph, you may |
| only do, but maintain. What, then, are speed | | | | need to adapt your speed reading technique to |
| reading techniques? | | | | one of the other speed reading techniques. |
| Speed reading - the essential elements | | | | Speed reading technique #3 - Group wording |
| Before you start to learn any particular speed | | | | There is a term in speed reading circles that is |
| reading technique, you need to consider that all | | | | seen as being one of the major demons of |
| speed reading techniques rely on three essential | | | | reading: "subvocalization". Subvocalization is a clinical |
| elements: | | | | term for word-for-word reading - and it's a huge |
| 1. A desire to improve you reading speed; | | | | no-no in speed reading techniques. Subvocalization |
| 2. A willingness to give new ideas a chance; and | | | | slows reading down, without providing any |
| 3. Motivation, discipline and continued practice. | | | | upswing in comprehension to counter the lost |
| Without these three key elements, no speed | | | | reading time. |
| reading technique is going to succeed. | | | | Group wording, as the name suggests, is where |
| Speeding reading technique #1 - Skimming | | | | the reader looks at a group of words and |
| Almost all successful speed readers will attest to | | | | phrases at the same time. Using the group |
| the fact that they are a successful speed reader | | | | wording technique, speed readers are able to read |
| because they have a form of peripheral vision | | | | large chunks of information at the same time - |
| that allows them to see large amount of data on | | | | thus, saving time. |
| a page and to "skim" what they are reading. In | | | | Additional speed reading techniques |
| short, speed reading like this means that one is | | | | Aside from the specific speed reading techniques |
| not reading each and every word on the page, | | | | in 1 to 3 above, there are a number of habits |
| but merely scanning through the material. Using | | | | practices that are generally considered |
| this speed reading technique, every now and then | | | | counter-productive to speed reading - thus will |
| you will come across a keyword or phrase and it | | | | have an affect on your speed reading abilities. In |
| is this that will provide you with the essence of | | | | no particular order, these include: |
| what is being written. The rest of the information | | | | * subvocalization - as already stated, this is where |
| on the page is discarded. | | | | you speak out the words you read. It's a major |
| Although this speed reading technique would seem | | | | cause of slow reading. Unfortunately, as most of |
| to indicate that the reader does not fully | | | | us are taught to speak out the words we read |
| comprehend what has been written, in fact | | | | when we learn to read as children, it is also one |
| studies have shown this is not the case - majority | | | | of the hardest habits to break. All that can be |
| of speed readers using this technique actually | | | | said is that you keep plugging away at trying to |
| increased their comprehension of the reading | | | | eradicate this habit. |
| materials! | | | | * digressing - digressing is where the reader will |
| Speed reading technique #2 - first sentence | | | | read a passage, then return to re-read it, usually |
| reading | | | | in the mistaken belief that they will be able to |
| Unlike speed reading technique #1, in speed | | | | comprehend better what has been written on a |
| reading technique #2, the reader will read the first | | | | second read. Again, in speed reading circles this is |
| sentence of each paragraph, in order to get the | | | | seen as a major no-no, bad habit, which needs to |
| crux (main idea) of the idea behind the paragraph | | | | be broken! |
| and will then skim read the remainder of the | | | | Conclusion |
| paragraph. This process is then repeated on down | | | | So, if you want to improve your speed reading |
| the page until such time as all the reading material | | | | skills, you need to remember not to subvocalize |
| has been exhausted. | | | | or re-read passages, and to read great chunks at |
| Using speed reading technique #2, it is generally | | | | one time by broadening your eye-span. Simple |
| understood that the reader will glean enough | | | | really! Actually, in fairness, it will take time to learn, |
| information from the first sentence not to be | | | | and don't expect to get it right the first time. |
| overly concerned about the information contained | | | | Don't push this issue too much, as pushing it may |
| in the remainder of the paragraph, where the | | | | prove to be counter-productive. |