Skimming - will it improve your reading speed?Written by Melvin Ng
A cornerstone of ability to speed read is ability to skim. However, many argue that skimming is in fact cheating - i.e. you're not really reading at all! The following is a brief outline argument in favor of why skimming will improve your reading speed (and ability).Basically, skimming is most rudimentary form of reading. The object of skim reading is not to necessarily comprehend all that is being read, but rather to familiarize yourself, as quickly as possible, with text being read. In this regard, skimming materials, by reading index, subject headings and sub-headings, allows you to prepare yourself so that when time comes, you can race ahead and speed read at pace - as you are already familiar with text. Consequently, your overall reading speed will be vastly improved. In addition, skimming allows your subconscious chance to absorb main ideas of a text. These are later cemented by your speed reading of contents. The combination of these two methods allows you greater comprehension of what you are reading. Conversely, if you are reading from cold, there is more chance you'll miss certain points or issues. If you want, think of it as if you are watching a movie for second time: don't you always see parts of movie second time that you didn't see first, which makes second viewing all more relaxing and pleasurable? How to Skim Read Having ascertained that skimming will increase our reading speed, we now need to know how to skim read. Whilst there are many different methods adopted to skim reading, following are essential elements: * read index of a text - note that it is essential that you do this so that you get general ideal of what text is about;
| | Does speed reading take the joy out of reading?Written by Melvin Ng
A common enough remark is that speed reading takes joy out of reading. However, is this entirely fair? Would it not be fairer to say that being able to speed read actually increases joy of reading? To answer this, we need to look at some of reasons why we are speed reading in first place!It should always be in forefront of your mind that speed reading is a skill. It is adopted when certain circumstances arise and it is not always necessarily a skill you need to invoke each and every time you read something. An example, if you are curled up in bed reading latest thriller novel, it is unlikely you are going to want to be speed reading. The reason: first, because you have spent a lot of money on novel and so want to make it last; second because part of atmosphere that you have set in which to read is one of relaxation and taking things easy. If we now transfer scene to one where we are reading latest financial report from ABC Company Limited, even if we are doing this in bed, environment in which we are reading has dramatically changed. The need and reason why we read text in these two scenarios is not same. In former we are at leisure. In later we are in professional mode. Clearly in later, where we want to be done with reading and off to sleep, we can adapt out speed reading skills and in former we may choose not to.
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