Speed Reading

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Taking Notes while speed reading

Like reading, note-taking is a skill which must be learned and refined. Almost invariably, note taking, or the lack of it, is a constant deficiency in the study methods of many high school and college students. Learning the ingredients of good note taking is rather easy; applying them to your own situation depends on how serious you are in becoming a successful.

Where to keep notes

You must learn to keep notes logically and legibly. Remember, if you can't read your writing a few days after taking notes, they are of little use. By all accounts, the best place to keep notes is in a loose-leaf notebook. Use dividers to separate the different classes you take. Make it a habit of using the notebook to record all notes. If you're caught without your notebook and need to take notes, always have a supply of loose-leaf paper with you. Insert the note papers into the notebook as soon as you can. Be sure to buy a good notebook, as it will get a lot of wear and tear.

Outlining textbooks

First of all, don't underline. Use a highlighter. Experience has shown that text passages highlighted are more easily remembered than the same passages underlined. In outlining a text, don't just read along and highlight what seem to important words. That technique rarely works.

Reviewing and revising

As you prepare for examinations, tests, or other assessments, you should spend time reviewing and revising the lecture notes. Begin the process by reviewing your notes right after a lecture. If you wait too long, you may discover that the notes just don't make sense. Don't hesitate to revise the notes based on the review process.

Taking lecture notes

Taking accurate and concise lecture notes is essential. Develop the habit of taking notes using appropriate methods described earlier in the SQ3R technique. For example, when you listen to a lecture, formulate questions as you listen. Your main job in taking lecture notes is to be a good listener. To be a good listener, you must learn to focus and concentrate on the main points of the lecture. Get them down, and then later reorganize them in other words. Once you have done this, you have set the stage for successful reviewing and revising.

Research notes

Any form of note-taking that requires compilation of information by categories, rather than in narrative form is best done using index cards. You can sort, edit and arrange index cards to suit your particular study needs. The most important point in using cards is to indicate the correct reference or topic at the top of the card. Use the cards for study, review, to help organize information for papers, reports, or projects. An even better idea, if you have a personal computer, is to organize your categorical information in a database. Once you set it up, finding, updating and adding new information is quite easy. If you have a printer, you can print out the notes in a variety of ways.

If you just hop into a strange car and race across a city you've never visited, you'll probably be in for a rough ride that doesn't get you where you want to go. The same thing is true of reading. Knowing how the brain effectively speeds the mental processing of print and knowing how to find what you want produce the best results. People have researched the behaviors of rapid readers to see how the eyes behave and how the eyes and brain work together to produce such good results. Consider the following points as you search for a way to increase the speed reading and efficiency of reading.

No doubt you’re tempted to take notes as you are reading material for the first time. But this is not an efficient technique as you are likely to take down too much information and simply copy without understanding. Try this method instead.

1. Read a section of the textbook chapter. Read just enough to understand the material. Do not take notes, but rather focus on understanding the material. Think before you write.
2. Review the material. Locate the main ideas, as well as important sub-points. Paraphrase this information. Putting the textbook information in other words forces you to become actively involved with the material.
3. Write the paraphrased ideas as your notes. Do not copy information directly from the textbook.
   Add only enough detail to understand.
4. Review, and compare the notes with the text and ask yourself if you truly understand.

Speed reading tips

• PSQ5R read tips method
• Sq3r2 reading tips system
• Tips for reading Magazines and Newspapers
• Tips for reading Books
• Tips for reading science
• Speed reading tips
• Tip 80% - 20%
• SQ4R reading method
• Flexible - purpose - preview
• Enlarge your vocabulary
• Reading technical information
• Reading documents
• Reading tips: "So what?" questions
• Tips for increasing reading speed
• Some more speed reading tips
• SQ3R - a reading tips system
• Making notes

Speed reading tip. For best results, don't start right in by forcing yourself to read at 800 wpm, especially if you have been a habitually slow reader. Instead, as you become more fluent at reading easy materials rapidly, you will find that Tips 1, 2, and 3 will become part of your new reading habits. Then you can concentrate on increasing your rate with no loss of basic literal comprehension.

Related subvocalization articles

• Eliminate the habit of pronouncing words as you read
• Stop talking to yourself when you read
• Vocalization and human brain
• Eliminate subvocalization exercises
• Read and count for elimination habit of pronouncing words
• Skimming texts and subvocalization
• Elimination habit of subvocalization
• Is the subvocalization bad thing?
• How to eliminate subvocalization in order to increase speed reading
• Scanning texts and subvocalization

Speed reading tip. Use time pressure. Be confident that your brain can handle print faster than you can talk or read aloud. To rapid read, you should be physically relaxed but mentally active! Most people find that some tension, some pressure, helps them concentrate on their reading. In fact, skilled rapid readers are not passive and comfortable. In rapid reading as in scanning, you must be conscious of time passing. So time yourself, or have someone else time you, or work up a little competition with class members.

One tried-and-true way to apply time pressure is to chart your reading rate. As usual, choose a fairly easy book and make sure your purpose is enjoyment. Keeping an objective record (e.g.,list, chart, or graph) is important, since we seldom know just how fast we are reading.

Rate charts, whether handmade or commercial, operate the same way: graphic records or your ups-and-downs that will spur you to faster and more consistent speeds. Even a simple time-block record is helpful. With this, you read for a fixed time, then stop, count the pages read, and list or graph the number.