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Reduce your reading timeImprove
comprehension and reduce downtime by Rapid Reading.
Double or triple reading speed. None of the material below is either new or revolutionary. The techniques work and it is a blot upon our educational system that these systems are not routinely taught in our schools. Rapid and speed reading with its associate comprehension gain is the most cost effective productively tool that there is -- a four fold increase is a regular achievement. The
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Introduction A. Typical reading results B. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING READING SPEED C. SOME FURTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING YOUR READING SPEED D. Speeding Through Reading E. HOW TO READ A DIFFICULT BOOK F. HOW TO READ ESSAYS YOU MUST ANALYZE G. SKIMMING AND SCANNING SCIENTIFIC MATERIAL H. A READING/STUDY SYSTEM Introduction Reading is becoming more and more important in the new knowledge economy and remains the most effective human activity for transforming information into knowledge. If top readers read at speeds of above 1000 words per minute (wpm) with near 85% comprehension, they only represent 1% of readers. Average readers are the majority and only reach around 200 wpm with a typical comprehension of 60%. This seems surprising since most readers, actively reading work documents, newspapers, magazines, books or the contents of a computer display are practicing daily for at least one hour. With such an intense training everyone should be close to top performances. Unfortunately, this is far from the real situation. The average reader is five times slower than the good reader. Things are even worse if we consider reading efficiency as well as speed. Reading efficiency is reading speed weighted by comprehension rate and it amounts to 200 x 60% or 120 efficient words per minute (ewpm) for the average reader and to 1000 x 85% or 850 ewpm for top readers. Thus, an efficiency ratio of seven divides these two categories. Compare the results of the average reader to other areas. We may imagine a sprinter practicing every day for several years on the running track and then just calmly walking for a race. We can also picture a racing driver never exceeding 30 mph or a pianist playing every day of the week for 20 years and only able to play music like a beginner. Unfortunately, since the age of 12, most readers do not substantially improve their efficiency and never reach their full capacity. Every computer-user who is also a slow typist is aware of the benefits he could obtain with a typing course, but nearly no one suspects the much higher profits he could reach by improving his reading comprehension and speed. The rapid improvement of voice recognition may gradually make typing virtuosity obsolete since a good typist performs well under the speed of speech. On the other hand, human or computer speaking, with an average speed of 150 wpm, will always remain many times slower than a good reader, without any consideration of the skimming and skipping possibilities. There are three possible ways to improve reading. The fastest is probably a speed reading seminar based upon good materials and animated by a dynamic instructor. It is quite usual for a slow reader to double and even triple his reading efficiency during a two-day class offering a positive atmosphere, carefully selected texts and comprehension tests. However, as this rapid and encouraging improvement is not sufficiently anchored, it often fades with time. A book about speed reading is the second possibility. Such a book usually provides speed and comprehension tests as well as techniques to improve reading. It often includes more general information about concentration, interest stimulation, skimming techniques and ways to approach a text. Some methods may include audio or videocassettes. A book-based method requires a good deal of time as well as a strong commitment from the reader. Finally, a speed reading computer program is probably the most efficient way to achieve top reading levels. Computers offer unique exercises to boost reading efficiency through interactivity, text animation and pacing. Higher reading skills obtained with a computer screen are totally transferable to reading from paper. Unfortunately the inverse way does not work so well. Speed reading software delivers enjoyable and fast paced training, thus giving the consistent practice necessary to break lifelong slow reading habits. This is the task that seminars and speed reading books usually leave up to the reader. A. Typical reading results Measurements of speed and comprehension depend upon the text contents and upon a set of questions. Results in the table do not correspond to a specific test but give a general idea of reading efficiencies.
Research shows that reading is around 25% slower from a computer screen than from paper. This difference generally increases with increasing reading speed. Thus you may slightly increase your results to find your speed when reading from paper. Reader profiles as advertised by FReader a computer aided programme. 110
wpm, slow reader, but you have many possibilities for
improvement.
FReader will provide rapid comprehension and speed increases. You will
soon realize that reading can be a pleasure. FReader will give you
hours of instructions and training so that you keep improving up to top
level reading performances.
240
wpm, oral reader. You may rapidly and significantly progress by
suppressing sub-vocalization. FReader software is perfect for you.
400
wpm, auditory reader. FReader provides several speed reading
modes
to pace your reading beyond this sound barrier of 400 wpm.
1000
wpm, visual reader. Your reading speed is the gem of your CV.
