Speed Reading

Speed reading basically covers two areas: reading and comprehension. These go hand in hand. It is useless to study speed reading if you have trouble in absorbing information. You should already be an able reader before you try to speed read. Speed reading will not help you if you have problems in understanding the meaning of the words. To be able to enjoy the full benefits of speed reading, you must have the necessary facilities in understanding college-level materials.

Methods of Speed Reading

An efficient reader adjusts his speed and strategy to suit the need of the moment. The 2 types of speed reading are classified into:

Skimming

Skimming refers to reading quickly to gain a general impression as to whether the text is of use to you. You are not necessarily searching for a specific item because it only provides an “overview” of the text. Skimming is somewhat like reading the morning newspaper. You don’t actually start at the top left corner and read every article on every page. You read the headlines, reject many of the articles that you don’t find relevant, and read only those that interests you, sometimes in a hit and miss fashion – reading the headline, the first paragraph, skipping down to check out the names of the people.

Purposes of Skimming

1. Contents of most reading materials are not all important and relevant. Some of them are only trash. The important items may be skimmed and marked down for later reading. 

2. Skimming develops your ability to learn the strategy of short-listing. It also improves other reading rates such as for studying and for average reading. 

3. It builds your knowledge and vocabulary base so you have the background to rapidly absorb these ideas as they appear in other situation.

Method of Skimming

1. Read the title. This focuses your attention on the topic.

2. Read the introduction. This may be the first paragraph or two. It usually describes, in general, what the entire selection will be about.

3. Read the first sentence in each paragraph. Many of the paragraphs start with a summary or topic sentence. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph simply elaborate. You may skip the elaboration unless it is obviously necessary, such as the definition of a very important term. When you skim, you really are only looking for general ideas.

4. Read the conclusion. This may be the last paragraph or two. It usually summarizes the article, specifies an opinion, or makes some recommendations based on the general content.

5. Test your comprehension. Look away from the article and tell yourself in a sentence or two what the entire article was about.

 Scanning

When you’re looking, say for instance a car service phone number in the telephone directory, you don't read every listing, do you? Instead, you skip over a lot of unrelated information and scan for a visual image of the name of the company on the relevant page. It is like looking for a friend at the basketball game. You do not look at each individual face across every row of seats. Because you have a visual image of your friend’s face, you scan the audience until you see him. Scanning printed words is similar to this.

Purposes of Scanning

You scan to locate a single fact or a specific bit of information without reading everything in the whole text material, or even in just a chapter. Perhaps you have a list of terms that you know are going to be on the next biology test. You have already encountered them during the lecture in class so while reviewing, you just look up each word in the index, go to the given page number, and scan for just that word. When you find them, you read the sentence in which they appear. If it is not yet clear to you, then you may want to read the entire paragraph.

Methods of Scanning

1. Flip through the pages to see how the information is organized. It may be alphabetical, chronological, topical categories from most important to least important, or the standard essay format of introduction, body, and conclusion.

2. Turn to the section most likely to contain the specified details.

3. Keep a visual image of the key word in mind.

4. Run your eyes over the material in a search for that keyword visual image. Don't be excited to stop and browse. You can do that some other time.

Some other types of reading

1. Light Reading

Reading for leisure tends to be 'light'. Thus, the main purpose of the reader in performing this type of reading is when he has ample time in such activity. Light reading is done according to the following:

· Read at a pace that feels comfortable.

· Read while understanding.

· Skim the boring, irrelevant passages.

An average light reading speed is 100-200 words per minute. This form of reading does not generally require detailed concentration.

2. Word by Word Reading

This type of reading is time consuming and demands a high level of concentration. It is done by reading a word after every word. Some materials are not readily understood, so they require slow and careful analytical reading. People use this type of reading for unfamiliar words and concepts, scientific formulas, technical materials, and the like. It can take up to an hour just to read a few paragraphs or chapter of the text.

3. Reading to Study

The main method used in reading to study is called SQ3R. Its aim is to understand the material in some depth. The method involves five simple steps, namely Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review, in which the name came from.

· Survey: skim thoroughly to gain an overview and note key points.

· Question: devise questions you hope the text will answer.

· Read: slowly and carefully.

· Recall: from memory, write down the main points made by the chapter.

· Review: revisit and answer the questions you first raised. Compare these to your recall and establish how well the text has answered them. Fill in any gaps by further reading.

======================================