Speed Reading

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What people say about speed reading

First reader's opinion

Yes, I really want to learn how to speed read. However I really don't want to take a course or anything.

I was wondering if anyone has came across any sort of free resources which could help me learn to speed read. I did a www.google.com search but found only individual articles.

Another thing I do that slows me down is that I pause at commas and periods. It's like I'm reading out loud in my head. I also put emphasis on bold words. I noticed I slowed up at the word 'color' because of the spelling-I thought about 'color' in my head.

I've tried speed reading tutorials but never really made any astounding progress. I guess it's because I like pronouncing the words in my mind, i.e. the sound of the language is more important than the meaning. That said, I find that my reading comprehension is much better than my aural comprehension.

Second reader opinion

I've recently wanted to increase my reading speed for two reasons. One is that there are so many books I want to read, and I want to get through them faster so I can read more. I want to improve my comprehension because it's never been what I want it.

I was diagnosed with a neurological condition a couple of years ago. It's had a big impact on my short term memory. I have a lot of trouble with it. When I read, I find I have to go over some passages twice. If I lay a book down and come back to it the next day, I have to go over the last couple of pages I read to keep up.

Well, there's a third reason, too. A number of years ago I read about pronouncing words in your head being an improper way to read. Since then, I've wondered why I read this way and if my comprehension would improve if I read properly.

Since most speed reading courses I've read about seem to emphasize better comprehension, I thought it might help me to take one or read a book on it.

First, I agree that typing fast is important. But I don't type nearly as much as I read.

Third reader opinion

I love to read. I'm not a speed reader, but I read fairly fast. I have a fairly large vocabulary. I want to be able to read faster. Not necessarily speed reading, just more efficiently.

I want to ask y'all about your reading experiences. I've heard that you're not supposed to pronounce words in your head as you read them. I cannot imagine not doing this. It's very hard for me to read books with lots of words I can't pronounce, even if I know their meaning or they are names. I will read the word over and over in my head, sounding it out verbally sometimes. I think this little quirk decreases my comprehension.

I'm reading the book One Hundred Years of Solitude right now, and it's giving me fits. There are so many Spanish names in it-it's taking me forever to read it. It seems the longer it takes, the less I can keep track of what's going on in the book. I should have just gotten the audio version.

Do any of you have problems reading? Any suggestions on how to become a more proficient reader? Any particular books or methods you can suggest?

Taking a class (unless it's online) is not an option. I don't get out much. 

To anyone that got this far, many thanks!

Fourth reader opinion

I'm trying to learn how to speed read. But I have one problem - Sub vocalizing - Sometimes I tend to stray away form it but the text loses too much meaning. And the material I'm reading, when its a book for enjoyment reading for instance like "Lord of the Rings" or of a classic nature which I truly love, Moby Dick I tend to fall away from it. But if it's something technical, if has more structure be it chronically or step by step, it makes more since. Speed wise, when I sub-vocalize, its around 100-200 wpm. Can some one help me?

I might have to get that book. I'd like to know how to speed read. I have noticed that the smaller the text on the page, the faster I read it, which seems to imply that I read at a pace relative to the length of line, rather than the number of words in it.

I'm pretty curious about photo-reading; I've heard some pretty crazy stuff about that.

Fifth reader opinion

I read at about Chandra's speed ( have done so for the last 40 years or so in English and now I read French at this same speed since the last 10 or so ). I do take it all in as I have a near photographic /total recall type memory.

The downside is that an 800 page book lasts around one evening, and even coming back to it after 30 years, I can remember all the story, dialogue info etc. Sometimes even just looking at the cover or hearing the title makes it not worth picking up the book, as the contents come flooding back.

I have a 40' trailer books stored ( at the other end of the country 1000 miles away ) at the moment since our last move ( another came with us )...I have sold off at least 5 times that many during my life, because they were read and therefore no longer needed.

The money spent and then only partially recuperated in this way is phenomenal (enough to buy a couple of decent houses) even pristine condition books ( I believe it is a sin to damage a book ) have low resale value.

The savior for the book alcoholics is the internet.

The local lending library took me just 5 months to do.

Learning speed reading ( if your memory is good for what you read ) is like trying crack. Now if only I could type at 10% of the speed ( and on this "bassackwards" azerty keyboard too)

Speed reading opinion on African language

Ek het al baie boeke en artikels gelees oor spoedlees. Ek het selfs vir 2 maande lank toegewyd ge-oefen. Tot nou toe het nog niks behoorlik gewerk nie. 'n Deel van die probleem is dat engels my tweede taal is. Meeste van die boeke en opleiding is in engels.

Ek hou baie van lees, maar het baie min tyd daarvoor. Ek het nie baie gelees as kind nie en glo dat ek nie die vaardigheid van vinnig lees aangeleer het nie. Hier is waar 'n groot deel van my vrestrasie le: Waarom kry ek nie die vaardighede aangeleer nie? Ek weet weet en verstaan mos nou wat al die voordele inhou!

Ek woon in Suid Afrika en al die goeie opleidingsmateriaal kom van oorsee af. Die koste om die produkte aan te koop is net te hoog. Ek bid regtig dat hierdie gratis sagteware die moeite werd sal wees?! Ek is nou op die punt om tou op te gooi en vrede te maak daarmee dat ek nooit vinnig sal lees nie.

Groete

Danie C

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.