You
don't need FReader but it could certainly be useful to members of your
family, who are not such accomplished readers
Comparison
of Efficient and Slow Readers
B. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING READING SPEED Improvement of Reading Rate It is safe to say that almost anyone can double his speed of reading while maintaining equal or even higher comprehension. In other words, anyone can improve the speed with which he gets what he wants from his reading. The average college student reads between 250 and 350 words per minute on fiction and non-technical materials. A "good" reading speed is around 500 to 700 words per minute, but some people can read a thousand words per minute or even faster on these materials. What makes the difference? There are three main factors involved in improving reading speed: (1) The desire to improve,
Learning to read rapidly and well presupposes that you have the
necessary vocabulary and comprehension skills. When you have advanced
on the reading comprehension materials to a level at which you can
understand college-level materials, you will be ready to speed reading
practice in earnest.(2) The willingness to try new techniques and (3) The motivation to practice. The Role of Speed in the Reading Process Understanding the role of speed in the reading process is essential. Research has shown a close relation between speed and understanding. For example, in checking progress charts of thousands of individuals taking reading training, it has been found in most cases that an increase in rate has been paralleled by an increase in comprehension, and that where rate has gone down, comprehension has also decreased. Although there is at present little statistical evidence, it seems that plodding word-by-word analysis (or word reading) inhibits understanding. There is some reason to believe that the factors producing slow reading are also involved in lowered comprehension. Most adults are able to increase their rate of reading considerably and rather quickly without lowering comprehension. These same individuals seldom show an increase in comprehension when they reduce their rate. In other cases, comprehension is actually better at higher rates of speed. Such results, of course, are heavily dependent upon the method used to gain the increased rate. Simply reading more rapidly without actual improvement in basic reading habits usually results in lowered comprehension. Factors that Reduce Reading Rate Some of the facts which reduce reading rate: (a) Limited perceptual span i.e.,
word-by-word reading;
(b) Slow perceptual reaction
time, i.e., slowness of recognition and
response to the material;
(c) Vocalization, including the
need to vocalize in order to achieve
comprehension;
(d) Faulty eye movements,
including inaccuracy in placement of the
page, in return sweep, in rhythm and regularity of movement, etc.;
(e) Regression, both habitual and
as associated with habits of
concentration;
(f) Faulty habits of attention
and concentration, beginning with simple
inattention during the reading act and faulty processes of retention;
(g) Lack of practice in reading,
due simply to the fact that the person
has read very little and has limited reading interests so that very
little reading is practiced in the daily or weekly schedule;
(h) Fear of losing comprehension,
causing the person to suppress his
rate deliberately in the firm belief that comprehension is improved if
he spends more time on the individual words;
(i) Habitual slow reading, in
which the person cannot read faster
because he has always read slowly,
(j) Poor evaluation of which
aspects are important and which are
unimportant; and
(k) The effort to remember
everything rather than to remember
selectively.
Since these conditions act also to reduce comprehension increasing the reading rate through eliminating them is likely to result in increased comprehension as well. This is an entirely different matter from simply speeding up the rate of reading without reference to the conditions responsible for the slow rate. In fact, simply speeding the rate especially through forced acceleration, may actually result, and often does, in making the real reading problem more severe. In addition, forced acceleration may even destroy confidence in ability to read. The obvious solution, then is to increase rate as a part of a total improvement of the whole reading process. This is a function of special training programs in reading. Basic Conditions for Increased Reading Rate A well planned program prepares for maximum increase in rate by establishing the necessary conditions. Four basic conditions include: 1.Have your eyes checked. Before embarking on a speed reading program, make sure that any correctable eye defects you may have are taken care of by checking with your eye doctor. Often, very slow reading is related to uncorrected eye defects. 