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How to
Improve First, some
definitions: Ø Reading
speed is the number of words in a selection
divided by the time it takes us to get the important information from the
selection. For example, if a reading selection has 500 words, and we
spend only one minute reading for the important information it contains, we
have read the selection at 500 words per minute. Ø Comprehension
is how much we remember and can use from the selection we read. If we
take a ten-question quiz on a selection and answer seven correctly, our
comprehension is 70%. Ø An
average reader reads just a bit faster than the speed of speech--about
150-180 words per minute. Ø An
active reader is one who reads using proper reading techniques. Ø A
fixation is an eye stop to focus on a word or group of words.
The more fixations or eye stops we make, the slower our speed. Ø Sub-vocalization
is sounding out the words in our minds. (We read aloud to
ourselves). If we read most or all of
the words on a page to ourselves, we limit our reading speed to just slightly
faster than the speed of speech—about 150-180 words per minute. Ø Regression
is looking back at words, sentences, paragraphs we already had an opportunity
to read because we lost our concentration while reading. Ø Lip
readers and throat readers move their
lips or sound out the words in their throats while they read. These
habits limit them to just over the speed of speech. Our goal by the
end of the quarter is to actively read at 300-400 words per minute with an
average comprehension of 70%. So, let's get started!
First, please consider the following: Active readers do NOT read all of the words in a
selection;
instead, they have learned to read only the key words in the
selection. Active reading means we are skipping "fluff"
words--words that do not carry meaning. Even in a difficult college
text, we may skip as many as half the words on a page without missing the
necessary information. Active readers read
at different speeds depending on their purpose. If active readers want general information and an overview, they will skim at up to 1000 words a minute. Their comprehension goal: 20-30% If active readers
are reading for pleasure, they will read at 500 words per
minute. Their comprehension goal: it varies If active readers
are reading material for their classes or jobs, they will study read
at 300-400 words per minute. Their comprehension goal: 70% If they are
reading specifications, instructions, recipes, they will read until they get
all the steps. Their comprehension goal: 100% Our goal for
the end of the quarter is to learn the basics of study reading—active reading at
300-400 words per minute with an average comprehension of 70%. Do not
be surprised by the 70% goal. If we understand 70% of our textbook
assignments and combine that understanding with what we get from lectures and
other class activities, we will likely get an 'A' in the course.
Remember, satisfactory study reading means averaging 70% comprehension--not
100%--there are more ways to learn than just by reading the textbook. To a point, the faster we read the more we will
comprehend. Most of us read
just a little faster than we talk--around 150 to 180 words per minute.
This is because most of us silently say to ourselves (sub-vocalize) most or
all the words our eyes are seeing. However, our minds can easily
process the written word at up to 1000 words a minute. Notice the
difference in the speeds. We feed information to our 1000-word-per-minute
minds at about one-fifth (180 words per minute) their operating speeds.
The result is boredom and loss of attention. We read so slowly
that our minds get bored and begin daydreaming. It is like someone
speaking to us in slow motion—at one-fifth the normal speed. How long would you listen with attention? After awhile we
realize we were daydreaming rather than paying attention, so we read the same
material again, perhaps even more slowly, thinking the problem was that we
were going too fast. Since the real problem was we were not going fast
enough, we simple add to the problem of boredom and loss of attention. Remember, many of
us constantly struggle to keep our attention while reading because we read
too slowly for our minds to keep interested. Active
reading takes practice, a little each day, with constant reminders about
technique.
Expect little progress for the first month. Practice only on
high-interest material. Newspaper and magazine articles work
best. Hesitate to practice using your textbooks until you have mastered
the process. Read
only when looking for an answer to a question. Active reading is looking for
particular information and ideas in the words we are reading. The best way
to create this is to have a question in mind we are looking to answer.
Turning the selection's or sub-section’s title to a question (any question
will work) gives us focus and purpose when reading. Active
reading is moving the eyes forward,
not stopping our forward eye movement
to look back at words we have already read because we have lost our
concentration. Best advice: NEVER look back. If you
discover you have lost concentration, finish the section properly and then
actively read through it again, this time properly. It's best to
imagine that your eyes have no "reverse" gear when you read. Please read the Academic
Skills Center, Dartmouth College 2001 report Three
active reading techniques: First, focus on reading only the "Tarzan words" (the only words that Tarzan would say). Take, for example,
the following sentence: "THE OLD MAN
IN THE GREEN COAT QUIETLY FED THE DUCKS IN There are fourteen
words in this line. If we read to ourselves (sub-vocalize) all fourteen
words, we are making fourteen "stops" or
"fixations." Each time we stop to focus on a word, we are
spending time. Since Tarzan's
command of English is poor, he would not say all fourteen words.
Instead, he might say: " Notice that Tarzan
has reduced the number of words from fourteen to eight or almost by
half. Would his listener still understand the thought? You
bet! Notice that the eight "Tarzan words" or key words
carry almost the complete meaning of the entire sentence. So we can see by
this example that we do not need all of the words to understand the thought;
we only need to read the "Tarzan words," the key words.
If we could learn to read only the words Tarzan would say, we would cut the
number of words we look at in half, thus doubling our reading speed. Another way of understanding active reading is to learn to read only nouns and verbs. Once again, please
consider the example: "THE OLD MAN
IN THE GREEN COAT QUIETLY FED THE DUCKS IN If we leave only
the nouns and verbs, we get "MAN … COAT …
FED … DUCKS … PARK." Again, reading and
understanding only these words would certainly gain us at least 70% on a
quiz. A third method is reading logical groups of words (sometimes called cluster reading) rather than individual words. When we read word groups or clusters, we focus usually on the last word in a group; most often it is the key word of the group. The sample sentence
broken into logical word groups or clusters might look like this: THE OLD MAN---IN
THE GREEN COAT---QUIETLY FED---THE DUCKS---IN RIVERFRONT PARK. Notice the last
word in each group: "……..MAN…….COAT……..FED……..DUCKS……PARK." Again, reading and
comprehending only these words would gain us at least a 70% comprehension
score. Finally,
remember that active reading is ACTIVE--it is a mental
workout and takes practice. However,
with practice and patience, you can master and enjoy its
benefits. Active reading can
eventually cut your study time in half by doubling your reading
speed. In addition, active
reading will hold your attention while you are reading so that you comprehend
much more of what you read. To practice this method, follow these steps: First, always
read looking for the answer to a question. In other words, create a question you will
look for the answer to while reading the selection. Turning the title
of the selection or sub-section to a question works very well. (Another
idea is to look at comprehension questions at the ends of chapters that
correspond to selections you will be reading.) Once you have a question in mind, tell
yourself to read to find the answer. Next, go through
the selection using any of the above three methods to read only the key
words. During your trip through the selection, do not look back
even if you lose concentration. (If you have lost your concentration
and really need to understand the selection, finish the section properly and
then read through it properly a second time.) When finished, see
if you can answer the question you created in Step One above. |
