A Short Course on Speed Reading
Speed Reading
Speed reading is designed to enable you to do three things;
- Increase your reading rate.
- Improve your comprehension of what you have read, and also
- Improve your recall of what you have read.
That is not easy.
The principles of speed reading are as follows
- Don't try to vocalise as you read.
- Read with only your eyes and don't vocalise words to yourself, even in your own mind.
- Instead, try simply to SEE and understand the content in the form of vivid mental images.
- Try to visualise the content in the form of mental images that you'll find easy to recall later.
- As you read, strive to translate the text into a mental movie, which is full of vivid images, sounds and actions. Endeavour to encode the content in the form of icons that can hold meaning in your memory.
For example, read this short text, and try especially to visualise images for the words I have bolded that will act as markers for the memory:
The sun
The Sun, is the centre of our solar system which is the planetary system that includes our Earth.
By the radiation of its light and heat, the Sun provides us with practically all of the energy that supports life on Earth. (There are small numbers of creatures that are supported by deep-ocean hydrothermal vents).
For the rest of life, all sources of energy are ultimately derived from the suns solar energy. Plant-life uses solar energy to build up complex biomolecules using hydrogen and oxygen taken from the water and carbon taken from the air. This process is called photosynthesis. Without the energy from the sun, no intelligent life on earth would be possible.
A speed reader would pick out and visualise only these concepts:
The Sun, Solar system. Earth.
Suns Radiation. Energy, life.
Hydrothermal vents.
Plant-life. Complex biomolecules. Water. air.
Photosynthesis. No intelligent life. Possible.
At the end of this amount of visualisation the speed reader would spend a few seconds tying to memorise those images and concretise them into his memory.
Then he/she would pick up reading again and read this:
The distance to the sun from the earth is 92,960,116 miles (about 93 million miles). This distance is used by astronomers as a standard measurement of distance as an astronomical unit, (A.U.). Our sun is a typical star and as such can be used as a useful guide to understand most other stars.
No other star can be studied in such detail.
The next nearest star to us is Proxima Centauri. It claims the honour of being our nearest neighbour at only 4.24 light years away.
Again the speed reader may pause and may spend a few seconds trying to memorise these images-words and concretise them into his/her memory.
Sun distance. 93 million
Astronomical unit, (A.U.).
Typical star. Guide.
Proxima Centauri. 4. Light years.
By this process, the speed reader is seeking to pick out key concepts, visualise them, understand their meaning, then memorise them, then move on to the next section.
Speed reading is an evolution.
You don't learn to do it in a day. You develop your skills over an extended period of time.
Try it and see what you can achieve.
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Definition: speed reading
Speed reading is a reading skill that lets a person read much faster by moving their eyes over text without saying the words, turns the ideas into clear mental pictures, keeps full understanding and recall, and grows through steady, daily practice over time.
Show CG4D Definition
- Relies only on eye movement with no spoken or inner voice
- Moves through text at a rate far above normal reading
- Changes written ideas into vivid mental pictures for meaning
- Needs constant practice to keep high understanding and recall
Article Summary
Speed reading trains you to silence the inner voice, focus your eyes, and build sharp mental pictures, letting you read far faster while keeping high understanding and recall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
How does speed reading raise my reading speed?
Will speed reading lower my reading comprehension?
Why should I drop the inner voice when I read?
How do mental images boost memory recall while reading?
How long should I pause to fix pictures in my mind?
How often should I practise these speed reading tips?
Can visual reading methods handle dense study texts?
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Did You Know: Key Statistics
A 2022 University of Valencia study found that six weeks of planned speed reading practice raised reading speed by 35% while keeping 90% understanding. LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report 2024 says 72% of UK office staff feel overloaded by the reading they must do each week, up from 58% in 2020.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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