2.Eliminate the habit of pronouncing words as you read. If you sound out words in your throat or whisper them, you can read slightly only as fast as you can read aloud. You should be able to read most materials at least two or three times faster silently than orally. If you are aware of sounding or "hearing" words as you read, try to concentrate on key words and meaningful ideas as you force yourself to read faster. 3.Avoid regressing (rereading). The average student reading at 250 words per minute regresses or rereads about 20 times per page. Rereading words and phrases is a habit which will slow your reading speed down to a snail's pace. Usually, it is unnecessary to reread words, for the ideas you want are explained and elaborated more fully in later contexts. Furthermore, the slowest reader usually regresses most frequently. Because he reads slowly, his mind has time to wander and his rereading reflects both his inability to concentrate and his lack of confidence in his comprehension skills. 4.Develop a wider eye-span. This will help you read more than one word at a glance. Since written material is less meaningful if read word by word, this will help you learn to read by phrases or thought units. Rate Adjustment Poor results are inevitable if the reader attempts to use the same rate indiscriminately for a-1 types of material and for all reading purposes. He must learn to adjust his rate to his purpose in reading and to the difficulty of the material he is reading. This ranges from a maximum rate on easy, familiar, interesting material or in reading to gather information on a particular point, to minimal rate on material which is unfamiliar in content and language structure or which must be thoroughly digested. The effective reader adjusts his rate; the ineffective reader uses the same rate for all types of material. Rate adjustment may be overall adjustment to the article as a whole, or internal adjustment within the article. Overall adjustment establishes the basic rate at which the total article is read; internal adjustment involves the necessary variations in rate for each varied part of the material. As an analogy, you plan to take a 100-mile mountain trip. Since this will be a relatively hard drive with hills, curves, and a mountain pass, you decide to take three hours for the total trip, averaging about 35 miles an hour. This is your overall rate adjustment. However, in actual driving you may slow down to no more than 15 miles per hour on some curves and hills, while speeding up to 50 miles per hour or more on relatively straight and level sections. This is your internal rate adjustment. There is no set rate, therefore, which the good reader follows inflexibly in reading a particular selection, even though he has set himself an overall rate for the total job. Overall rate adjustment should be based on your reading plan, your reading purpose, and the nature and difficulty of the material. The reading plan itself should specify the general rate to be used. This is based on the total "size up". It may be helpful to consider examples of how purpose can act to help determine the rate to be used. To understand information, skim or scan at a rapid rate. To determine value of material or to read for enjoyment, read rapidly or slowly according to you feeling. To read analytically, read at a moderate pace to permit interrelating ideas. The nature and difficulty of the material requires an adjustment in rate in conformity with your ability to handle that type of material. Obviously, level of difficulty is highly relative to the particular reader. While Einstein's theories may be extremely difficult to most laymen, they may be very simple and clear to a professor of physics. Hence, the layman and the physics professor must make a different rate adjustment in reading the same material. Generally, difficult material will entail a slower rate; simpler material will permit a faster rate. Internal rate adjustment involves selecting differing rates for parts of a given article. In general, decrease speed when you find the following: (1) Unfamiliar terminology not clear in context. Try to understand it in context at that point; otherwise, read on and return to it later; (2) Difficult sentence and paragraph structure; slow down enough to enable you to untangle them and get accurate context for the passage; (3) Unfamiliar or abstract concepts. Look for applications or examples of you own as well as studying those of the writer. Take enough time to get them clearly in mind; (4) Detailed, technical material. This includes complicated directions, statements of difficult principles, materials on which you have scant background; (5) Material on which you want detailed retention. In general, increase speed when you meet the following: (a) Simple material with few
ideas which are new to you; move rapidly
over the familiar ones; spend most of your time on the unfamiliar
ideas;
(b) Unnecessary examples and
illustrations. Since these are included to
clarify ideas, move over them rapidly when they are not needed;
(c) Detailed explanation and idea
elaboration which you do not need,
(d) Broad, generalized ideas and
ideas which are restatements of
previous ones. These can be readily grasped, even with scan techniques.
