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Speed Reading
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i took a speed reading class in high school
i think it helped with speed and comprehension
a big part of the technique i learned was eye training, literally teaching the eye to move more quickly across the page
i.e. running my index finger across the text as i was reading and not stopping to ensure comprehension
after awhile i did comprehend what i was reading with this technique
still sometimes it is nice to slow down and savor the words
i think it helped with speed and comprehension
a big part of the technique i learned was eye training, literally teaching the eye to move more quickly across the page
i.e. running my index finger across the text as i was reading and not stopping to ensure comprehension
after awhile i did comprehend what i was reading with this technique
still sometimes it is nice to slow down and savor the words
I haven't been using my finger as you suggest, sounds like a good idea though. I have found that i can take in the meaning of a sentence fairly quick if I concentrate. One key I've found is to give the text a cursory read, making sure I'm familiar with the context. It really helps in comprehension. I read all the major headings and such. I also try to make sure I pick up on the thesis of each paragraph before moving to the next. I think my speed is increasing, but I do agree with you, I don't want to take away from the beauty of language. Thanks for the reply!
I'm not sure if I am really a fan of speed reading. I think I would be too afraid that I would be missing something. I do believe that I am a very slow reader, though. One thing that I have read is that alot of people (including me) waste time by reading aloud in their heads. We don't need to hear every word in our heads as we read. (I hope that I am explaining this clearly.) As it was explained to me, by using something to underline the entire line of print, we should be able to take all the words in, understand them and move on to the next line. I do find that I read faster when I do this. Who knows if this is true, though.
I am torn because I want to read so many books (as proven by my extensive to be read list) but at the same time I prefer to not rush through them because I also want to enjoy them and get everything I can out of it. I think that reading shouldn't be a race all about how far you can go in a certain amount of time, but the fun you have while getting there. For me it depends on what is going on in my life, how much I like the book or relate to it as to how fast I read any given book. Some that I read take longer than others and sometimes real life gets in the way of escaping into a good book.
I think there's a time and a place for speed reading. Books like thrillers, whodunnits, etc you can skim through, barely reading the pages, and speed reading is fine for these because you're not missing anything. There are other types of books though which cannot be done like this. With really good writing you have read more carefully to let the words sink in, to really allow the story and characters to grow in your mind. My pile of books is ridiculous but I'd rather have read 10 worthwhile, truly memorable books than 50 where I can barely remember the characters.
I agree with both of you, L and Clara. I, too, don't want to miss anything in a good book. I have been working on it, though, to increase my efficiency. I think there are techniques that you can employ that increase your reading speed while retaining the same level of comprehension, if not better comprehension.Kathy, I agree with you as well, one of the reasons why I looked into it was because I felt that I was slow reader and consequently, at my normal speed of reading, I have enough "to read" books to last a lifetime. That was just not acceptable. So, I started looking for alternative methods to hopefully increase my speed.
Thank you all for your reponses!
Feeling that my "to read" pile is taking over the world is what had me looking into increasing my reading speed, too. I completely understand. Thats why I need to win the lottery so I can retire and read full-time. It's my only chance at reading everything I want to in this lifetime! ;)
Kathy, a caution about retirement…you will have lots of time to read but I bet your “books-to-read” list will grow even faster. Despite reading many books, you will still feel like there’s not enough time. You will discover so many more books you just have to read in this lifetime….and you will have a lot more time to prowl for books. I retired about a year ago and thought I could finally finish all those books I put off for years. I knocked off a bunch but my “to-read” pile is larger than when I started! (I have gone back to work and feel less guilty now about reducing my pile o’ books). I can read fast but mostly I’m with “L”, reading a good book is a journey to be enjoyed and I like to take my time getting to the end.
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I like to take my time reading also. But sometimes when I get close to the end of a book, I tend to read a bit faster than I normally do. I guess it's because I can't wait to end the book...in a good way. :).
What is the point of reading for pleasure if you feel pressured to speed read everything? I read becuase i enjoy it. I dont care what my speed is, or how quickly I get through a novel. Some novels I can read in less than one day, such is the way they are written, or my level of interest in it. Others are just harder to get through..
for ex: i am currently reading 20,000 Leauges Under the Sea, and while I am really enjoying this novel, the author gets into very scientific and techinical descriptions, which are way over my head, so i will reread a paragraph to make sure i got the jist of what he was saying. I am ok with this... it helps me get into the book, helps me to picture what the characters are doing or seeing....
