10 Days to Faster Reading Read online

  Start Your Engines: Pull Down Center

  The pacer Pull Down Center works best on narrower-columned material. Choose a page in a magazine, newspaper, or material from your read later pile that's printed in two or more columns per page. Make sure to place it on a flat surface, not balanced upright in your hands. Pick either your right or left index finger and place it in the center of the paragraph under the first line of text. Start reading on the line above your finger. Pull your index finger down the page like a window shade. Pull it as slowly or as quickly as your eyes read each line from side to side. Try stopping your eyes only two to three times per line, seeing more at a glance. Remember to use key words, phrases, or key phrases to help you speed up. As you get more accustomed to the method, try moving it a little faster.

  Pit Stop: Tip of the Day

  It is no secret that your ability to efficiently read and learn is easier when you are well rested, relaxed and feeling well. By taking care of yourself and your body's basic needs, you will find the information in this book even more effective. Here are a few health reminders:

  Find a way to get enough sleep. Research says the average adult needs between eight and nine hours of sleep a night. If you routinely get under seven hours, you may be compromising your ability to read and learn.

  Add movement into your day. By moving, you circulate and oxygenate the blood, making your brain more alert and ready to receive information. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, park your car farthest from the store's entrance, or if you have a dog walk it at least twice a day. If you have always wanted to get into an exercise routine, here's another justification for doing so. If you use an exercise bike, prop reading material on a stand and read while you move.

  Eat brain food. If you are reading to learn and remember, eat foods rich with protein such as cheese or chicken. You can also add vegetables or salad. Avoid sleepy foods such as breads, pretzels, and pasta.

  Reduce stress. Though some stress is good, too many experience more stress than is healthy. It is hard to read with good comprehension when you and your body are feeling overwhelmed. You may find some relief by prioritizing what's important to you. To combat the stress bug: Get plenty of sleep, learn deep breathing exercises, and take time to appreciate what you have, not what you wish you had.

  Get to know your own personal sleep requirements, exercise needs, food reactions, and stress levels. Only you can set your reading machine up for success.

  You are now halfway through your ten-day trial. Day 6 focuses on an important flag — the caution flag. There are many ways to interpret what is read, and Day 6 clarifies how to read with caution.

  Day 6: Hanging Out the Caution Flag

  When race car drivers drive, they focus on where they are going and how they are going to get there as quickly and safely as possible. This means they are aware of their surroundings, not what's happening on the other side of the track. The flagman is similar to the driver's eyes on the other side of the track. He waves a yellow caution flag telling the driver to slow down because there is an accident, oil, or other debris on the track. Slowly the driver circles the track waiting for a flag to tell him it's okay to continue. This is a valuable opportunity for drivers to evaluate how the race is going, rethink their racing strategy, and make any adjustments to their driving when the race starts again.

  When reading, you not only need to be aware of where you are going but also of what's happening on the author's side. Effective reading is an exchange of ideas, not a one-way conversation. You are the one who converts your reading relationship from a monologue, where you are the passive recipient of the author's words, to a dialogue, where you actively ask questions and look for answers. This is considered critical reading.

  A mindful, active reader — one who engages in this dialogue — is also categorized as alert, appropriately suspicious, and skeptical. Though you can think this way while reading fiction, critical reading is primarily meant for nonfiction or information reading.

  The Mindful Side of Criticism

  If your boss said he wants to speak to you and give you criticism about your job performance, you would probably wonder what you did wrong. However, the word "criticize" means "to consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly." Ideally, this means that your boss would talk to you about your strengths and weaknesses.

  Being critical means consciously passing judgment, both favorable and unfavorable, on every- thing you see, hear and read. This sometimes is done unconsciously. For example, you go to a new friend's house for dinner. The minute you walk up to the door, your critical mind is working over- time. You are unconsciously evaluating everything you experience from the sound of the doorbell to how the meal tastes to the cleanliness of the bathroom. All of your experiences contribute to your conscious opinion at the end of the evening.

  When you read, your mind works with the same unconscious procedure. If you can learn to criticize consciously and mindfully, however, you will greatly improve your background knowledge and comprehension. How do you accomplish this? By being prepared to look for the pros and cons in what you read, according to you, examine and question carefully, and form your own judgments on the content. Exercising this ability separates the excellent readers from the average ones.

  Restaurant critics sample foods and write about what they like and don't like and why. Movie critics watch movies and use similar criteria. Both share their opinions with their readers based on their background knowledge. Does it mean their criticism is correct? No, there is really no correct criticism just as there is no assurance that you are right in your evaluation of an author's words. Only you determine if your evaluation is correct. You base your evaluation on your own background knowledge just as restaurant and movie critics do.

