To improve my reading skills, I took a one-session speed-reading course, which really helped me for about a week until I didn't practice anymore. But here are the main principles for me to remember, when I want to brush up.
6 P's of Speed Reading
- Posture. Sit in a chair, comfortable for body. Tilt book between 45-60 degrees. Sit with back straight and keep alignment. Find what works for you. Approach reading with a goal in mind.
- Preview. Prepare your mind for what you're reading. Skim for names, titles, places, pictures, headings, terms, and other types of things you'll encounter when reading. Stir questions for when you actually read.
- Purpose. Have a purpose to keep you focused, give you a reason for reading. Understand the principles, understand the reading well enough to discuss, learn about ___, etc. Have specific questions to answer.
- Pacing. Use a metronome to keep you reading at a comfortably challenging pace. (The beat should tell you that you should be completing a line of text. 50-60 works best for me.)
- Periodic Mapping. Find an amount of time to read, then after that amount of time, write down what you read (every 5-10 min.). Be sure you're retaining it by writing it down after. Full sentence or notes, or charts, or pictures. Whatever works for you. Write for a minute, then get back to reading.
- Practice. Practice with a metronome to practice reading quickly. At first, try just to keep up with the beat, then try re-reading lines you didn't completely understand.
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