Speed Reading

Jun 27, 2011 by Owen Jones

What have you been reading lately? In a gathering, you can soon see who the broad-spectrum readers are, since frequent readers often think and speak well too. They win the admiration, respect, and fellowship of others. After all, reading expands the mind and many people consider it one of the most satisfying pleasures known to mankind, combining, as it does, mental agility and physical relaxation way above the scale offered by television.

The act of reading is primarily a mental activity, since you read with your mind and use your imagination to depict the storyline of the action thriller you are reading. You use your mind to imagine the pain that the characters in the story are experiencing as the plot unfolds; or you contemplate the different arguments and ideas introduced by the author in that self-help book you are reading.

Being able to read effectively helps you to develop a wide vocabulary through reading different styles of books. A skillful reader recognizes a wide range of vocabulary. The reader may not know exactly what every word means, but he/she will have a good idea of what the sentence means.

Reading makes you more alert and more curious about new words. Some readers develop ‘the dictionary habit’, which means that every time they come across a strange word, they try to figure out what it possibly means by the context. If they are stumped, they refer to the dictionary.

Likewise, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing you to different subjects. You learn to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. As in other forms of education, you learn by actually doing and as you are reading you automatically learn about the subject matter of the book too!

Basically, reading teaches you to have an active and open mind. Only understanding the writers point of view is not really good enough, you must have a reply to what you have read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Try to develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the author. Always keep your mind open; understand and weigh the ideas that you have read. A practical part of active reading is the development of one’s own opinions.

Now let me tell you to the concept of speed reading. All of the above applies between three and ten times over, because speed readers can read that much faster than the average reader! Imagine that! – Being able to read, comprehend and remember all those books. You would certainly become well-read in your subject much more quickly than others. Just imagine how that would help you at work or in school or college …

Let me share four rules for effective reading and better comprehension:

Try to read more and more every month. Remember that practice makes perfect.
Learn the habit of reading the main ideas, ie look for the subject and predicate – the principal ideas
Learn to read with focus and concentration. Good readers read with understanding.
Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try to read faster. Give yourself a time limit on the specific piece that you are reading.

Reading is a fantastically stimulating mental activity. It expands your understanding and ability. You really have so much to gain by learning the joy of reading. So, go on and take down a book right today.

Are you interested in speed reading for yourself or a loved one? If so, please hurry over to our web site called Speed Reading.