10 Days to Faster Reading Read online

  c. Using a pacer.

  2. I will reduce going back over material (regression) I already read by

  a. Reading faster.

  b. Reading key words, phrases, and key phrases.

  c. Using a pacer.

  3. I will reduce the talking in my head (mental whispering/subvocalization) by

  a. Reading faster.

  b. Reading key words, phrases, and key phrases.

  c. Using a pacer.

  4. I will stop moving my lips by placing my finger to my lips while I read.

  5. I will personally choose only quality material for my reading pile.

  6. I will reduce my to read stack by

  a. Using the "One Month Tracker".

  b. Pre-viewing everything.

  c. Getting myself removed from invaluable mailing lists.

  d. Canceling subscriptions.

  e. Throwing away junk mail right away.

  f. Copying or cutting out interesting articles.

  g. Limiting the number of books I buy.

  h. Using efficient reading techniques.

  i. I will:

  7. I will use a pacer to help me read faster.

  8. I will resist the temptation to print off the computer screen.

  9. I will read more on the computer screen.

  10. I will use the note-making tools only when I think I might need to refer back to the information again.

  11. I will continue to question the author's point of view.

  12. I will be aware of my opinions, inferences, and biases.

  13. I want to become an active, mindful, and conscious reader.

  14. I will:

  Time Trial No. 10

  For the final lap, let's evaluate your engine. It should take you five minutes or less. On the following practice reading, experiment with some of the information you have learned about. Try using key words, phrases, key phrases, or a pacer. Ensure an appropriate environment for un- interrupted successful reading.

  1. Pre-view the reading first. Time yourself for a maximum of only thirty seconds, allowing yourself to quickly look at the introduction, the first sentences of the paragraphs, and the questions you will be answering.

  2. Time yourself. See how long it takes to read the passage "April Fool's Day: A Real Kick in the Pants!" below. Write your total time in minutes and seconds in the space provided at the end of the reading.

  April Fool's Day: A Real Kick in the Pants!

  By John D. Whitman

  Mark Twain once wrote, "The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year." That day is, of course, April Fool's Day. On that day, schoolchildren might tell a classmate that school has been canceled, or point down and say, "Your shoe's untied!" More elaborate jokes involve sending the victim on a "fool's errand" to find something that doesn't exist. A modern variation of the fool's errand is "snark hunting," where a group in the know sends a hapless individual out into the woods looking for a nonexistent animal.

  Where did April Fool's Day originate? Centuries ago, many people in European cultures celebrated the New Year at the beginning of spring. This celebration usually took place in March near the spring equinox. Since spring is a time of renewal, this new year celebration made sense.

  When Pope Gregory introduced the modern calendar in 1562, moving New Year's Day to January 1, most Europeans readily adopted the new calendar. However, those who refused to use it and, even better, those who forgot about the switch, were labeled fools. They were sent fake party invitations and given prank gifts on the old New Year's Day.

  The tradition of pulling pranks on April 1 survived long after the memory of the original meaning was forgotten. In France, April 1 is called "Poisson d'avril." French school children try to fool their comrades by taping a paper fish to their backs. When the classmate discovers the trick, all his friends cry out "Poisson d'avril!," which means "April Fish!"

  The idea of April Fool's Day is celebrated in Mexico as well, but for different reasons and even on a different day. In Mexico, December 28 is "El Dia de Los Inocentes." It is set aside as a day for Christians to mourn Herod's slaughter of innocent children. Over the years, the tone of that solemn day changed from sadness to good-natured trickery.

  In Scotland, April Fool's Day actually lasts two days. The second day is dedicated to pranks. Some aspects of this second fools day survive in our most cherished traditional practical jokes. If you've ever had anyone tape a "Kick Me" sign to your back on April Fool's Day, you can thank the Scots for every boot on your bottom.

  Today's best pranks don't hurt anyone, and delivered in the right spirit, they usually leave even the victim laughing.

  ➞ 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. When New Year's Day was moved on the calendar to January 1, those who continued to celebrate it on April 1 were considered fools.

  2. On the ancient calendar, April Fool's Day signaled the beginning of the new year.

  3. Today, children participate in April Fool's Day coloring contests.

  4. Before the modern calendar was introduced, people were imprisoned if they didn't celebrate New Year's Day on January 1.

  5. In France April Fool's translates into "April Fish".

  6. Mexico celebrates April Fool's Day on March 28, just before the traditional April 1.

  7. Sweden celebrates two April Fools Days.

  8. Scotland is responsible for the "Kick Me" sign prank.

  9. Studies indicate that April Fool's pranks will become less innocent in future years.

  10. April Fool's Day began in the 1500s.

  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.

