Speed Reading Tricks

Why should I learn to speed read, I'm reading just fine?

That is the answer most people give when asked to learn to speed read. They think it takes a lot of hard work to learn speed reading. This idea is far from the truth. It's about freeing up your valuable time so you can get on with your other projects. This article will address several key questions people have about this approach to reading.

Information Overload
Using speed reading is a valuable asset to corporate executive burdened by massive written reports in the form of minutes, reports, proposals, brochures, and e-mails. Whether in paper form or on computer monitors this massive amount of material that must be read daily is often overloading the work force.

Speed reading should not be seen as a reactive technology. One of the main drives participants in speed reading courses give is that they can now read all those books and magazines lining their shelves and each week new ones arrive on their desks. For these executives knowledge is their key to upward movement in the corporate ladder. Their use of speed reading keeps them moving up the corporate ladder, not stagnant or downward.

The Mechanics
When reading we believe we our eyes are flowing from left to right is a smooth even flowing motion. The truth is we read in small jerky motions across the page because we must stop at every one to three words in order to take in the material we are reading and absorb it. This jerky motion is called a fixation.

To determine our reading speed we must consciously notice the frequency of our fixations. How long did we stop on a word or group of words and did we back track and re-read a paragraph? When speed reading we spend less time on these fixations and learn to take in more information . This elimination of wasted time will improve you reading speed.

Distinctions

I will now share two separate aspects of speed reading for you to distinguish, reading better and reading faster.

1. Reading better: Speed reading is not just about the speed in which you read. It incorporates many techniques that are designed to aid you in reading more efficiently and to adapt to what you are reading. Lets say your boss gives you a large report to read. You will need an overview so start with power browsing.

- Look briefly at the cover and see what the document's subject matter is about.

- Look into the table of contents to see how the document flows.

- Scan through the document briefly, only a few seconds on each page. Make a mental note of how it is put together and what interests you.

- Highlight those areas that you will want to explore later in more detail.

2. Reading faster: This second approach will improve your reading speed and there are a number of techniques to learn. Use a guide to help you such as a pencil, curser, or your finger to underline the words you read. Use your guide as a pacesetter to keep your eyes moving along the line smoothly. This will improve your focus and as a result improve your reading speed.

Beliefs and attitudes
So now you say that's all there is to it, just the way I keep my eyes on the page as I'm reading. Not quite, when it comes to speed reading you must possess the proper attitude. That is to say you must believe that taking in groups of words, not just a single word at a time will improve your reading speed and comprehension.

The benefits of these new techniques to reading must be learned. First we must break the old habit of reading one word at a time or back tracking. Those two old habits won't help you with your reading comprehension. You need to challenge them and overcome them by replacing them with the speed reading methods. Have the willpower to overcome your slower bad habits and trhe courage and willingness to take up the new one which will allow you to absorb more of what you read.