Speed Reading

2005-07-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Develop the ability to concentrate on reading process

Academic reading can be very demanding.
The concepts are often difficult to understand,
and the writing style is usually formal. Initially
you might find that you need frequent breaks.

It is more productive to take a short break and
return to your reading, than to spend hours staring
at a text hoping that eventually physical contact will
transfer the words to the brain.
Always give yourself a reason to read, and ask yourself,
“Why am I reading this?”

Survey the text before reading

Move your eyes quickly over the page in order to read:
The title
Headings and sub-headings
Introduction and abstract
Boldfaced print, italics and underlined
First sentences of each paragraph, or section
Graphs, charts, maps, tables…
Summary
Study questions

Always read with a purpose

Unless you have a purpose it is easy for the mind
to drift to thoughts more interesting text. Write
down specific topics and seek information relevant
to those topics. You can turn the title and headings
into questions, which you answer while reading.

Read to answer any available study questions.
Try to explain any graphics or pictures.

Use self monitor while reading

After two or four paragraphs stop and think whether
or not you understand the text. You might need to
read again the text in order to:

mark the words or terms you didn’t understand,
find main or specific points
find some key words,
and isolate supporting evidence

Persons the text

When you put what you are reading into your own
words or relate the ideas to your study and interests
you are being an active learner. You can write notes
on the page and underline important terms
(of course only on photocopies and personal books).

Reflect the text
This is an important step in your learning because
you are actively thinking about what you are learning
and what else you need to know. At the end of your
reading recall the key concepts. You can show how these
ideas are connected - try making a diagram or a picture, or use lines.

2005-07-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

SQ3R - a speed reading technique

SURVEY - gather the information necessary to focus and
formulate goals.

Read the title - help the mind prepare to receive the
subject at hand.

Read the introduction and/or summary - how this chapter fits
the author's purposes, and focus on the author's statement
of most important points.

Notice each boldface heading and subheading - order your
mind before you begin to read - build a structure for the
thoughts and details to come.

Notice any graphics - charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there
to make a point - don't miss them.

Notice reading aids - italics, bold face print, chapter
objective, end-of -chapter questions are all included to
help you sort, comprehend, and remember.

Survey the document: scan the contents, introduction,
chapter introductions and chapter summaries to pick up a
shallow overview of the text and form an opinion of whether
it will be of any help.

QUESTION - help your mind to concentrate.

One section at a time, turn the boldface heading into as
many questions as you think will be answered in that
section. The better the questions, the better your
comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further
questions as you proceed. When the mind is actively
searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in
learning.

Make a note of any questions that come to mind or
particularly interest you about the subject as a result of
your survey. Perhaps rescan the document to see if any
questions stand out. These questions can be considered
almost as study goals - understanding the answers can help
you to structure the information in the mind.

READ - fill in the information around the mental structures
you've been building.

Read each section (one at a time) with the questions in
mind. Look for the answers, and notice if you need to make
up some new questions.

Read the document. Read through it in detail, taking care to
understand all the points that are relevant. In the case of
some texts this reading may be very slow if there is a lot
of dense and complicated information.

RECITE - retain your mind to concentrate and learn as it
reads.
After each section - stop, recall the questions, and see if
you can answer them from memory. If not, look back again
(as often as necessary) but don't go on to the next section
until you can recite.

Once you have read the document, or a section of it, run
through it in your mind a number of times. Isolate out the
core facts or the essential processes behind the subject,
and then see how other information fits around them. Some
things may require more recital than others for them to sink
in.

REVIEW - refine your mental organization and begin building
memory.

Once you've finished the entire chapter using the preceding
steps, go back over all the questions from all the
headings. See if you can still answer them. If not, look
back and refresh the memory, then continue.

Once you have run through the exercise of Recalling the
information, you can move on to the stage of reviewing the
information. This review can be by re-reading the document,
by expanding your notes, or by discussing the material with
someone else. A particularly effective method of reviewing
information is to have to teach it to someone else!