  Fast Tracks: How to Figure Reading Speed on Your Own

  After completing the readings in this book, check on your progress from time to time. I have several suggestions.

  • To gauge both reading speed and comprehension. Purchase a timed reading workbook, such as from Jamestown Publishers (now owned by McGraw-Hill) at 1-800-USA-Read. Any book in the Timed Reading Plus series is closest in length and content to the readings in this book.

  • To check your reading speed. Use your own reading material. Use material where the column width is consistent, such as a newspaper column.

  1. Figure your average words per line: Choose any 10 lines of text and count the number of words in each line and divide by 10. If your total is 79 words, then the average words per line is 7.9 words, or round higher to 8 words per line. If your total is 93 words, then the average words per line is 9.3, or round lower to 9 words per line.

  2. Time Yourself. Read for exactly one minute.

/>   3. Figure your words per minute. Count the number of lines you have read and multiply them by the average number of words per line. Number of lines read times average words per line equals words per minute.

  • To figure how long it will take you to read a novel, follow these steps:

  1. Time yourself. Read a book for ten minutes. Count the number of pages you read.

  2. Figure your average time per page. Take the 10 minutes and divide it by the number of pages you read. If you read 8 pages, then divide to by 8. 10 divided by 8 is 1.25 or 1 minute 15 seconds. The average time per page is 1 minute 15 seconds.

  3. Figure your total time. Multiply the number of pages in the book by 1.25. If the book has 230 pages, then 230 pages x 1.25 per page = 287.5 total minutes. If you want to know hours and minutes, then divide the total minutes by 60. 287.5 ÷ 60 = 4.79. This ends up being 4.79 hours or approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes.

  The Last Words About Leisure Reading Material

  Leisure reading material is whatever you choose to read, not what work or school dictates. Though many people read non-fiction for leisure, many more people choose to read fiction.

  Here are a few tips or reminders to keep in mind when reading fiction.

  1. Don't skim or pre-view.

  2. Choose your own reading speed.

  3. Read anywhere you want.

  4. Fast forward through the boring parts.

  5. Read dialogue or poetry slower or even word-for-word to get the true essence of what is being said or how it is being expressed.

  Turbo Comprehension: INCORP Model

  If you work within a group or a team of people who have a similar career, chances are you read or need to read the same material. The INCORP model helps you and your team stay cur- rent in your field, eliminate reading redundancy, spark creative synergy and communication, and encourage team work. Use this model and adapt it to suit your group's working style. INCORP is an acronym:

  Identify what you should be reading.

  Network with others in your field. Find out what others read, what organizations they belong to, and what publications they receive. List them all. Then decide which are the best use of your time and the most valuable to your profession.

  Collect the material, which may result in ordering new subscriptions or canceling multiples or non-valuable ones.

  Organize a reading team. Divide the material by deciding among yourselves who reads what. If someone prefers to read the business newspaper but dislikes professional journals, then let him read the newspaper. Rotate reading assignments for variety.

  Read the material in a timely manner looking for business-related information. It is also helpful to know a little about the personal interests of each team member so you can read with them in mind. If you know a team member is designing a beach house and you come across information about a new building material, you can share it with him.

  Process the information. Decide to meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly to discuss your findings. You may decide to just photocopy the articles and circulate them among the others in your group. If everyone knows how to pre-view, the article will get passed around faster. If you are doing research reading, type up your findings by listing the article, source, date, and a brief summary of the information presented.

  If you put this model into practice, you stay current while reducing an individual's reading workload.

  Some companies form reading groups. For example, a popular business book is distributed to each member of a workteam. Every week, they meet for an hour, usually Friday, to read and dis- cuss how the book affects their business. What a great way to participate in your own career and the direction your company takes.

  Start Your Engines: The Two Finger Sway

  The Two Finger Sway is the most advanced pacer presented in this book. It assumes that you know how to see more at a glance and are comfortable incorporating two or three lines of text at a time.

  Choose something to read. Make the peace sign with your index finger and middle finger of either hand and then put the two fingers together. Tuck your other three fingers into your palm. Place the two fingers under the first line of the paragraph and move your fingers across the line with your eyes. When you get to the end of the line, drop your fingers down several lines of text and begin reading where your fingers are. Try reading more than just the line you are on. It is possible. Move your fingers with your eyes across that line and again move them down several lines. Your hand zig-zags or sways as your reading flows. Go faster as you get more comfortable. Use this method for doing a fast skim or pre-view. Avoid moving your fingers across every line to stop yourself from reading word-for-word, which slows you down.

