Many
people, particularly students, would love to be able to absorb information
faster.
But before retaining information, they have to go through the first
stage of learning, which is reading.
For many
individuals who are pressed for time, speed reading has become a necessity.
However, it's not just the reading part that is important. Equally essential is
for the reader to fully understand the words coming out from the book or paper.
Here are
some great tips to read and comprehend faster.
1) Relax.
If you're
in the stressed mode, it would be much more difficult to concentrate; hence, it
would just be a lot harder for the information to sink in.
2) Know
what you want.
Focus on
the areas that you really need to learn. Some people read all parts of a book,
when all they need to know is a specific chapter.
Know your
priority. If you need to find out about a certain subject, go to the Table of
Contents and search for the heading that best suits your need. If you need to
learn more, then adjust accordingly. The important thing is to weed out the
stuffs that you don't currently need.
3) Get rid
of the structure words.
Did you
know that around 60% of the words we read are structure words? Examples are the
words "the, or, and." They are essential in the structure of the sentences; but
when you ignore them, they basically mean the same thing. They only serve to
beautify, yet you can understand what you are reading even without them. Try not
to focus too much attention on structure words.
4)
Practice, practice, practice.
When I
started exercising with weights, I can only lift the lighter ones. As the time
goes by, I slowly add more and more weights as my body tends to adjust and
become more comfortable carrying heavier ones.
The same
concept goes for speed reading. Set a goal. Figure out how fast you can read,
then create a plan to increase your ability.
If you can
read 200 words per minute, set a goal to read 250 words a minute. After
accomplishing this feat, set a goal to read 300 words per minute.
This takes
time and practice, but the effort is all worth it. If this is your first time to
set such a goal, read first those materials you are familiar with.
Carry on
with more difficult ones as you progress. This way, you're not overwhelming
yourself with understanding different new words and at the same time developing
your speed reading skills.
* * *
Michael
Lee is the author of "How To Be A Red Hot Persuasion Wizard," an ebook that
reveals powerful secrets on how to get anything you want. Learn how to fully
improve your relationships, explode your profits, win arguments, and magically
influence others. Grab a sample chapter at http://www.20daypersuasion.com
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