10 Days to Faster Reading Read online

  He tried once again to enter a university, but again he was rejected. With the help of a friend, he obtained a job as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland. In that patent office, working in his spare time without close contact to any of the other great minds in physics, Einstein changed the world.

  By 1905, Einstein had written three papers. Of these, the second was in many ways the most famous. It became known as the Theory of Relativity.

  With this paper, Einstein tackled an idea that had nagged at him for years. It had already been proven that light always travels at the same speed. But what happens, Einstein asked, if we chase after a ray of light while we are traveling at the speed of light? We might guess that the light we're chasing would seem to stand still, or at least move more slowly, since we're going at the same rate. But Einstein proved that this was incorrect. Even if you could go that fast, light always seems to be moving away from you at the speed of light. This notion broke every rule of physics known at the time.

  This discovery confirmed that many of the laws of physics aren't set in stone. Instead, Einstein's discovery seemed to point to the fact that laws give different results depending on where the observer is standing or how fast he is moving. In other words, results are only meaningful relative to your position in space and time. Nothing is fixed. It's all relative. Einstein submit- ted his paper to the journal Annals of Physics, which was edited by Max Planck, one of the men whose work Einstein had used to create his own theory. Reading through the document, Planck realized that, quietly and calmly, Einstein had turned the scientific world on its head.

  ➞ Mark your reading time on a separate piece of paper: (Minutes) (seconds).

  3. Respond to statements. Immediately answer the following statements to the best of your ability WITHOUT looking back at the reading. Estimate the number of answers you believe are correct and put the number in the blank provided.

  Comprehension Statements

  Without looking back at the reading passage, respond to the following statements by indicating whether the statement is True (T), False (F), or Not Discussed(N).

  1. Albert Einstein is best remembered for his work with physics.

  2. Einstein was born in Germany.

  3. Einstein was able to get into any school he wanted.

  4. Einstein received a degree in teaching.

  5. When Einstein worked in the patent office, he learned a lot from other scientists.

  6. Einstein married three times.

  7. Einstein's most famous work is his Theory of Relativity paper.

  8. Einstein set many laws of physics into stone.

  9. Einstein's theory of comparatively states that a body in motion perceives light differently than a body at rest.

  10. Max Planck was a close relative of Albert Einstein.

  Now, estimate how many of these answers you believe you have correct out of ten.

  4. Check your responses. Turn to the Answer Key. If you have any incorrect, mark the correct response and return to the reading passage to try to understand where you had a problem.

  5. Figure your comprehension percentage. Add the total number of correct responses you have and multiply by 10. Write your comprehension percentage in your Personal Progress Chart.

  6. Figure your words per minute. Look at your reading time and round off the seconds to the nearest 10-second mark. Turn to the Words per Minute Chart and find your Words per Minute next to your reading time. Write your Words per Minute in your Personal Progress chart.

  7. Track your Time Trial scores. Go to your Personal Progress chart and make sure you've recorded your Words per Minute, comprehension percentage, and the date you did the exercise. It's also helpful to document other details such as time of day, any preoccupations, strategies used, and so on.

  How to Read Challenging Newspaper Articles

  Many slow or bored readers tend to skip over the more challenging newspaper articles such as op-ed pieces, letters to the editor, or lengthy features that are newsworthy or of interest but not as pressing as the front page news. Readers sometimes need more time for these pieces either because of length or the readers may lack background knowledge about the topic. One example is the New York Times Sunday Magazine, which typically does not include subheads or natural breaks in its lengthy articles.

  Op-ed Pieces and Letters to the Editor

  Op-ed (opinion-editorials) pieces are written by newspaper columnists or specialists in a particular field. They present a point of view on a subject generally meant to persuade the reader to think about their position on an issue. Letters to the editor are written by the general public. You can try to pre-view both types of articles but you may find it challenging. Many times they are written in the first person (using "I"), making it less reportorial and more in the style of a personal opinion. The writing styles vary and are not edited the same way features or breaking-news stories are.

  Read the first few lines to get a feel for the writer's position, then skim your eyes down the text looking for content-related key words. Use the speed techniques of key words, phrases, key phrases, or pacers to speed your eyes down the text. Try to gauge the author's emotions and what his point of view is. For example, letters to the editor about charter schools will probably have a certain perspective depending on whether the letter writer is a school principal or a parent.

  Lengthy Articles

  Lengthy newspaper articles may appear intimidating, especially if you just want to get the meat of the story. Unless you are making a presentation or writing a report about what you read, how- ever, you can get away with not reading the whole article word-for-word. Reading the introduction, the first sentence of each paragraph, and the conclusion provides you with significant content with- out all the description and filler information. Then select which paragraphs you want to read in their entirety and which paragraphs you want to skip altogether. Remember to use key words, phrases, key phrases, and pacers to move your eyes along.

