IMPROVE YOUR READING RATE And MAXIMIZE YOUR COMPREHENSION Presentation provided by UTPB West Texas Literacy Center an HSI funded program. HSI is a federally funded program granted by the Department of Education Title V programs. Developed by: Ana Miller, M.A.. Ed., Reading Specialist

WHY SHOULD I IMPROVE MY READING RATE? In college, you have more to read and less time Reading too slowly reduces comprehension Reading too slowly does not stimulate your brain and decreases interest in the text You have the capability-1 trillion brain cells and the visual capacity to take in a full page of text in 1/20 of a second Reading 500+ wpm is attainable

WHAT FACTORS REDUCE READING RATE AND COMPREHENSION? Limited perceptual span or excessive fixation: Word-by-word reading, pointing Regression: Needless or unconscious rereading, habitual and signals lack of concentration Vocalization: Moving your lips while reading Subvocalization: Talking to yourself in your head as you read silently Physical habits: Tapping foot, pencil Distractors: Watching TV, eating, interruptions, etc. Lack of reading practice THESE FACTORS REDUCE READING SPEED, COMPREHENSION AND RECALL

WHAT FACTORS INCREASE READING RATE AND COMPREHENSION? Set yourself up to succeed – read in a quiet distraction free environment Do not read on your bed Read actively: Set your purpose for reading and self-monitor Increase your eye-span - Chunking PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE READING!!!

AVERAGE READING RATES Adult – 250 WPM with 70% comprehension (Smith, 2005) College Student – 300 WPM Slow Readers – 150 WPM or less or 250 WPM with limited comprehension

Speed Reading Test! http://www.readingsoft.com

INCREASE EYE SPAN - CHUNKING Eye span is the number of words that you read at one time Chunking 2 words doubles rate, 3 words triples, 4 words quadruples… Increases comprehension Focus is on how the words fit together to make meaning, rather than on each individual word in isolation PEN AS A PACER TECHNIQUE Goal – To increase the number of words within a chunk

SPEED READING IS NOT MAGIC IT REQUIRES: The desire to improve your reading skills The willingness to try new techniques in reading The motivation to practice reading

STOP!

TYPES OF READING Scanning – Telephone book, dictionary Skimming – Surveying, previewing, checking relevance of text Light Reading – Reading for leisure, novels, 100-200 wpm Word by word – Scientific information, unfamiliar terms Study Reading – SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Rite, Review) Goal: In depth comprehension ADJUST YOUR SPEED ACCORDING TO YOUR PURPOSE FOR READING AND THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TEXT

Research Based Reading Study Method: SQ4R SURVEY – Skim title, subheadings, graphics, captions, boldface terms, first one to two paragraphs, summary As you skim, ask yourself, “What do I know about these topics?” Bring in your background knowledge and your prior experiences Take no more than 5 minutes for an average chapter

SQ4R QUESTION - Turn the first subheading into a question using how, why, what, when, where, who? This technique creates reading for a purpose – you are now seeking an answer Improves focus and concentration

SQ4R READ – Quickly and selectively-remember that you are searching for an answer to your question Read only one section or a few paragraphs, depending on the difficulty of the text RECITE – Answer your question ALOUD If you can’t say it, you don’t know it.

SQ4R RITE – This is the note-taking step Writing the answer to your question and other relevant information doubles retention Cornell Method, Outline, Double and Triple Column Journal, Graphics, Post-it-Notes This step creates an ongoing study guide REPEAT THE CYCLE: Question, Read, Recite, Rite as you read the next section of text. Repeat this cycle until you have completed the reading assignment or the chapter

QUESTION, READ, RECITE, RITE CYCLE

SQ4R REVIEW – When you have completed the reading assignment, following the Question, Read, Recite, and Rite cycle, survey again, answering your questions as you skim One week later, review the information again Review each week until you are tested, creating a cumulative weekly review This step transfers information from short-term memory to long-term memory Take 5 minutes to Review

ELIMINATE SUBVOCALIZATION The inner voice experienced as a slight movement in the tongue or throat region Slows down reading to about 250 wpm, the speed of normal speech REMEDY Decrease eye fixation: Word-for-word reading

References http://www.studyhall.com Rood, S. (2000). Improving Reading Speed and Comprehension. Longwood University. Smith, B. (2004). Breaking through college reading. 7E. NY: Longman.