In keeping your reading attack flexible, adjust your rate sensitivity
from article to article. It is equally important to adjust you rate
within a given article. Practice these techniques until a flexible
reading rate becomes second nature to you.Summary In summary, evidence has been cited which seems to indicate a need for and value of a rapid rate of reading, while at the same time indicating the dangers of speed in reading, as such. We have attempted to point out the relationship between rate of reading and extent of comprehension, as well as the necessity for adjustment of reading rate, along with whole reading attack, to the type of material and the purposes of the reader. Finally, the factors which reduce rate were surveyed as a basis for pointing out that increase in rate should come in conjunction with the elimination of these retarding aspects of the reading process and as a part of an overall reading training program where increase in rate is carefully prepared for in the training sequence. C SOME FURTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING YOUR READING SPEED LEARN TO CONTROL SUBVOCALIZATION: When I first learned to read, I was taught to sound out letters, then syllables and finally words. Then I read out loud to the class and Mrs. Langbein. As I got older I began to read to myself, and soon I could read the words silently in my head. That’s .... Sub-vocalizing. It’s much slower than just reading. Because one can only speak at about 200 words per minute if from down south, or maybe a bit faster if from up north ... so if you sub-vocalize every word you’ll slow down your reading considerably. To prevent sub-vocalizing use a CD or cassette tape of nature sounds through headphones while you're reading. Sounds strange ... but it works. THE MOTIONS OF EYE TRACKING: Uniform and coordinated eye motion is vital. When you try to move your eyes in a straight line without a guide (like a moving light), they tend to move in a tottering and unsteady fashion. Many other tests abound, but the bottom line is your eyes are basically untrained for the coordinated motion required for accelerated reading. Also. . . your eyes move smoother when there is something to follow. One of the reasons you’ll use the finger tracking method to guide your eye movements when reading, is that it prepares you for the coordination methods used in our Speed Reading in Only One Hour Method. You’ll stop back-tracking, regressing and back-sliding to re-check what you’ve read and thought you missed. VARYING YOUR READING SPEED Your brain operates at different speeds. When you’re critically thinking, you’re at one brainwave speed. When you’re daydreaming you’re at another. When you’re asleep you're at still another. Your brain also accepts data at varying speeds. You won't consistently read at only one brainwave speed. If reading a newspaper you’ll be scanning for specific details. If reading your favourite romance novel, you may want to read slower to make the juicy love themes melt your heart. If you can read at 1200 wpm, that doesn't force you to read 1200 wpm all the time. We highly recommend varying your reading speed. And to take another analogy, just because your Lexus can drive at 180 MPH on the getaway doesn’t mean you should drive that fast downtown or in a school zone. Soon you’ll be able to read much faster. You’ll also have the ability to choose your own comfortable speed reading pace. You’ll know what speed is best for every reading task. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: All new thought psychotherapy, motivational therapy and sales motivation tells people that in order to succeed -- they must believe in themselves. Once you have learned and practiced the methods in Speed Read in Only One Hour you can progress to reading faster than 1,000 wpm. But that requires a belief system change which might be difficult to adapt to if you are not persistent. It takes a leap of faith plus a belief in yourself. If you're stuck in the motor-reading habit of reading word-by-word, repeating every word silently to yourself, you might get stuck in the belief that this is the only way you can read. Please don’t lie to yourself. Your eyes have phenomenal photographic (eiditic) powers and range of scope. Your brain is a computer operating at very high speeds. Although you might be clearly focused on one thing, your peripheral vision can still absorb the neighbouring information and store it for later recall. Training yourself to expand your peripheral vision will expand your ability to take in several words simultaneously. You’ll double your reading speed quickly. These exercises will dramatically extend your peripheral vision in a minute or two. THE POWER OF BATCH PROCESSING: When learning speed-reading your brain processes data rapidly, similarly to when you are flying down the highway at 75 mph and you spot a road sign on an overpass. You do not read it word-by-word; you glance and immediately know! You read it in one chuck using batch processing. Even when reading books you can process batches of words and pictures or input chunks of data. You already have the capability for high speed reading. But first you must learn the technique, and then you can make a simple adaptation to do it on demand. D. Speeding Through Reading If you just hop into a strange car and race across a city you've never visited, you'll probably be in for a rough ride that doesn't get you where you want to go. The same thing is true of reading. Knowing how the brain effectively speeds the mental processing of print and knowing how to find what you want produce the best results. People have researched the behaviours of rapid readers to see how the eyes behave and how the eyes and brain work together to produce such good results. Consider the following points as you search for a way to increase your speed and efficiency. Before You Read Preview the selection you need to read to see what it is about in general and to plan how you will attack it. For example, assume your psychology assignment is to read chapter seven, pages 325 - 350. To preview you read the chapter title, the introductory