Speed Reading

[starbug1]

How many of you can speed read? What do you think of it? Effectiveness and benefits? Controversy? Stories?

 

See here and here for the facts.

 

I myself am a very slow reader, I am a substantial bit less than 500 words a minute. And because of my interest and likely benefit of speed reading, I hope to take a class in college and learn (as best I can) the technique. Tries on my own have been a failure, and, to my knowledge, there are no free lessons given through the internet. For the current or past college members here: do you or did you take a class on speed reading? If so, how well did it work for you, and can you still do it after discontinuing practice?

[DragonMom]

I read pretty quickly, but I've never taken any classes for it... basically taught myself to scan things while absorbing the gist of it. It doesn't work with complex stuff, but it's handy.

[starbug1]

Sorry, scanning doesn't count.

[Jarryd]

To my knowledge scanning is pretty much speed reading speed reading is reading something without 'saying it' with the little voice in your head, by doing it like that you miss alot of details and i doubt it could be effectively used for studying and stuff where you need to concentrate.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I can read 400 words per minute and I wouldn't call it slow. If I really try, I can hit 1000, but I think it really isn't worth the effort.

 

You don't need classes. What I do, in fact, is (without even thinking) skipping over things that look boring. It means I don't get as much out of it, but it works very well on textbooks and such where a lot of it is just extra detail and the real concepts are presented right to you.

[starbug1]

To my knowledge scanning is pretty much speed reading speed reading is reading something without 'saying it' with the little voice in your head,

 

To my knowledge speed reading is an actual science that has to be learned. All of us can scan, and at least some of us can comprehend quickly leaving out 'the little voice in our head.'

 

by doing it like that you miss alot of details and i doubt it could be effectively used for studying and stuff where you need to concentrate.

 

Scanning produces reduced rates of comprehension. Those who have learned how to speed read can increase the number of words per minute without taking away comprehension. there is a certain way to do it. There are certain words to look for and ignore. Eye movement is altered to take in more than one part of a sentense at a time. It takes practice, and I've read about people who can read entire textbooks in a day with over 95% comprehension. I know people who can read 3 or 4 paperbacks in a weekend and yet not lose any of the reading because they didn't just "scan it." In fact, it is very helpful for studying and increased concentration, as you have to devote more focus to what you are reading in a smaller amount of time.

 

Check out the links I gave in my orignial post.

[starbug1]

I can read 400 words per minute and I wouldn't call it slow. If I really try, I can hit 1000, but I think it really isn't worth the effort.

 

That's about what I read. Mabye even 350 for an average.

 

You don't need classes. What I do, in fact, is (without even thinking) skipping over things that look boring. It means I don't get as much out of it, but it works very well on textbooks and such where a lot of it is just extra detail and the real concepts are presented right to you.

 

If you want to better learn the technique, while, most importantly, retaining or even improving comprehension, I'd think the classes are a huge benefit. Skipping over what looks boring is similar what speed readers do, although there still may be something you missed.

 

In the case of textbooks, there is always pictures, so there is a visual guide, a checkpoint, if you will, that I use to remember what was in the vicinity of the illustration. It helps quite a bit.

For getting the 'idea' presented in a textbook chapter, scanning works well, but try applying that to a novel. The effect isn't the same.

[DV8 2XL]

I've got this program:

 

http://www.acereader.com/

 

I don't know if it will make you read faster, but it's got a great test that will measure your speed.

[starbug1]

That would definately apply as a speed reading program. This like all the others costs money, and I havn't found one yet that is free. This shows you that the programs are for real.

[Cyrix]

I know I'm a little delayed in this discussion, but speed reading is definetly possible - and you're able to retain a high comprehension then 'normal reading'. I've been learning to speed read lately using 2 programs - EyeQ and FReader. Do a google search on speed reading and you'll find heaps of information, and lots of terminology....sub vocalisation, regression, finger pacing and some more jargon.

 

It took me so long to get the techniques right but I finally feel like I'm on the right track. I can read about 700 words per minute and retain a higher comprehension when I used to read 'normally'. There's so many things we've grown up with to reduce our speed reading like sub vocalisation - people have to feel they need to say the word in their heads to read it, and this is actually linked in the brain activating your vocal cords like you were actually speaking. The true power of speed reading is increasing your field of vision and learning to read more words at a time...this takes training and discipline, but I don't read any other way anymore. Send me a message if you'd like to know more, and the whereabouts of speed reading programs can be acquired.

[Edtharan]

I can read at over 700 words per minute (without scanning).

 

The best way to tech your self the corect eye movement is to use a metronome (or some other device that you can change the beat temo with and has an auditory tick).