  Pit Stop: Tip of the Day

  At the end of my programs, I tell a true story about when and how I decided to get into the faster reading profession. I include it here because it shares a powerful message.

  It was Christmas 1988 and I had no real career direction. I was making a living by working temp jobs, substitute teaching, and waitressing. I was going through outplacement counseling to identify my strengths and which careers matched my abilities. During this time, I was thinking about starting a training business to help busy people manage their reading workload but I wasn't sure if it would succeed. A career in teaching faster reading didn't show up on my job list probably because it's not a typical job. Did people really need to read faster as I had believed? And could I help them?

  Being the holidays, I was feeling depressed, with little money to spend and no clear career direction. I was eating Chinese takeout with my boyfriend—now my husband, Christopher—and dis- cussing my situation. He said something I'll never forget: "The universe has a plan for you. Just look for the signs. A sign," he said, "could be as obvious as something someone says, or as hidden as a coincidence that might not be a coincidence at all." I looked at him with a somewhat confused look, shrugged my shoulders, and said, "Okay."

  At the end of our meal, he held out his hand with four fortune cookies in it. I picked one, secretly hoping, as I always do, that what it says will bring me luck. I opened the cookie and read the fortune. My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. I said, "I think I found the sign I was looking for to decide whether or not I should go into this business." The fortune said:

  The road to knowledge begins with the turn of a page.

  And so, as a result of reading this book, I hope you are able to turn more pages, which will put you solidly on the road to knowledge.

  Answer Key

  Day 1: All About Reading

  1. F, 2. T, 3. T, 4. T, 5. F, 6. N, 7. N, 8. F, 9. T, 10.T

  Day 2: Battling the Worry Bug

  1. F, 2. T, 3. T, 4. N, 5. F, 6. T, 7. T, 8. N, 9. N, 10. T

  Day 3: A True Athlete

  1. T, 2. F, 3. N, 4. F, 5. F, 6. N, 7. F, 8. N, 9. N, 10. T

  Day 4: The History of Speed Reading

  No comprehension questions

  Day 5: Pre-view Day 6

  1. T, 2. F, 3. F, 4. T, 5. N, 6. F, 7. N, 8. T, 9. F, 10. N

  Day 6: It's All Relative

  1. F, 2. T, 3. F, 4. T, 5. F, 6. N, 7. T, 8. F, 9. N, 10. F

  Day 7: The Ties That Bind

  1. N, 2. T, 3. F, 4. F, 5. T, 6. F, 7. T, 8. F, 9. N, 10. T

  Day 8: Scanning Exercise

  1. Claude H

  2. Philip J

  3. 3

  4. 868-6800

  5. RE

  6. KR

  7. 531-6233

  8. 6 Thistle La

  9. John I

  10. Sydney M

  Day 8: Books Join the Electronic Wave

  1. F, 2. T, 3. F, 4. N, 5. T, 6. F, 7. T, 8. N, 9. F, 10. T

  Day 9: A Few Words

  1. T, 2. F, 3. F, 4. N, 5. N, 6. F, 7. F, 8. T, 9. T, 10. F

  Day 10: April Fool's Day: A Real Kick in the Pants!

  1. T, 2. F, 3. N, 4. F, 5. T, 6. F, 7. N, 8. T, 9. N, 10. T

  Personal Progress Chart

  Track your progress by compl
eting this chart for the Time Trial exercises you complete. Include the date you did the exercise, the title of the reading, your words-per-minute (wpm), your comprehension percentage (number of answers correct times 10%) and what strategy(ies) you used. The extra room underneath is for you to write any other comment such as if you were interested in the reading, distracted, bored, challenged, etc.

  You can download a printable Personal Progress Chart on my web site.

  A sample is included below.

  SAMPLE ENTRY:

  Words Per Minute Chart

  All timed readings contain approximately 400 words except for Day 4, The History of Speed Reading, and Day 5 which is a Pre-View of Day 6.

  Day 5 - Pre-View Time Chart

  Below is the Word Per Minute chart to use when you pre-view Day 6. Day 6 has 4,877 words, and time in bold is the instructed preview time for this exercise.

  Timed Reading Exercises Quick Reference

  (* The first seven readings listed below are non-fiction and contain approximately 400 words with comprehension questions. The remaining three listed BELOW the line are used for other practice.)

  Day 1 – All About Reading

  Day 2 – Battling the Worry Bug

  Day 3 – A True Athlete

  Day 4 – The History of Speed Reading (for 1 minute timings)

  Day 5 – Roadmap exercise (pre-view of Day 6)