Someone also said that they hear every word in thier head, as if spoken alound. I get that too.... and I like that part of reading as well. It brings a movie-ish quality to the novel....
I don't read for speed. I read for retention. :-)
I read to relax and not to compete with others in who reads faster, who reads the most books in a week or what ever.Speed reading helps you when you study and you have to get an overview over a certain subject.
I prefere to not think on how speedy it should be my reading, even if I'm in a situation urging for speedy reading. It could spoil my reading pleasure and transform reading in constraint.
I'm with the camp who prefer not to speed read. It has it's uses - like researching for a project that is due soon. But if I read for pleasure I want to take time to enjoy and think about what I'm reading. Even if I can comprehend it quickly, I still want time to think about it. So I will plod along and savour the experience.Dianne Ascroft,
www.geocities.com/dianne_ascroft
I usually 'speed read' through non-fiction type books, but not novels. I read those to relax and enjoy. If I die before I finish my to-read pile, it wouldn't matter anyway. :)I'll read them in my next life. ;)
whatever speed I read, there would always be about a hundred books in my to-read pile. so I just read at my own pace...sometimes fast, sometimes slow depends on my mood and available time.
I hate speed reading! I like to enjoy my books so it never occured to me to end the fun on purpose. But I have to admit that I´m a fast reader generally, so the problem with me had never been that I´m reading too slow but too fast!!
Up until recently i didn't think that i read particularly quickly. However it does depend on the book, some books are flow easier than others, and some i can just get myself completely caught up in.What I have found helps me, and this is more for concentration but does help witht he speed also is to use a postcard/book marker under the line i am reading. Due to usually reading on the train when commuting to and from work other people's conversations can interupt me and i find this helps not skip lines or re-read lines, but recently i have noticed it helps me set a pace too.
I don't think you should be concerned with the speed you read at, it's meant to be enjoyable.
I have a friend that I envy because she reads so fast. I don't, but I seem to have gotten through a lot of books the past couple of months. I do agree that sometimes, it really depends on the book. Some just read faster than others. I'm reading Dracula by Bram Stoker now, and the first part of it was pretty slow going, but it's picked up now.
I go along with those who read slowly. As others have said, I want to get it all and relax. I don't want to feel like I am in a race to see who finishes their book first. I want to enjoy it.
I have tried some computer speed reading courses. They really do work, but you have to practice. You can easily fall back into your patterns of sounding out every work in your head.
I think speedier reading can come naturally. I can read Harry Potter rather quickly. I just started Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce), and it is slow, slow reading. Sometimes you have to stop and think about each phrase. The writing style is very different. This is not a bad thing, just a nice refreshing change. In between these two books comes a book like Middlemarch (George Eliot). It has fast and slow parts. I am reading it faster than I actually thought I would.
I think there is room for both. Many modern books are written in a vernacular close to the English we speak and think in so you can read much faster and still pick up the story.
I think speedier reading can come naturally. I can read Harry Potter rather quickly. I just started Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce), and it is slow, slow reading. Sometimes you have to stop and think about each phrase. The writing style is very different. This is not a bad thing, just a nice refreshing change. In between these two books comes a book like Middlemarch (George Eliot). It has fast and slow parts. I am reading it faster than I actually thought I would.
I think there is room for both. Many modern books are written in a vernacular close to the English we speak and think in so you can read much faster and still pick up the story.
I think it is important to develop good reading skill, it doesn't have to be fast, but you have to enjoy it. My husband hated reading until he realised that he did not have to read every single word and that it is ok to read line by line rather than word for word - now he loves reading.I on the other hand read really fast and sometimes wish I could read a bit slower - but I'm so used to reading fast that I find it difficult to slow down.
Consequently, I have been trying to increase my reading speed. There are some really good sites on the web devoted to techniques of speed reading. One thing that I've started doing is using a site called Zap Reader (http://www.zapreader.com/ ) for most of my Internet reading. All you do is either enter the URL into the Reader or you copy and paste the text into the Reader. You can then set the speed and the amount of words displayed on the screen at a time. The default is 300 wpm with one word being displayed at a time. I am finding that this is helping me read allot faster.
Another technique that I learned that many of you may already know is that its not always important to read every word on a page. It is easy to read line by line, taking note of the main words rather than reading each and every word. Does anyone else practice this?
Most of all, I am wondering if the speed of your reading is important to others? Also, if it is important, what do you do to increase your speed?