REMEMBER: THE INFORMATION YOU GAIN FROM READING IS
IMPORTANT. IF YOU JUST "DO IT" WITHOUT LEARNING SOMETHING.
YOU'RE WASTING A LOT OF TIME. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO LEARN!!!

2005-07-20T02:13:00.000-07:00

SQ4R speed reading tips

The SQ4R Method will help you keep studying organized and
efficient. What is SQ4R?.........

Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Record, Review

Step to note with SURVEY.

Browse through the material to get a feel for what you will be
reading. Survey the whole text or at least the chapter.
When you first receive the text, spend about 20 minutes
skimming the entire textbook to acquire an overall
understanding of how the book is organized.

Make sure you.....

1. Read at the title page.
2. Read at the copyright page.
3. Read at the table of contents.
4. Read the preface.
5. Read at the ancillary material (appendix, glossary,
bibliography, and index)
6. Read at any illustrations (including charts, graphs,
and tables)

How to Survey each chapter?

Survey a chapter assignment before you actually read it.
Survey should tell the scope of the content, how different
topics are organized, and what the author's purpose and
point of view are. The chapter survey will also give you
sufficient background information for class notes.

1. Read the chapter title.
2. Read the chapter objectives.
3. Read the chapter summary or review.
4. Read the major headings and subheadings.
5. Read the visual aids.
6. Read the italicized and/or underlined words and
terms.

How to Survey the illustrations?

Our society is visually oriented; authors and publishers are
well aware that effective use of illustrations in textbooks
is more necessary than ever.

Illustrations can replace hundreds of words and convey a
message more dramatically and quickly than a comparable
section of text. Formats range from equations, theorems,
and formulas to tables and graphic illustrations.

What about QUESTION?

Ask questions before, during, and after reading the material
As you survey the material, ask the questions about what you
will be reading and what you will try to answer.

Turn the headings and subheadings into questions.
These questions give you a real reason for reading and will
help you concentrate on the subject you are reading.

Imagine, as you read the textbook, that the author is
speaking directly to you. Question the author statements.
Challenge the ideas presented. Textbooks are not the A final
word, but are a means of actively involving you, the
reader, in the learning process.

Do not passively accept the author is presentation of material;
look at it critically and read with a questioning and searching
attitude. Ask the standard questions:

what, why, and how.

Where should I Read?

Read for the main ideas and organization.

Now you should read actively with these certain questions in
mind and attempt to answer the questions and organize the
material. These answers will be the important facts and
details.

Read everything in a chapter including any of the
visual aids such as picture captions, graphs, charts, etc.
Note any words or phrases that are italicized, underlined,
or in bold print (there=s a reason this material is
highlighted!)

The tendency in reading is to keep going, but
you should stop at the end of each section to see if you
can answer the questions you asked at the start of the
section.

Find the main ideas in each chapter or section. Textbook
authors write as you have been taught to write: they develop
a topic sentence and/or paragraph, substantiate it, and
draw conclusions.

Concentrate on what you are reading. Try to feel the rhythm
of the author's prose (short, snappy sentences or long,
labored explanations) and then "go with the flow." Note
particularly the headings and subheadings; they indicate the
relative importance of each topic.

Study the illustrations. These serve as "pegs" to help you
remember the major points being discussed in the text.

RECITE What?

Summarize aloud what you read

Recite the main ideas, in other words, aloud or to yourself,
after finishing a page. Check the comprehension and make
sure you have the correct information. Do the same for the
major points after reading each section or chapter.

By reciting what you've read, you are able to see how much
information you absorbed, areas you didn't understand and
need to review, and answers to the questions you generated
for yourself. If you cannot answer the questions, go back to
the material and reread.

RECORD

Marking the textbook increases understanding of the material
for the present and for future reference. The process of
selecting and marking requires you to find the main ideas.

Later, when you review the text for exam purposes, you will
find that the textbook markings and highlights enable you
to grasp the essential points without having to read entire
paragraphs and chapters again.