  Reading Articles Full of Jargon

  I would venture to guess that if you own a computer, you have bought and attempted to read a computer magazine. After all, you want to understand how the computer works and how to maximize its use. You may have discovered that computer magazine writers typically do not write for the novice user but rather the information technology specialist or computer expert. No matter how hard you try, your comprehension of the articles is limited because of all the jargon, especially acronyms like HTML and JPEG.

  A similar situation arises in the health field. Although there is much health information in magazines, journals, and on the Web, interested or curious non-medical professionals have a hard time understanding the text. What is a reader to do? Go to medical school?

  First, understand that you are not unintelligent, rather, you just lack the necessary background knowledge. You can't be an expert in everything. Fortunately, one great way to get background knowledge (without going to school) is to be persistent and trudge through material, knowing you may only understand 10 to 20 percent. You will probably find the repetition of ideas and concepts over time increases your comprehension. If you see an idea or theory discussed enough in different contexts, it may start to click. If you are not comfortable with only 10 to 20 percent comprehension, then try these strategies:

  1. Pre-view. I'll say it once again — pre-view! This is a great way to gain preliminary back- ground knowledge. Once you have background knowledge, then you can read in more de- tail with greater understanding.

  2. Look at different sources. If you go to The New England Journal of Medicine to read about a diabetes study without much medical or content knowledge, you will not learn a lot or enjoy your reading. Instead, locate material on diabetes that is written for the general public, by the American Diabetes Association, for instance. After a while, you can graduate to those more challenging trade journals in the topic area you're interested in.

  3. Keep a jargon notebook. If you really want to become well versed in a particular subject
, then keeping track of the jargon will give you a personal dictionary for study, review and reference. In the notebook, write down acronyms and new words on the left margin of your paper. Then try to determine their meaning (either from the content or a dictionary) and write it next to the term. (Acronyms and jargon are usually defined the first time they are used in a reader-friendly article.)

  4. Use speed techniques. Once you find information on your level, use your speed techniques to quickly help you get what you want without wasting valuable time.

  Turbo Comprehension: Nine Guidelines for Critical Reading

  From the nine guidelines below, choose several or all of them you want to remember and write them down. Tape the paper on a desktop where you read or post it on a wall nearby. By re- minding yourself of these guidelines, you increase your comprehension and understanding of the author's message while becoming a more critical reader.

  1. Be open-minded about new ideas.

  2. Don't argue about things you know nothing about.

  3. Know when you need more information.

  4. Be aware that people have different ideas about the meanings of words.

  5. Know the difference between something that must be true and something that might be true.

  6. Avoid hasty generalizations.

  7. Question anything that doesn't make sense.

  8. Separate emotional and logical thinking.

  9. Develop your vocabulary in order to understand others and to make yourself understood. (From Critical Thinking Book 1, by Anita Harnadeck, Midwest Publications Co., Pacific Grove, California, 2976. Adapted by Louise Loomis, director of The New England Cognitive Center, Hartford, Connecticut. Used with permission.)

  Critical Thinking: Engage the Author

  Throughout this chapter, I have discussed several ways to hone your critical reading skills. Another way to become a more critical reader or increase your knowledge base is to correspond with an author. For example, let's say an article strikes your interest. By the end of the article, you either like or dislike the author's point of view. Since you are already having a mental conversation with the author concerning your likes and dislikes and/or questioning her point of view, why not engage her in person? I'm not saying to actually meet her, though sometimes it may be possible, but rather to get in touch with her via e-mail or letter.

  As an author, I enjoy receiving communications from people who have read my articles or books. The communications range from kudos to negative criticism, and often there are questions about information I have included. This feedback helps me know more about my audience. Usually, I correspond with an individual once depending on the inquiry, sometimes more. Keep in mind that while not all authors will be as receptive, most do write back to their readers to share their expertise, raise their profile, or generate public interest in their field.

  As a reader, I have corresponded with authors on several occasions when I have found an author's work stimulating and interesting. From their responses, I have learned more about their work and have found more resources in the same content area. In turn, this has increased my background knowledge. This process enables me to read an author's work critically and with increased comprehension.

  Start Your Engines: The Pen Push

  There are two ways to perform the pacer known as the Pen Push. Choose a page in a magazine, newspaper, or this book to experiment with. Make sure it is on a flat surface, not balanced upright in your hands.

  The first method is pen down (the other is pen across). Take a closed top pen, not a pencil, and place it vertically on top of and in the center of the paragraph you are going to read. Your eyes are a line or two under the pen tip. Push the pen down as you begin reading, stopping your eyes only two, maybe three, times on each line, seeing more at a glance. Remember to use key words, phrases, or key phrases to help you go even faster. As you get accustomed to the method, try moving the pen a little faster.