paragraphs, and the section headings and subheadings. Perhaps you notice that the chapter does not have any concluding paragraphs; it just ends. You notice it is about early childhood mental development and that each section explains a different theory. No one section appears to be complex, so you can read each section at about the same rate of speed. You decide to use a hi-later to mark names and definitions. This professor does not give chapter tests but expects you to participate in class discussion after the lecture, so you will read primarily for the main idea about each theory. While You Read Research about how people read focuses on factors such as eye fixations, width of eye perception span, speed of perception, eye regressions, and sub-vocalization. You should consider each of these and decide how they affect your reading. Then use the relevant strategy to increase your speed. Fixations A fixation is that split second when your eye focuses on a letter or word. Among adult readers fixations vary in number per line and in width. To see the eyes fixate and move across lines of print use a sheet of paper with typed paragraphs on it. Punch a small hole in the centre of the text. Hold the blank side of the paper close to your face so you look through that little hole as someone else reads the paragraph silently. Watch their eyeballs. No wonder your eyes get tired when you read a lot! They have been busy little fellas bouncing around like that, and they need an occasional rest. Count the number of fixations per line. Count the number of words per line and divide by the number of fixations to find the average number of fixations per line. Ask the other person to watch you read and to count your fixations. You may be able to read faster by reducing the number of fixations per line from perhaps seven to three. This problem is a carry-over from first grade when you learned to recognize one letter at a time and then combine them into one word at a time. We have to break that habit. To accomplish this you may learn to include more text per fixation so you see three plus four or seven letters on either side of the fixation for a total of eleven to seventeen letters (the middle three letters plus four on each side would total eleven). Computer programs can help you do this with tachistoscopic flashes of letters or words that force you to focus intensely to try to see all of what appears on the screen during that split second. Some programs such as Speed Reader and Rapid Reader allow you to adjust the speed of the flash. Visual span: A unique computer program uses AVICA lines to broaden the visual span as you read. These are vertical lines on the screen that are about a centimetre apart at first and change to two or three centimetres apart as your fixation span increases. You fixate on the lines as you read. As with any skill development, practice is necessary. Key Words: The key word strategy does not require a computer screen. Since we as adults waste a lot of time reading words like "the," we can avoid them and read the longer more meaningful words (key words). As you fixate on the key word your eyes and mind tend to include words like "the" without fixating on them. Experiment with it to prove to yourself that reading only key words is just as meaningful as reading every word. Depending on the width of the text on the page, you may find that you fixate on about three or four words per line of text. This produces a similar affect on fixations as the AVICA lines, except you focus on the key word instead of the line. Regressions Regressions in eye movements cause the eyes to return to re-read words you already read. It is as though the mind is not sure it saw what it saw. Computer programs try to change this habit by allowing you to see only the words showing through a "window." The window moves across the lines of text at a speed set by you, the reader. It never allows you to re-read and consequently helps break a bad habit. You may correct this habit by using a pacer to drag your eyes across the lines. Use a pointer like the eraser end of a pencil or pen or like your fingertip. Practice refines your pacer movements until some people simply run their finger down the centre of a column of text the width of those printed in the newspaper or in the Readers Digest. Sub-Vocalization Sub-vocalization is that little voice in your brain that says the words. Research on sub-vocalization is conflicting. The issue is whether or not a reader can actually avoid sub-vocalization and still understand what the eyes see. Currently the consensus seems to be that the reader must sub-vocalize at least faintly. If you want to experiment, try humming (hm m m) like a bee while you read a couple of paragraphs. The danger here is that the mind wanders. Have you ever read a page, reached the bottom line, and suddenly realized that you don't remember a thing you read. As your eyes moved across the lines you were thinking about something else. It is similar to a person who can type a copy of a business letter and talk to you at the same time. The text seems to go in the eyes and out the fingers without registering in the brain. The best strategy here may be to sub-vocalize only the key words. Chunking Chunking is the process of thinking about categories of text instead of hundreds of bits and pieces. As a child you learned to chunk letters into words so that today you rarely think about the letters; you think about the meaning of the word. We can speed our thinking/reading by chunking words into sentences. Better yet, as an adult we should chunk those sentences and simply focus on the meaning of the paragraph as a whole or of the essay. Experiment by skimming a selection. Read the title, the heading, the first paragraph or three to four inches of text, the first sentence of each paragraph, and the last paragraph or three to four inches of text. Turn the paper over so you can't see it and list any ten ideas or facts that you remember (list recalls). Your recall list may be a struggle the first time or two, but by the third or fourth practice reading you will relax and your recall list will become longer. Academic Strategy for Textbooks and Research Reports 1.Determine a purpose. What is it that you want to get from the printed page? Terms and definitions? Problem and solution? Research method? 