  When reading nonfiction, you ultimately want to:

  Justify what you already know is accurate.

  Learn something new.

  Distinguish fact from fiction.

  Change your mind if you are proven wrong.

  Have the author reach a conclusion.

  Critical reading, then, is founded on your previous understanding of the subject matter and your current understanding of material you are reading.

  There are several ways to create a conscious, mindful relationship with an author when you read. They include challenging the author, distinguishing facts, and making inferences.

  Challenging the Author

  There are occasions when you read that you are surprised or confused about something an author says. Perhaps the author has not developed a sound argument or her reasoning seems flawed. These are times to use critical and mindful questioning. You may already do this but doing it mindfully makes your reading more active and engaging.

  Critical questioning implies that you have a healthy skepticism about the author's motives for the writing and its contents. It is helpful to decide for yourself whether you agree with an author, and, if you disagree, what your basis is for the criticism. The following list of questions, split into three main categories, are valuable when engaging in a hypothetical dialogue between you and an author.

  Questions About the Author

  Let's look at questions directed toward the author.

  Does the author have experience on this topic?

  Is the writer male or female? Does the gender affect the point of view?

  How does the author's background and experience affect his or her interpretation of the topic?

  What is the author's motive?

  Is the author objective, not influenced by emotions or personal prejudices — or subjective, that is, personal?

  Questions About Content

  Let's examine queries about content.

  What is the intended audience for this writing?

  What is the author literally saying in the text?

  What is the author really trying to say, or what is he implying? What does he mean?

  Is the message clear?

  Are the deta
ils factual or anecdotal?

  Are the arguments and conclusions consistent?

  Questions About Yourself

  Now think about you and your background knowledge

  Am I familiar with this author's work? If so, how does this previous experience influence me?

  What do I believe about the piece of reading material?

  Does the information match what I know about the topic? What is different?

  How does this affect what I need to know or what I can use it for?

  Ultimately most writers intend to influence your thoughts in some way. If they believe in some- thing, they also want you to believe it. The most objective scientific report, for example, tries to present all the data necessary for you to judge the accuracy of the report's premise or hypothesis. Then the author hopes that you accept his conclusion based upon the data reported.

  Use This Book

  For example, if you take this book and have a mental dialogue with me, my goal is that you understand the following information based upon the content I have provided in the book and how it is arranged to reach these conclusions. Let's take a look at how I respond to the questions from the three categories.

  Responses from the Author

  Keep in mind that my responses are solely my opinion and point of view.

  Some of my experiences are stated on the "About the Author" page as well as related in personal stories throughout the book.

  I am female, although I don't think my gender greatly affects my point of view on this topic.

  My background and experiences learning about and teaching faster reading permit me to be confident about the veracity and usefulness of information in this book.

  My motive for writing this book is to share how simple it is to feel more confident and competent while reading.

  I am definitely influenced by my personal experiences as a reader and an educator. I hope to convert many nonreaders into avid readers.

  Responses from the Author About Content

  See if you agree with my responses regarding the content presented in this book.

  The intended audience for this book is anyone who wants to feel better about him- or her- self as a reader and wants to learn how to read more efficiently.

  Literally, I am saying that if you first become aware of who you are as a reader, and then learn about the many ways you can develop your skills, you can read faster and improve your comprehension.

  I am really trying to say that there is no one preferred way to read more quickly but many possible ways.

  The only way to know which strategies work for you is to try each one and then decide.

  The details are mostly anecdotal, sprinkled with relevant facts.

  I have tried to make my points relevant, clear, and consistent.

  Responses from You

  Now add in information about yourself and your background knowledge.

  What do you want to believe?

  Does the information match what you know base on your background and experience? What's different?

  Are you getting what you needed to know?

  How can you use it?

  How to Quickly Prepare for a Business Meeting

  Picture this: Your boss tells you that the forty-five-page report you received two weeks ago is going to be the focus of a meeting in twenty minutes. You knew about the meeting but didn't know this report would be discussed. You haven't even looked at it. What do you do? Here are a few suggestions to help you apply your speed reading skills in a time crunch.

  Pre-view. Sometimes you may only have enough time to pre-view. But remember you can get at least 40 to 50 percent of the main points using this strategy. The remaining 50 to 60 percent of the document is usually explanation and elaboration. Look for the writer's out- line, if there is one, and, of course, make sure to get the most salient points by reading the introduction, first sentences of paragraphs, and conclusion, and by reviewing any graphics.