Write down the central points for the chapter or section in
the notebook. Do each assignment before class. This will
prepare you to participate in class discussions which will,
in turn, help you remember the material you have read and
to put it into perspective.

Underline and make marginal notes.
Underlining key words and sentences will make those items
stand out in the mind.

Marginal notes give you the opportunity to question a
statement or position taken by the author as well as making
you select the key words or items you want to remember from
the paragraph.

Summaries enable you to write a brief summation of a section
in other words.

Develop your own system of reading. Use whatever facilitates
your retention of the material and works best for you. You
might use the following: a double underline for main ideas
and a single underline for supporting points; a bracket to
enclose several consecutive lines that are important,
rather than underlining all of them; or a box or circle
around key terms.

Read before you mark. Read a few paragraphs or sections and
then go back over the material and underline those topics
and/or words that you feel are important.

Be selective. Underline only those points that are clearly
essential. You will then have a visible outline of the major
points on a page.

Use other words. Marginal notations and summaries should be
in other language so you can readily recall the original
material as you review. Using the text in this manner
enables you to extract all that the book has to offer you in
a learning situation, now and in the future.

You will be able to use the texts for review in later
courses in the same field or in an allied field, thus
reducing the need to re-read the material.

You will reap the most benefit from reviewing the notes
in the text, rather than being distracted by notes you may find
writtenby some other person in a used text.

Coordinate class notes and textbook notes
Read the textbook material on time and prior to the
corresponding class or lecture if at all possible. You can
then follow the instructor's thought more easily, separate
important points from lesser details, and have class notes
become more meaningful to you.

Develop your own note-taking technique for each class. Many
students use only one side of the paper for class notes,
leaving a 2- or 3-inch margin on the left side of the page
for writing key words and labeling.

Combine the text notes and class notes. Do this by writing
class notes on the right hand page of the notebook and
transferring text notes to the appropriate left hand facing
page. You can then easily review all the information gained
from class and text reading.

REVIEW Is Important!

Review constantly

Reviewing is an essential part of retention. Review the
textbook notes shortly after you have written them and
continue to review them periodically.

Spend a few minutes going over the earlier notes before
beginning a new reading assignment. This will help you keep
the overall picture of the author's development in mind and
will let you place the new material properly within that
arrangement.

Review any and all supplements to the text. These usually
contain quizzes and self tests on material in the text which
will prepare you better for examinations. Constantly review
throughout the course will greatly reduce the time you will
need to spend preparing for exams and will make that time
less stressful ("cramming") and more relaxing
("reviewing").

That all about this SQ4R Speed Read Tips!
Use it, practice it, and it is yours to keep
forever in your mind.

I will be sharing more with you soon.

Cheers
Adnic Lee
Author of 7 Days to Excel At Speed Reading

2005-07-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

PSQ5R speed reading technique

PSQ5R is a formula that stands for the basic steps in
learning from reading in an efficient manner.

Purpose Survey Question 5 Rs
[Read Selectively, Recite, Reduce-record, Reflect, and
Review (PSQ5R)]

1. What is the purpose of reading?

Why are you reading this material and your objectives?

When you have accomplished your
purpose, stop reading. For instance, your purpose in seeking
a number in the telephone book is specific and clear, and
once you find the number, you stop "reading." Such "reading"
is very rapid indeed, perhaps 100,000 word a minute!

Perhaps it should be called by its proper name, "scanning",
but when it suits your purpose, it is fast and efficient.
This principle, of first establishing your purpose, whether
to get the Focus or Theme, or main ideas, or main facts or
figures, or evidence, arguments and examples, or relations,
or methods, can prompt you to use a reading method that
gets what you want in the minimum time.

2. Survey or skim the text

Glance over the main features of the piece, the lead and
summary paragraphs, look at the title, the headings, to find
out what ideas, to get an overview of the piece, problems
and questions are being discussed. In doing this you should
find the Focus of the piece that is, the central theme or
subject, what it is all about; and perhaps the Perspective,
that is, the approach or manner in which the author treats
the theme. This survey should be carried out in no more
than a minute or two.