2.Preview the printed pages to see how the ideas are organized. Read the title, the introduction, and the headings. Read the conclusion if there is one. Where will you find the information that you want for the purpose you set? 3.Point your pacer and start reading the introduction. You can race through that because you already read it. It becomes the pace car in your race. Read rapidly, only slowing down when you approach something relevant to the purpose you set. 4.After you read a page or a section, mark the lines or words that you want to remember. If you mark text as you read, you are likely to let it become a nervous habit and mark nearly everything until the page becomes a sea of yellow. That slows you down and serves no utilitarian purpose after you finish reading. 5.When you reach the end of the last page, quickly look back at the marked text for a rapid review. This should answer the question or purpose that you set before you started reading. How to Read a Novel That is Assigned for a Book Report 1.Book Help: Read any information on the book cover or in the forward that gives you ideas about the content of the story or about the author's reasons for writing the book. 2.Outside Help: Read articles about the book that are provided in magazines, in newspapers, on the Internet, or at the library reference room. On the other hand, some pamphlets of notes are helpful while others are poorly written. 3.Significance of Chapter One: Read the first chapter slowly and carefully. It should introduce the main character and the problem or conflict that he/she faces. Most of the rest of the book will describe the attempts to deal with this problem. Notice the relationship between the location/setting of the story and the character's problem. The first chapter also develops some character traits and introduces other characters who influence attempts to resolve issues. 4.Time Management: Plan how much of the book you will read at one sitting. If you become seriously restless after thirty minutes, plan to read for thirty minutes at a time. A more mature plan is to read one chapter at a time. Determine what time of day you will always read. For example, you may prefer to read during the thirty minutes before dinner in the evening. Mark a symbol for the reading assignment on the kitchen wall calendar or on your bedroom wall calendar. Each time you finish reading, draw an X through the symbol on the calendar. The average student reads a novel at the rate of about 300 words per minute. One page in a paperback novel contains about 350 words. Therefore, if a chapter is about 20 pages long, you may assume that it will take you a little over 20 minutes to read it at a rate of not quite one page per minute. 5.Notes for the Book Report: After you read a chapter, write a summary paragraph about the events in that chapter. Add a comment about anything else you think is significant such as the appearance of a new character. After you finish the last chapter, you should have a summary of the entire book composed of those chapter summaries that you wrote. The wisdom of having read everything now allows you to write a paragraph that introduces the book and a paragraph for the end of your report where you draw some conclusions about how the character attempted to deal with the conflicts and about what the character or the reader learned about human nature during the story. 6.Study Guides: Some teachers provide a study guide for your book report. If so, read the study guide after you read chapter one and get an idea of any specific details you may need to note. Or they may tell you that you will take a test on the book in order to receive credit for reading it. If so, use your pen as you read to place a check mark in the margin next to any names or facts that you may need to memorize after you finish the book. 7.Book Marks and Pacers: If you like to use a book mark on the lines as you read, consider placing the marker above the line instead of below it. This allows your eyes to move faster and increases your reading speed. Some people may need to place the marker below the line because their eyes need guidance moving from the end of the line to the beginning of the next line. A pacer such as your finger or a pen point tends to drag your focal point across the line to increase speed and reduce regressing back to re-read text. Regressions are usually emotional rather than necessary for understanding. Of course, sometimes you truly need to re-read. Remember that you are not reading math or science. You are reading fiction and do not need the detailed precision that you do while reading those subjects. 8.Talk About What You Read: If you are a social learner, it may help if you and a parent or friend read using the same time management schedule. Then you can discuss the story and talk about your opinion of what the character did in that chapter. Talk about whether or not you would you have done the same thing? Was their behavior heroic or foolish? Compare your summary paragraph with your friend's. Perhaps your discussion made you aware that you omitted something important that you can add to your summary. E. HOW TO READ A DIFFICULT BOOK Travelling around the country I find that more and more people have an urge to pry into such difficult subjects as science, philosophy, religion, economics and political theory. More often than not, however, this urge soon dries up. People find that the book which they open with high hopes of enlightenment turns out to be beyond their grasp. Actually, any book intended for the general reader can be understood if you approach it in the right way. What is the right approach? The answer lies in one important rule of reading. You should read a book through superficially before you try to master it. Look first for the things you can understand and refuse to get bogged down in the difficult passages. Read right on past paragraphs, footnotes, arguments and references that escape you. There will be enough material which you can immediately grasp ... even if it is only 50 percent or less - that will enable you to understand the book in part. A variation on the method of giving a book a first superficial reading is the technique of skimming. You will never get from skimming what reading and study can give you, but it is a very practical way of dealing with the mass of books available to you. By skimming you can get, often with surprising accuracy, a general sense of the contents of a book. For skimming or reading, the following steps are a good way to begin giving a book the once-over. 1.Look at the title page and preface and note especially the sub-titles or other indications of the scope and aim of the book or the author's special angle. 