Along with the many wonderful advances in technology that people enjoy today, there is also a commensurate increase in the flow of information that people are expected to be aware of and understand. People at almost all stages of life, from students to retirees, business and civic leaders, all struggle with the same problem. How to keep up with the information? Speed reading training is a good idea to help people deal with the amount of information that comes their way every day.
When people are trained and learn to read faster, they become more effective at studying and more productive at work. In addition, speed-readers also report enjoying reading materials more, not only getting more out of them, but remembering what they have read better.
The training also results in improved levels of understanding. While this goes against logic, which would dictate that improving it would result in diminished understanding.
However, experts say that learning to read faster actually allows the reader to send information to the brain at a speed that better matches the speed at which the brain works. This is the basis for understanding why fast reading comprehension levels are consistently higher for fast readers than when comprehension is assessed for those who read at medium or slow speeds.
Overall, a quality speed reading training program is an investment that pays for itself in many different ways. Training the brain to be able to absorb, retain, and understand written information is a valuable skill to master.
In today’s market, there are many different avenues you can choose to improve your reading speed to match your learning style. Regardless of the type of program you choose, there are four things you can do to improve your results.
Relaxation – It is very important to be in a relaxed state. High levels of stress and tension will create many barriers that interfere with the ability to learn to read quickly. And not only must the mind be in a relaxed and stable state to help improve it, but the body must also be in a calm state.
Restlessness or tension in the body can become a major distraction and can inhibit your speed reading efforts. It is best to be in a quiet, calm and comfortable environment before attempting a course there.
Read quality material: There are a myriad of options in reading materials that you can select from when trying to learn to speed read. But, when you are in training, it is best to choose a work that is well written and avoid “flowery” language. Look for a text with rich content, direct presentation, and little redundancy during the learning stages. Once you’ve experienced an improvement, you’ll be able to tackle any type of reading material you want.
Keep an eye out for keywords: Most written work is about 60% infill just to accommodate sentence structure and grammar. You’ll learn how to quickly zero in on the keywords or key phrases that provide meaning. As your ability to focus on these important words improves, your brain will be able to more quickly process the meaning of what you’re reading, further accelerating improvement in reading speed and comprehension.
Persistence, Practice, and Patience: For speed reading training to be truly effective, the aspiring reader must set a goal and persist until they reach their goal, then set a higher goal. To acquire the skill of speed reading, there must also be constant practice and patience with oneself during the brain retraining process. Being persistent and staying committed to goals will ultimately make you a fast reader who also enjoys great insight.
