Speed Reading TechniqueSpeed reading techniques are handy for busy corporate Personal Assistants and anyone that has to quickly assimilate the written word. Good speed reading is the ability to avoid reading every word. Rate of Reading vs Comprehension If you concentrate on locating the main ideas and finding answers to your questions, which is the purpose of reading, your speed and comprehension will increase. Speed reading is about quickly comprehending facts and ideas, not how quickly you can get through the text. Research shows that there is a big relationship between reading rate and comprehension. Some people read rapidly and comprehend well; others read slowly and comprehend badly; therefore, there is reason to believe that the factors that result in slow reading also contribute to poor comprehension. Good comprehension depends on whether you can extract and retain the important ideas that you have read.
Reducing Fixation time & Skip Backs Avoid rereading - the average reader spends about 1/6th of the time rereading words. Rereading interrupts the flow of thought and slows down the process of comprehension. Worrying about comprehension when speed reading can cause reading speeds to drop, as the mind begins to second-guess itself. Push yourself to reduce the time you take to read a block, you will quickly get better at picking up information. Run a pointer along the line as you read. Your eyes will follow the tip of the pointer which will help your reading flow. You can also use the finger technique to improve speed reading. Do this by lifting your fingers and making two even bounces on each line. Each time you bounce, you should be making a fixation of 3-4 words. You can also use the Sweep Technique to help draw your eyes across the page. To use this speed reading technique, slightly cup your hand, keeping your fingers together. With a loose and fluid motion, sweep your fingers from left to right, underlining the line with the tip of your tallest finger. Imagine that you are dusting off dirt from the page. To reduce the number of times your eyes go back to previous text use the card technique. Use a card or a folded piece of paper on the line of print to block the words you have read. Move the card down the page slowly and evenly as you try to read the lines before you cover up the words. This helps break the habit of reading a line of text over and over again. It helps you to pay more attention the first time. Try to push the card down quicker than you think you can read.
Read the title - This focuses your attention on the topic.
As a practice activity, choose material that's easy to read. Sweep your eyes very quickly across the page, faster than you’ve ever done before. Try not to mouth the words, or mentally say them. You should begin with short practice periods, e.g. 3 minutes. Record your reading rate (how many words you have read in 3 minutes); then move on to longer periods and more complicated text. Of course, the most important aspect in speed reading is to PAY ATTENTION!
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