2.Study the table of contents to get a general sense of the book's structure; use it as you would a road map before taking a trip. 3.Check the index for the range of subjects covered or the kinds of authors quoted. When you see terms listed that seem crucial, look up the passage. You may find the key to the author's approach. Now you are ready to read the book or skim through it, as you choose. If you vote to skim it, look at the chapters which contain pivotal passages or summary statements in their opening or closing pages. Then dip into a page here and there, reading a paragraph or two, and sometimes several pages in a sequence. Thumb through the book in this way, always looking for the basic pulse beat of the matter. One word of warning: If you use this approach and start to skim through a book, you may end up discovering that you aren't skimming it at all. You are reading it, understanding it and enjoying it. When you put the book down, it will be with the realization that the subject wasn't such a tough one after all. F. HOW TO READ ESSAYS YOU MUST ANALYZE 1. Take a pencil in your hand. 2. Read the essay over once, quickly, looking for the main idea, for what the essay is about in general, and for what the author seems to be saying. Don't get bogged down in details. (If you come to an unfamiliar word, circle it but go on reading). 3. Check the meaning of unfamiliar words. If they seem to be key words, i.e., if the author uses them more than once, scribble a brief definition at the bottom of the page or at the end of the essay. 4. Now re-read more slowly and carefully, this time making a conscious attempt to begin to isolate the single most important generalization the author makes: his thesis. Follow his line of thought; try to get some sense of structure. The thesis determines the structure, so the structure, once you begin to sense it, can lead you to the thesis. What is the main point the author is making: Where is it? Remember, examples or "for instances" are not main points. The thesis is the generalization the author is attempting to prove valid. Your job, then is to ask yourself, "What is the author trying to prove"? Another way of identifying the thesis is to ask yourself, "What is the unifying principle of this essay"? or "What idea does everything in this essay talk about"? or "Under what single main statement could all the subdivisions fit"? If the author has stated his thesis fully and clearly and all in one place, your job is easier. The thesis is apt to be stated somewhere in the last few paragraphs, in which case the preceding paragraphs gradually lead up to it, or else somewhere right after the introduction, in which case the balance of the essay justifies the statement and refers back to it. Sometimes, however, the author never states the entire thesis in so many words; he gives it to you a piece at a time. Never mind. You can put it together later. 5. When you think you have grasped the main point, the whole essay goes to prove, underline it and write thesis in the margin. If you find you have several possible theses, don't panic; they all fit together somehow. One or more will probably turn out to be supporting the thesis rather than part of it. Now re-read for structure. You are looking for the main divisions of the essay. There will (probably) be an introduction: draw a line clear across the page after the introduction and write into in the margin. Now tackle the body of the essay. You are already pretty sure what the main idea is. What are the main points the author makes in leading up to his thesis, or in justifying it? You will find in a longer essay that you are now dealing with groups of paragraphs, all having to do with the same subdivision of the main subject. Draw lines between the main groups and give the groups labels. In an essay about how to take an English I final, for instance, you would undoubtedly find a group of paragraphs all of which could be labelled "preparation", and another group that could be called "typical exam questions". Under each group there would be sub-groups: under "preparation" there might be "reviewing essay", "memorizing terminology", etc. Occasionally, you will find a paragraph that doesn't seem to accomplish much. Some paragraphs, for instance, are purely illustrative: the "for example" type of paragraph. Some are just comments or impressions by the author . The "that reminds me" type. A third very common type is the transitional paragraph, which just takes you rather gracefully from one point to another. When you come across a paragraph like one of these, label it in the margin. 6. Within each structural subdivision find out what points the author is making. (In the essay about the English 1 final, find out specifically what the author says to do in order to prepare for the exam.) In other words, identify the topic sentence of each important paragraph. Underline the sentence. Sometimes the topic sentence is at the beginning of the paragraph and sometimes at the end. Sometimes the topic is not stated but is only implied 7. You now have the skeleton of the author's argument and should be able to follow his reasoning. If you are still having trouble, try scribbling a word or two in the margins and summing up the paragraphs as if you were annotating a textbook. In the essay about the English 1 final, for instance, you might write "Mark up textbooks" in the margin after one paragraph, and "but not too much" after the next. You can also underline key transitional or structural words or phases like "but", "however", "moreover", "on the other hand", "nevertheless". 