  In the pen across method, you place the pen in a horizontal position above the line you are going to start reading. Cover the words you already read and leave open where you are going. This is similar to the white card method.

  Gauge Your Attitude

  Let's take an attitude check. Mentally fill in the blank of the following statement:

  I am a(n) ________ reader.

  Pit Stop: Tip of the Day

  Leaf through a magazine looking for advertisements. Choose one and create a mental dialogue with the advertiser. What is he trying to tell or sell you? How does he do it? What do you think his hidden strategy is for getting you to buy? The more you practice this healthy skepticism, the better you will become at asking thought-provoking questions in other reading contexts. Your answers will help you become a more informed, critical reader.

  ]Day 7 will continue to give you tips and strategies on how to take a large pile of reading material and select and make decisions based on its value, your time, and interest. You will also learn how to control the incoming flow of your reading material so it becomes more quality, not quantity.

  Day 7: Reducing the Pileup

  Pileups are possible during any car race. This may happen because several cars are trying to maneuver out of the way of a slower car, the conditions on the track make for slippery driving, or there are just too many cars grouped together. These reasons are similar to why you might have a reading pileup: You may be reading too slowly, not reading on the best track, or feeling daunted by the amount in your reading pile.

  You may be in a reading pileup situation right now. And you would probably like to know how to get out of it and how to avoid getting into it again. But before we get into the solutions to this problem, it's good to know why a reading pileup occurs.

  Personal Contributors to the Reading Pile

  Over the years, I have uncovered several popularly held attitudes and misconceptions that ultimately contribute to the increasing height of a reading pile. They are:

  I'll get to it later.

  If I am reading, then I am not working.

  I need to read everything I receive.

  I need to remember everything I read.

  I need this for my professional or personal development.

  Let's look at each of these attitudes and misconceptions a little more carefully.

  I'll get to it later. When you receive reading material, usually you don't have time at the moment to stop what you are doing to read it. So you may put it on a pile called "later." You say, "Oh, I'll get to it later." But "later" rarely comes and the pile only gets bigger.

  If I am reading, then I am not working. After working with business professionals for several years, it became clear to me that many of them feel as if reading isn't part of their job during work hours. It's something they still need to do but they are not comfortable reading at work. They believe that reading at work looks like they are goofing off. Though in all likelihood no one's boss ever said that reading wasn't allowed at work, many employees believe that the boss would prefer them to read outside work hours. Where better, though, to get great business ideas and ways to stay current or surpass the competition than through relevant reading?

  I need to read everything I receive. People believe they need to read everything that comes in the mail or enters their in basket or e-mail box. If you act accordingly and really read it all, you will not have much time for the rest of your life! Reality dictates that you do not need to nor should you read it all.

  I need to remember everything I read. This comes directly from school experience. After all, you were tested on everything you read, right? In the real world, however, you are not officially tested on everything you read unless you are a student. You are sometimes responsible for sharing what you read with others but mostly what you comprehend from reading is for your own personal or professional benefit.

  Many untrained readers continue to approach their reading just like they did when they were in school: They try to memorize everything before they even know what the reading is abou
t. The process of memorizing in and of itself is a mechanical process of trying to imprint information on the brain for short-term recall. Whatever information is studied is only available to you for a few days, at most. After several days, the details are almost all forgotten. It makes for an unnecessarily slow, tedious, and unrewarding experience for most reading requirements you have.

  The absolutely best way to remember what you read is to create an excellent retrieval system either electronically or on paper. This takes the pressure off feeling like you have to remember everything. Most times, you don't know which information is needed or when it will be used. It is unrealistic to believe you can recall in detail a piece of material you read a few months ago or last year. For the material I read that I suspect I will need in the future, I pre-view it, then read only those sections that interest me. I then effectively highlight it, identifying only key words, and/or write notes in the margin. Finally, I file it away in a labeled folder. I am thrilled when I go back to the folder, magazine, or book at a later time, and though I may not remember reading it, I see my highlights and margin notes. I have saved myself time and energy by having this memory system.

  I need this for my professional or personal development. If you want to continually improve yourself you should use reading as a means for learning. However, you don't need to gather and read everything ever written on a topic. When I became pregnant with my first child, I began searching for related magazines and books on parenting. Trust me when I say there is a massive amount of information out there. To narrow it down, I spoke to friends and experienced parents and found out what they had read. I went to the library and to the bookstore. I pre-viewed books on the shelf to find those that spoke to me, then I read just the parts that interested me. I became more confident about parenting just from what I chose to read; I certainly didn't need to read everything written on the topic to feel this confidence.