  Look for key words and key phrases. If time allows you to read in more detail after your pre-view, then put key words, phrases, or key phrases into play. Using your fingers or the white card pacer (remember: top down) will force you out of the tendency to read word-for- word and help speed your work.

  Think critically. First, understand what the author really said and the conclusions the author came up with. Get the facts by looking for the answers to the 5W's and H (who, what, when, where, why, and how). Second, quickly come to your own conclusions based on what you know about the subject and how it relates to the purpose of the meeting.

  Many of my workshop participants have told me they have used these strategies and have looked really good in their employer's eyes.

  Fast Tracks: Distinguishing Facts

  A true dialogue is not one-sided: Just as you have the right to question the writer's motives, the author has the right to have you question your own motives and examine your own unacknowledged preconceptions.

  Many people have a hard time identifying facts. In my classes, I do an exercise where I give the participants the definition of the word "fact." Then I ask them to come up with as many facts as they can about a toy, one of the props I use while teaching my class. From about twenty-five responses, maybe only two or three end up being true facts. The remaining responses are opinions, inferences or biases.

  It is a fact that there aren't nearly as many facts as there are opinions in this world. So when in doubt, it is probably an opinion. It is a natural human tendency to be emotionally committed to your own view because it's yours. A strong reaction to an author's statement, either positive or negative, is a clear sign that a bias or a subjective point of view may be at the root of it. Being aware of your opinions, inferences (see below), and biases represents a comprehension challenge every time you read.

  Making Inferences

  Though you may have heard this already, it is worth repeating: Do not believe everything you read! Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's true. Whenever the media run articles on myself or my business, I am thrilled for the exposure but dread the one inevitable misquote or other inconsistency a journalist may write as a result of our interview. A well-meaning newspaper reporter tried to quote one of the participants in one of my classes. I have changed the participant's name but the quote is accurate.

  "I read word-for-word very slowly. I'd read a sentence two, three, even four times. My comprehension was terrible," says Ford.

  That was four weeks ago. Now Ford reads at 260 words per minute and her comprehension level is 80 percent.

  The reader infers that the progress was good but unfortunately the words per minute and comprehension level quoted was the participant's beginning benchmark instead of her ending average of 580 words per minute with 85 percent comprehension. A big difference.

  Two or more people can read the same piece of material and each will have a different interpretation of its meaning. This is the true difficulty of gauging accurate comprehension. People make inferences or settle on what they think are logical conclusions based on what they assume is true, given their own background and experiences.

  The most intelligent action you can take as a reader is to first read the material and, before inferring its meaning, ask yourself, "What did the author really say here?" Avoid jumping to immediate conclusions. Take a mental step back, look for the stated facts, then make your inference based on the evidence presented.

  Reviewing Your Notes

  Students, business professionals, politicians, and teachers are some of the people who may need to quickly review a set of notes they have made before a meeting, class, or presentation. If you know beforehand that you will want to do a speed review of your notes prior to a presentation or test, for example, you can better prepare your notes for easy review. Here's a two-step process that can make the task easier.

  First, go back to "Focus with a Pen in Hand" (Day 3) and review the three useful note-taking strategies: effectively highlighting key words, creating margin notes, taki
ng full notes. By using any or all of these, your notes will be easy and fast to review.

  Second, use various pen colors while making notes. Any color pen will work. For example, use colored pens to show idea transitions or highlight key words. Use different colors to draw quick pictures or graphics to represent the ideas you want to remember. When you review your notes, your eyes will be drawn to the colors and your brain will remember the information better.

  Time Trial No. 6

  It's time to test 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 uninterrupted 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 sentence of the paragraphs, and the questions you will be answering.

  2. Time yourself. Now see how long it takes to read the passage "It's All Relative" below.

  Write your total time in minutes and seconds in the space provided at the end of the reading.

  It's All Relative

  By John D. Whitman

  In one sense, the twentieth century really began in 1879 in the town of Ulm, Germany. That year witnessed the birth of Albert Einstein, whose work would overturn the world of physics.

  By 1886, Einstein's family had moved by Munich, Germany, and Einstein continued his education there. When the family moved to Milan, Italy, in 1894, Einstein elected to remain behind. He tried to enter a school for electrical engineering in Zurich, Switzerland, but failed the entrance exam. Undaunted, Einstein entered a secondary school, where in 1900 he received a teaching degree in mathematics and physics.