Speed Reading Course

The most often question I get asked is, “How can I read over 1500 words per minute and still understand, or comprehend the material?” Stated in another form, “Does speed reading really work?” Without writing an entire course, this article will try to answer these questions.

When people question about reading fast and not comprehending, there is a basic misunderstanding of terms. Reading is the mind’s response to print. If your mind is not responding when you are applying any speed reading technique, then you are in fact not reading. The word reading, then, always assumes some level of comprehension.

If you have been exposed to some program that teaches you how to move through materials at very high rates in the thousands of words per minute range and you are not comprehending, then the program has failed you. Recently I got an email from someone who told me they had been working with a computerized program and that they had increased their speed to over 2000 words per minute but were not comprehending much and asked if I could help. This was an excellent example of bad, misguided training.

There are two primary aspects of “speed reading.” The first is improving the mechanical aspect of reading. That happens with some sort of eye movement techniques. In fact, it is possible to physically move the eyes and see all the words in the material at rates of 10,000 – 100,000 words per minute. Naturally a speed reading program will contain this aspect. But unfortunately, this is about all that is trained, leaving the user frustrated as I so often hear.

The second aspect of speed reading is comprehension. Comprehension is the mind’s response to the symbols on the page. In effect, then, reading is thinking. You can read as fast as your mind can respond to the print. So, to truly speed read, you need to learn how to move your mind faster as well.

To answer the question, Does speed reading really work,” I say no! You work it! That means there are ways to train your brain to respond differently as you accelerate your speeds. What I have found to work best is to teach learners the mechanics first with some level of comprehension, but letting them relax and not worry about getting(memorizing) as they go thru this initial skill building stage.

After the learner is more comfortable with the physical/mechanical skills, then we build comprehension in a purposeful manner. When the learner has broken out of the old habits they have accumulated in the past, then they are taught how to monitor what the mind is doing as they don’t have to think so much about the eye mechanics.

One of the keys to comprehension is preparing the mind for reading. There are a wide assortment of tools to help this phase of training. The comprehension approach breaks the learner out from the traditional left brain approach they learned in early life and engage the whole brain. Or, in other words they learn how to activate the right hemisphere as well. One way of helping to do this is looking thru the material in a manner that gives you the “30,000 foot view” instead of the word-by-word view you were taught when first learning to read.

From that “high” view, you then learn to navigate at various levels depending on you needs and purposes. But remember, comprehension is you. It’s your mind’s response to print. As your eyes are moving through the material, ask yourself, “what am I thinking about?” If it has nothing to do with the print, you are not reading. You’re doing something else, possibly daydreaming, or criticizing yourself. Bring it back to the print. Again, speed reading does not work. You work it! Learn how to build better comprehension. Monitor what your mind is thinking about.

About the Author:

Ed Caldwell, formerly National Director of Instruction for Evelyn Wood has
taught these skills for 30 years, created the “Masters Online Program:
Dynamic Speed Reading, Memory, and Recall” at ProductivElearn.com You can
learn more a “Free Tips.”

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Speed Reading Tactics: How Do You Read Super Fast and Comprehend?

Let’s Play Jungle Strike 07 – Speed-reading 101

Speed Reading for Success (Unabridged) $11.99 Speed Reading for Success will show you how to read faster – and understand and recall what you have read….

Triple Your Reading Speed $14.38 A complete program of practice exercises designed to improve reading speed and comprehension includes tips on study habits and test-taking skills. Reprint.

Speed Reading for Dummies (Paperback) $19.81 A guide for time-pressed students and employees reveals how to change reading methods in order to process information more quickly and accurately while improving retention and recall, in a guide that outlines the latest speed-reading techniques for a variety of media. Original.

Ultimate Speed Reader $59.95 New Page 1More than 200 exciting reading passages presented in six engaging activities will help you increase your reading speed and improve comprehension. This program can teach anyone, from the reading novice to the more mature reader, how to more effectively move their eyes on the page, read more than one word at a time, and improve their rate of perception, for increased reading performance at school, at work, or just for fun!Perfect for Ages 8 and up. 

Dairy Research Work in a Reading Laboratory $39.99 Dairy Research Work in a Reading Laboratory – Giclee Print

How Does Caffeine Work? Mug $17.95 DISCOVERY EXCLUSIVE!Sip from a HowStuffWorks mug, “How does caffeine work?” and show the folks at your office you’re smart enough to watch the hit series that examines the history and development of some of our most commonplace, but overlooked, daily necessities. Of course, coffee is likely the first thing we take for granted every morning, and the cup pays homage to the episode tracing coffee’s origins. A white HowStuffWorks cup features the phrase “How does caffeine work?” and a chemical diagram of the amazing compound just below that. This product is exclusive to the Discovery Channel Store. This How Does Caffeine Work? Mug is perfect for all HowStuffWorks fans. A large handle makes it easy to hold. 11 oz. Dishwasher and microwave safe. Imported.

The Husband Goes Off to Work, the Wife Does the Laundry $39.99 The Husband Goes Off to Work, the Wife Does the Laundry – Giclee Print

Speed Reading For Professionals $23.03 Barron`s Business Success books offer useful advice to career-minded men and women who are looking to get ahead in the business and corporate world. Titles touch on all levels of management, marketing, organization, and related business operations. Reading and comprehending a large number of documents and reports—many of them specialized and technical—is a vital task that is intrinsic to fulfilling management and executive responsibilities. The authors of this practical book recommend techniques and exercises designed to increase reading speed dramatically and to retain important information more easily. They also offer tips on methods for comprehending dry and often difficult reading matter.

Does Peacekeeping Work? (Paperback) $49.38 Description not available.

A Guide to Speed Reading (Unabridged) $5.89 Do you ever find yourself wishing you could save time by reading faster? The author of this program felt exactly the same way just a few short months ago….

The Man Goes Off to Work While the Woman Does the Laundry $39.99 The Man Goes Off to Work While the Woman Does the Laundry – Giclee Print

Does Religious Education Work? (Hardcover) $293.77 Description not available.

How Does Your Brain Work $12.24 Presents a simple introduction to how the brain functions.

Buzan Bites: Speed Reading: Accelerate your speed and understanding for success $4.89 This bite-size version is of one of Tony Buzans most enduring topics; Speed Reading. Tonys innovative approach to this subject makes speed reading easy to understand, enabling you to apply it immediately to all aspects of your life. Its fun as well! An ideal tool for students, teachers, executives indeed, anyone eager to improve the speed, comprehension and quality of their reading. This book offers a swift introduction to Tony Buzans tried, tested and very successful techniques.

Reading Research at Work $83.12 These papers about research of the components of successful literacy learning build on and extend the work of Steven Stahl, who pioneered work on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and assessment. The volume includes ten chapters by Stahl and 16 new chapters by experts in the field of literacy learning. They highlight Stahl`s theoretical, methodological and instructional innovations and discuss their implications for helping children become better readers. Katherine Stahl, Steven`s widow, teaches language and literacy at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; McKenna teaches reading at the University of Virginia. Annotation )2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)