| Timed Reading Should be promoted for three | | | | These methods serve to increase speed and |
| reasons: | | | | comprehension. |
| 1. There are benefits to faster Reading | | | | Automaticity. This is the development of the |
| 2. Reading strategies assist learning | | | | ability to reduce brain activity by repetition of skills |
| 3. Automaticity | | | | and performing tasks automatically. There are |
| First, let's be clear that Timed Reading is an | | | | many things that we do automatically, such as |
| educational tool and not an end in itself. Some | | | | walking, talking, working, playing, etc. There are |
| students will find it easier to accomplish than | | | | things we do without thinking, so we can |
| others. However, the principal benefit of timed | | | | concentrate on more important activities. This |
| reading is to free up time to study more and to | | | | same process can be utilized to improve reading, |
| learn how to retain more of what is being read. | | | | but this concept is less useful or ambitious than |
| The ability to concentrate and focus on the | | | | speed reading. As students practice timed reading |
| subject matter will in turn lead to greater | | | | and reading repetition, there will be an |
| comprehension of the subject matter and the | | | | improvement in the reading rate. The process will |
| ability to retain the information. Effective timed | | | | tend to become more automatic and |
| reading tends to increase potential speed of | | | | comprehension of reading materials will greatly |
| reading and comprehension. In turn, this will lead to | | | | increase. |
| greater enjoyment of reading, which enhances | | | | In conclusion, timed reading is a tool to help |
| understanding and scholarship. | | | | improve reading comprehension and to save time |
| The most used strategy for faster reading has | | | | for increased reading. It is an aid to greater |
| been speed reading, where the student learns not | | | | learning. But, there has to be realistic goals. Speed |
| to read words but to read phrases or other | | | | reading is the most advantageous method of |
| groups of words, by eye fixation on the center | | | | developing the skills necessary for advanced |
| of a sentence. The aid for doing this is by flashing | | | | comprehension of almost any subject matter. To |
| groups of words or sentences on a screen in | | | | be sure, there may be some subjects which |
| fractions of a second, initially starting at about 2 | | | | must be learned more slowly, such as in the math |
| or 3 second intervals down to 1/10th to 1/20th to | | | | sciences. But one of the goals is to create a more |
| 1/100th of a second or faster, in the same | | | | automatic response to reading, which controls the |
| manner as a camera lens opening and closing in a | | | | reading task and the demands of study and |
| fraction of a second. You would be surprised | | | | learning so that it does not appear to be |
| what information can be retained with practice. | | | | overwhelming to the student. |
| Scanning a text is another method of speed | | | | Speed reading can be fun and challenging and can |
| reading. Our brain is similar to a computer and can | | | | be learned rather quickly. Good luck with fun in |
| absorb information by scanning in like manner. | | | | timed reading and learning. |