How to Speed Read

Here's a hard but not surprising truth: Reading is work. It can be easy and enjoyable work, like reading a good story or the comics. Or, it can be more challenging work, such as reading a textbook or other study material. Now think a minute about work. If you show up at your job and just sit there till quitting time, did you work? No, you put in your time, but you didn't work-and if you keep acting that way, you'll get fired. It's the same way with reading. If you just sit there, moving your eyes over the page, you aren't really reading-and you're not getting anything out of it. To get the most out of what you read, you have to get actively involved in the material.Your mind should be working before, while, and after you read.

BEFORE YOU READ

WHAT'S IN A TITLE?

You have a title, even if you didn't win a world heavyweight boxing match. Mr., Ms., Mrs., and Miss are titles. In a sense, so are Mom, Dad, Sis, and Brother. And there are many more. Get out your notebook and list your own titles. Start with your name, your family relationships, and what people call you in a formal setting (like Mr. or Ms.). List your job titles, and any positions you hold in volunteer or professional organizations. Like people, chapters, lessons, and books have titles that tell you what they're about. Just as you know Ms. Smith isn't a man, you know the article "Cooking Peas" isn't about carrots. Titles are there to eliminate confusion and give a general impression before the finer details are known. Titles can tell you a lot-don't overlook them!

GET READY TO READ

Start thinking about what you will be reading before you even begin to read. First, choose a section to read. If the reading is divided into chapters, a chapter is a good place to start. If it's a long chapter with sub-headings, begin with the first sub-heading. Look at the title of the chapter, the sub-heading, or the article only.

USING ILLUSTRATIONS

If the reading has any illustrations, photographs, or drawings, look at those, too When you study the title and illustrations before you read, you are pre-reading. You are preparing to read by first getting in touch with what you already know about the topic.

USING YOUR OWN SPECIAL FILING SYSTEM

Your brain has a wonderful filing system. It files everything you have seen, heard, tasted, and felt. All your experiences are up there-both your actual experiences and what you learned through reading, seeing, and listening. Information is stored in different compartments of your brain; each compartment has a specialty.

AS YOU READ

Now that you've already gotten into the file cabinet in your head by pre-reading, you want to be ready to add new folders or information to your file cabinet. You need to be able to hold onto the new information you'll acquire while reading.

REMEMBERING THINGS YOU JUST LEARNED

Be prepared! Whatever you use to write your notes in, carry it with you!

Notebooks

Carry a small notebook with you and write down what you just learned. Your reading log will work for this purpose. You might want to create one section for pre-reading and questions and another for things you want to learn.

Address Books

Use an address book to create your own categories in alphabetical order. Get yourself an inexpensive address book and use it as a do-it-yourself dictionary. Write in unfamiliar words as you come across them, along with your own meaning and, perhaps, a definition you looked up in a dictionary.You could also use an address book to keep track of A-Z ideas as you prepare for an examination or paper.