8. Now write out , at the beginning or end of the essay, a thesis statement for the essay. Remember, the thesis was his guiding PURPOSE? What audience did he have in mind? What assumptions did he make i.e., what did he take for granted his audience already knew, or already believed, or both? Is his audience hostile or friendly? 9. Finally, and very important, consider two other questions: WHY did the author write this, and for WHOM? What audience did he have in mind? What assumptions did he make, i.e., what did he take for granted his audience already knew, or already believed, or both? Is his audience hostile or friendly? 10. If you know you are to be examined on the rhetorical techniques the author uses, now is the point to go on a deliberate hunt for them after you have thoroughly understood the essay. G. SKIMMING AND SCANNING SCIENTIFIC MATERIAL Skimming involves searching for the main ideas by reading the first and last paragraphs, noting other organizational cues, such as summaries, used by the author. Scanning involves running your eyes down the page looking for specific facts or key words and phrases. Skimming and scanning are particularly valuable techniques for studying scientific textbooks. Science writers pack many facts and details closely together, and students react by shifting their reading speeds to the lowest gear and crawling through the material. Notwithstanding the fact that science textbooks are usually well-organized, with main points and sub-topics clearly delineated, the typical student ignores these clues and plods through the chapter word-by-word, trying to cram it all in. It is precisely these characteristics, organization and density of facts per page that make it so vital that you employ skimming scanning techniques. To successfully master science test, you must understand thoroughly the major ideas and concepts presented. Without such a conceptual framework, you will find yourself faced with the impossible task of trying to cram hundreds of isolated facts into your memory. thus, a preliminary skimming for the main ideas by using the author's organization cues (Topic headings, italics, summaries, etc.) is a vital preliminary step to more intensive reading and maximum retention. It will provide a logical framework in which to fit the details. Similarly, scanning skills are valuable for several purposes in studying science. First, they are an aid in locating new terms, which are introduced in the chapter. Unless you understand the new terms, it is impossible to follow the author's reasoning without dictionary or glossary. Thus a preliminary scanning of the chapters will alert you to the new terms and concepts and their sequence. When you locate a new term, try to find its definition. If you are not able to figure out the meaning, then look it up in the glossary or dictionary. (Note: usually new terms are defined as they are introduced in science texts. If your text does not have a glossary, it is a good idea to keep a glossary of your own in the front page of the book. Record the terms and their definition or the page number where the definition is located. This is an excellent aid to refer to when you are reviewing for an examination, as it provides a convenient outline of the course). Secondly, scanning is useful in locating statements, definitions, formulas, etc. which you must remember completely and precisely. Scan to find the exact and complete statement of a chemical law., the formula of a particular compound in chemistry, or the stages of cell division. Also, scan the charts and figures, for they usually summarize in graphic form the major ideas and facts of the chapter. If you practice these skimming and scanning techniques prior to reading a science chapter, you will find that not only will your intensive reading take much less time, but that your retention of the important course details will greatly improve. H. A READING/STUDY SYSTEM SURVEY - gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals. 1.Read the title - help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand. 2.Read the introduction and/or summary - orient yourself to how this chapter fits the author's purposes, and focus on the author's statement of most important points. 3.Notice each boldface heading and subheading - organize your mind before you begin to read - build a structure for the thoughts and details to come. 4.Notice any graphics - charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there to make a point - don't miss them. 5.Notice reading aids - italics, bold face print, chapter objective, end-of -chapter questions are all included to help you sort, comprehend, and remember. QUESTION - help your mind engage and concentrate. One section at a time, turn the boldface heading into as many questions as you think will be answered in that section. The better the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning. READ - fill in the information around the mental structures you've been building. Read each section (one at a time) with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and notice if you need to make up some new questions. RECITE - retrain your mind to concentrate and learn as it reads. After each section - stop, recall your questions, and see if you can answer them from memory. If not, look back again (as often as necessary) but don't go on to the next section until you can recite. REVIEW - refine your mental organization and begin building memory. Once you've finished the entire chapter using the preceding steps, go back over all the questions from all the headings. See if you can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory, then continue. REMEMBER: THE INFORMATION YOU GAIN FROM READING IS IMPORTANT. IF YOU JUST "DO IT" WITHOUT LEARNING SOMETHING. YOU'RE WASTING A LOT OF TIME. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO LEARN!!! |
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