Let’s face it, for most academic courses , you are going to spend a lot of time reading. It will usually be the primary way to obtain the information you need even if you have to go and learn by doing later. So it makes sense if your study success depends on it to invest some time in improving this invaluable skill.
We take reading and improving our reading for granted. When you learned to read as a child there were various steps and stages to be reached until you could say ‘I can read’. Usually though, once we reach a certain stage, reading becomes a tool to learn other things and we stop learning to read in itself. And although the act of reading more and more does help enormously, we need to consciously think about how we read and stretch ourselves that bit more to reach new standards, especially if our progress is dependent on the speed at which we acquire our knowledge.
It will take you some effort. It always does to change habits and push our limits. But, the results will be well worth it. You could double your speed and retention, depending on your current state and how much you are willing to put into it. There are many books and courses available on speed reading, but for now let’s look at some general tips that you could implement right now and improve your reading skill.
Learn to adjust the type of reading you do to the task in hand. Reading something technical, a novel, history, a newspaper, these all take slightly different approaches.
Scan your text at increasingly detailed levels until you’ve obtained the information you need. Titles, subtitles, diagrams, summaries, introductions and last paragraphs first. This will impress the structure of the knowledge on your mind, show you where you need to concentrate, and prime your mind to receive new information.
Use a pencil/your finger as a guide. It has been shown that physically following your pencil across the page can increase your speed and concentration. Force yourself to go faster and faster, keeping up with your guide.
Don’t stop at difficult parts. Don’t try to understand everything at first. A little question mark is all you need to remind you, and you can come back to it on a later ‘scan’.
Read words in groups, don’t concentrate on one word at a time.
When you’ve finished a scan, brainstorm what you remember, so for your next scan you’ll know where the gaps are and where you need to concentrate a bit more and read in a bit more depth. The recollection itself is a very important part of the study process as well as a help to read more effectively.
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information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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