Speed Reading?

[HereIStand]

Does anyone speed read or tried to improve his/her reading speed? Are there books or tapes that you've used for this purpose?

 

[Radagast]

Does anyone speed read or tried to improve his/her reading speed? Are there books or tapes that you've used for this purpose?

"Speed reading" and "reading faster" are two quite different things. The latter mostly comes with practice.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Does anyone speed read or tried to improve his/her reading speed? Are there books or tapes that you've used for this purpose?

I learned using the technique that was popular about 40, 45 years ago. It was useful to go through and get the sense of something. I can still skim and get maybe 80% comprehension and retention.

I don't generally use it for anything I wish to enjoy, or that is important to me and I want to absorb the details. It doesn't work for deeply technical or logical readings where each step must be fully understood.

Not sure if this helps you or not.

 

[~Anastasia~]

(A good first technique for many people for simply reading faster is to silence the inner voice if you have one. It generally goes slower by necessity than your mind/eyes can.)

 

[faroukfarouk]

Does anyone speed read or tried to improve his/her reading speed? Are there books or tapes that you've used for this purpose?

I guess it's a habit acquired in time, because we often lead such busy lives.

 

[Radagast]

I learned using the technique that was popular about 40, 45 years ago. It was useful to go through and get the sense of something. I can still skim and get maybe 80% comprehension and retention.

I don't generally use it for anything I wish to enjoy

That's the thing about "speed reading." It works, but it's no fun.

 

[FireDragon76]

Does anyone speed read or tried to improve his/her reading speed? Are there books or tapes that you've used for this purpose?

Years ago I used software on my Apple II. I think it can help, though the progress I made was modest at best.

 

[Radagast]

Years ago I used software on my Apple II.

Was that while you were on the Ark with Noah?

No, seriously, I have fond memories of the Apple II.

 

[HereIStand]

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I generally can't read something difficult fast. I have so much (too much) that I would like to read. Also, I have four magazine subscriptions. These might be good candidates for speed reading.

 

[~Anastasia~]

That's the thing about "speed reading." It works, but it's no fun.

Agreed.

I only do it for something I don't really care about and need an overall sense of, which means almost never. I did read a book in the library yesterday that I decided wasn't worth checking out. Little actually valuable info and mostly depressing and fatalistic. But it rarely comes in handy for me.

 

[HereIStand]

Agreed.

I only do it for something I don't really care about and need an overall sense of, which means almost never. I did read a book in the library yesterday that I decided wasn't worth checking out. Little actually valuable info and mostly depressing and fatalistic. But it rarely comes in handy for me.

The Purpose Driven Life is one book that I can recall speed reading, in a sense. I read with my finger on the page. The writing style is fluid. Other books that I have are on the dense side.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I guess there are different styles of instruction, now that I think of it. I've seen one where the person skims his finger under the text. I wasn't taught to do that - really the opposite. I was taught not even to run the eyes over every word, but to visually take in and read lines all at once. If a finger was used to trace (which it shouldn't be) it would have been to go straight down the center of each page. It's kind of like taking a flash-picture of the page with your eyes and reading that while your eyes are moving, if that makes sense. I can do it, but don't like to. Anything that isn't recalled in the mind or further considered within a day or so is largely forgotten (but just thinking about it makes me remember a lot, if I take the time to do that).


I usually deliberately choose to do the opposite. I usually read things very deliberately and slowly, and hear the voice in my head, pause sometimes, and think about it while I'm reading it. It's much slower, but I enjoy it. And I tend to remember essentially all of it that way, unless I try to read too many new things in a day.

It's a temptation to read a lot because I have things I need to read for other reasons, but I like to read for my own sake. But I honestly go through most books very slowly because I find I like it better to take my time, and I get more out it - whatever my purpose for reading is.

I actually started reading a fiction book yesterday, which I almost never do. I might actually finish it, since it is quite interesting so far.

 

[Radagast]

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I generally can't read something difficult fast. I have so much (too much) that I would like to read.

Practice makes perfect.