 

You aim to read a line in one tick of the metronome, and each time you sit down to read you speed it up a small bit. Eventually this will help you learn to get the eye movements right as you will need to move your eyes more smoothly from one side of the page to the other to keep in time with the metronome.

 

Another aid is: that when we learnt to read we learnt the word by speaking them. We still carry on this habbit even if we don't make a sound. We still move our vocal chords and as this takes time it slows our reading down. If you can train your self to break this sub-vocalisation you can increase your reading speed by a lot. This is the hardest part of learning speed reading as you will have to first become consious of the fact that you are sub-vocalising and then attempt to break your self of this habbit.

 

The metronome hint above can also help you do this as it will help you keep track of your progress.

[insane_alien]

when i want to be lazy i read at around 200wpm when i'm relaxed its 435 words per minute and when i really push myself i can do 500wpm. i'm usually just relexed when reading.

[starbug1]

when i want to be lazy i read at around 200wpm when i'm relaxed its 435 words per minute and when i really push myself i can do 500wpm. i'm usually just relexed when reading.

 

I retested myself and I'm about the same.

 

 

I also found an ancient article disproving speed reading:

 

Speed Reading

 

Although advertisements for speed-reading courses sound like scientific reports on a major advance in human education, the ads appear to be closer to science fiction. These ads claim that an average person can triple his or her reading speed with no loss in understanding. But the evidence suggests that we cannot increase reading speed without affecting comprehension. Speed-reading courses do not increase your reading speed. They teach you to skim or scan material--to control what you attend to. Most of us read between 150 and 300 words per minute with complete comprehension. Researchers have shown that an intelligent person reading very easy material cannot comprehend most of it at rates above 500 to 600 words per minute.

 

So this article is saying that speed reading is scanning, and has no realistic proof otherwise. I don't necessarily believe this because it was written several years ago, and new evidence has come into light. The wikipedia articles disprove the above article and so do the accounts I've read online. I think you can learn how to significantly raise reading level while maintaining comprehension. This article is BS.

[YT2095]

I`ve no idea what speed I read at, I simply just "do it", I have found that when I try to read Too Fast (time constraints or distractions) I`m likely to misinterpret what was being said, or assume parts that my brain "expects" is going to be said, and that`s a BAD thing!

 

I`ve also noticed that since I`ve learned to read in 2 different languages (one that doesn`t use Latin/English letters) that my reading has slowed a little as I see words on occasion and know both meanings and have to clarify so things have slowed down a little for me in that respect.

non the less, if we discount having to switch mindsets, I can eat a 200 page book at a comfortable speed in a long afternoon and enjoy all of it

[Royston]

I used to be a fast reader...in first school I finished the entire reading scheme, (IIRC it was called the GINN reading scheme) a year and a half before anyone else. I'm a much more leisurely reader now though, and take time to reflect on what I've just read.

 

The last few years due to other interests my reading speed dipped drastically...and when I tried to read at my normal pace it was if I was concentrating on reading fast, rather than absorbing the content properly, and it was just a waste of time because I had to scan back because none of it 'sunk in.' I had basically lost the knack, due to not picking up a book for so long.

 

It's also a matter of being distracted...if it's quiet, and I'm relaxed then obviously I absorb information a lot more efficently and quickly.

 

I remember when I used to read a lot when I was very young... I could pick out relevant words very quickly, and (as in an earlier post) that 'voice in your head' that says each word as it comes, would skip words such as 'and' 'then' 'but' et.c it was almost as if I recognised the shape but didn't actually say it in my head e.g if you look at a triangle you just accept it for what it is, rather than saying 'triangle' in your head (if that makes any sense.) You don't need to tell yourself what it is.

 

But yeah, I enjoy reading so much nowadays that I like to take my time and reflect and visualize between each paragraph or even sentence, I like painting pictures as I read (not physically of course...though that would be quite a talent.)

 

Not sure about anyone else...but has anyone been reading some of the posts on this thread as quickly as possible ?

[Blunt]

dunno about how many words per minut.. i did about a page in the da vince code(not the small one) per minut..

 

if the discution still is here tomorow ill measure

[Edtharan]

I used to read at around 500 wpm, but using the metronome and taking notice that my vocal chords were moving and trying to break that habit, I managed to get my speed to over 700 wpm with equal comprehension (if I go faster then I start to loose comprehension as I am skimming).

 

So from personal experence, I can say that speed reading is real and improvements can be made to almost anyone's reading speed while still retaining comprehension and not skimming.

 

Some people skimm and call it speed reading but it is not true speed reading.