3. Ask the question
Compose questions that you aim to answer:

What do I already know about this topic? - In other words,
activate prior knowledge.

Turn the first heading into a question, to which you will be
seeking the answer when you read. For example: "What were
'the effects of the Hundred Years' War'?" - and you might
add "on democracy, or on the economy"? Or "What is 'the
impact of unions on wages'?"

4. Read the text selectively

Read to find the answers to your question. By reading the
first sentence of each paragraph you may well get the
answers. Sometimes the text will "list" the answers by
saying "The first point is ... Second point is..." and so
on. And in some cases you may have to read each paragraph
carefully just to understand the next one, and to find the
Focus or main idea buried in it. In general, look for the
ideas, information, evidence, etc., that will meet your
purpose.

5. Recite

Without looking at the book, recite the answers to the
question, using your own words as much as possible. If you
cannot do it reasonably well, look over that section again.

6. Reduce and record

Make a brief outline of the question and your answers. The
answers should be in key words or phrases, not long
sentences. For example, "Effects of 100 Yrs' War? -
consolidate Fr. King's power, Engl. off continent". Or,
"Unions on Wages? - Uncertain, maybe 10-15%".

7. Reflect the information

Recent work in cognitive psychology indicates that
comprehension and retention are increased when you
"elaborate" new information. This is to reflect on it, to
turn it this way and that, to compare and make categories,
to relate one part with another, to connect it with your
other knowledge and personal experience, and in general to
organize and reorganize it. This may be done in your mind's
eye, and sometimes on paper. Sometimes you will at this
point elaborate the outline of step 6, and perhaps
reorganize it into a standard outline, a hierarchy, a table,
a flow diagram, a map, or even a "doodle." Then you go
through the same process, steps 3 to 7, with the next
section, and so on.

8. Review the text

Survey your "reduced" notes of the paper or chapter to see
them as a whole. This may suggest some kind of overall
organization that pulls it all together. Then recite, using
the questions or other cues as starters or stimuli for
recall. This latter kind of recitation can be carried out in
a few minutes, and should be done every week or two with
important material.

That's all for today.

For the next few days I'll be covering a few other techniques.

If you have any queries you can email me adniclee@getresponse.com

Cheers

Adnic Lee

Author of 7 Days to Excel At Speed Reading

P.S Previous post can be seen at www.expressreadology.blogspot.com

2005-07-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

Back From National Military Reservice

Hi All.....I'm so glad to be back in action after
2 weeks of gruelling millitary re-training.

If you are an avid reader from my Old Speed Read
Blog: www.expressreadology.blogspot.com you
will be aware that I have to return for a 2 weeks
millitary re-service/re-training.

I have lost a few pounds from all the strenous excercises
and tight scheduled trainings. Other than that, I certainly
enjoyed my short re service and see it as an apportunity to
meet some old camp mates /friends who have been busy
(like me) with their careers and personal life.

I earnestly look forward for my next reservice next year.
Enough of all that and now it is time to get back to action!

I have decided to make this blog more interesting and
adding other quality self improvement materials here.
Yes apart from the normal speed reading, I will be
posting materials such as "better mind concentration
power" and e.t.c

For those who are new here, you can refer to
www.expressreadology.blogspot.com for some
of my previous articles about speed reading.

Yup, that's all for today. I will be starting
a five part series about Speed Reading in my
next publications. I will also include include
some interesting articles written by other experts.

Till then...
Cheers!
Adnic Lee
Author of 7 Days to Excel At Speed Reading!

P.S If you want to grab a copy of my Ebook....
Just drop me an Email to www.adniclee@getresponse.com
I will give you a special discount link to get you copy!
Limited time only: From 11 July to 19 July 2005.

You can visit www.expressreadology.blogspot.com for
more information.