READING: increasing reading SPEED Dr. Mary C. Custureri

Reading Speed Increasing reading speed makes you both effective and efficient Effective: You comprehend what you read and learn well Efficient: You comprehend and learn at a faster rate Goal: To become effective AND efficient

Strategy 1: Be flexible Adjust reading speed according to Your purpose for reading Ex: recreational: narration, essay informative: fiction, non-fiction persuasive, scientific, historical 2. The difficulty of the passage 3. Organization of the passage 4. Your prior experience of the subject

Strategy 2 Choose your approach Scanning Skimming 350 - 500 words per minute Average reading rate to slower Very rapid: run eyes down page for specific details To get the basic idea of the selection Entertaining or easy- to-read material Important Novels, textbooks, science and history books, biographies, and difficult to understand material Strategy 2 Choose your approach Scanning Very rapid: run eyes down page for specific details Skimming To get the basic idea of the selection 350 - 500 words per minute Entertaining or easy- to-read material Average reading rate to slower Important Novels, textbooks, science and history books, biographies, and difficult to understand material

Strategy 3: Set goals for speed Find the number of words Choose a short passage Add up the number of words in 5 lines Divide by 5 to get the average Add up the number of lines and multiply by the average Time yourself (3 minutes? 4? 5?) Begin to read. Stop when time is up Divide number of words by minutes

Strategy 4: Check reading rate Rate per minute Status 120 wpm or below poor, slow 121 to 180 wpm below average 181 to 240 wpm average 240 to 350 wpm college level if good retention 350 to 500 wpm above average Over 500 wpm superior Strategy 4: Check reading rate Rate per minute Status 120 wpm or below poor, slow 121 to 180 wpm below average 181 to 240 wpm average 240 to 350 wpm college level if good retention 350 to 500 wpm above average Over 500 wpm superior Interesting note: Pres. Teddy Roosevelt read a book a day before breakfast. Pres. Kennedy could read at 1200 words per minute. (from Kump, Peter. Breakthrough: Rapid Reading. Paramus,N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1979.

Strategy 5: Practice pacing Try to pace yourself to read faster each time Force your eyes to read faster Practice techniques of moving eyes across the page and down for skimming and scanning Read more than one word at a time to widen your eye span; read groups of words instead of one word at a time Try not to “subvocalize” Try not to re-read words or phrases. Just keep going Try to pace yourself to read faster each time Force your eyes to read faster Practice techniques of moving eyes across the page and down for skimming and scanning Read more than one word at a time to widen your eye span; read groups of words instead of one word at a time Try not to “subvocalize” ( hearing yourself read word for word) Try not to re-read words or phrases. Just keep going Do not regress (which slows some people down when they keep going back to re-read words or phrases. Regression will slow you down considerably. It is better to just keep reading and then, when you are finished, if you need to, you may go back and reread a passage you think you did not understand.

WARNING TO NOTE: Sometimes fast reading results in lowered comprehension Be aware that reading rate MUST be adjusted according to how difficult material is for YOU. You may adjust pace as you are reading, reading fast when you need to skim and scan and slowing down when you need to stop and think or take notes. Sometimes fast reading results in lowered comprehension Be aware that reading rate MUST be adjusted according to how difficult material is for YOU. You may adjust pace as you are reading, reading fast when you need to skim and scan and slowing down when you need to stop and think or take notes. This is called an “internal rate adjustment.:” Example: If some of the material is a narrative and you do not need to remember, read fast. Then, show down with material that is unfamiliar to you or that you need to learn.

Strategy 6: Adjusting the light Make sure the lighting is correct for YOU Some people need more light Some need an almost dark room (scotopic sensitivity) Strategy 6: adjusting the light Make sure the lighting is correct for YOU Some people need more light Some need an almost dark room (scotopic sensitivity) Note: Scotopic sensitivity is a sensitivity to light. Some people see distorted images and may not even be aware of this. They may see blurring around the edges or in the middle, the words may jump or move, or they may see spots while they are reading. This slows down their reading rate and their comprehension. They may even get headaches or become nauseated while they are reading. If adjusting the light is not enough, the reader may need a colored lens or a colored transparency to put over the writing. Color needs and preferences are individual, according to each person’s sensitivity to colors. (Irlen Clinic)

Strategy 7: Using the hand to increase eye-movement and reading rate (A) Move the hand quickly across the letters in a zig-zag motion. Try to catch groups of words with your eyes. Do not read every word, Move the hand quickly across the letters in a zig-zag motion. Try to catch groups of words with your eyes. Do not read every word,

Strategy 7 B Run the finger down the middle and try to catch key words and phrases quickly. Use a rapid curving motion. This increases speed and, with practice, trains your eyes to grasp words and phrases quickly. Run the finger down the middle and try to catch key words and phrases quickly. Use a rapid curving motion.

Reading Groups of Words Read at least two words at a time. Try to increase the number of words you can grasp (at least to three) as you practice. Use your hand to trace or grasp the words

Strategy 7: Increase vocabulary Use vocabulary strategies Be aware of the role of prefixes, suffixes and roots Look for word clues (inside parentheses) After or before a dash – Definitions of a word after a comma Ex: ADHD, an attention deficit disorder characterized by hyperactivity , A synonym apprehensive (fearful) A contrasting word (Instead of being confident, she was diffident .) When you do not know the vocabulary, you might not comprehend. However, knowing which strategies to use helps immensely to speed up your reading and to help you understand. One of the ways to understand new words is to be aware of the role of prefixes, suffixes and roots. (See Vocabulary/etymons presentation). Knowing the meaning of the Latin, Greek and Anglo/Saxon etymons helps you recognize new words from their parts. Example: tele= far telegram, telephone, telepathy, television Looking for word clues is important also. Instead of feeling panic when you encounter a new word, try to look for clues. Sometimes a meaning is included in a parenthesis: Example : He was diffident (not confident) about his abilities. . Sometimes the meaning comes after a dash instead of in a parenthesis, or after a comma. At times a synonym is supplied. A contrast may be helpful: You understand that diffident must mean the opposite of confident becajuse of the word INSTEAD…..

Strategy 8: Understand how sentence structure can slow down reading rate Long complex, compound, or compound-complex sentences may be confusing. Try to separate the ideas and to understand each clause separately. This problem occurs not only while reading a text, but also in understanding a problem on a test. Practice trying to separate the ideas in long sentences. This will help you read faster as you gain confidence in automatically separating ideas in long sentences.

Strategy 9: Read and re-read Skim: Read through fast the first time Each time you read a paragraph, try to understand the “point” or the main idea of each paragraph. After you are finished, try to understand the general idea. Scan very quickly to grasp details Re-read again more slowly to comprehend the more difficult ideas. Practice often to increase comprehension and speed Skim: Read through fast the first time Each time you read a paragraph, try to understand the “point” or the main idea of each paragraph. After you are finished, try to understand the general idea. Scan very quickly to grasp details Re-read again more slowly to comprehend the more difficult ideas. Practice often to increase comprehension and speed

Review Read with a purpose. Skim, scan and read more slowly. Pace your reading according to purpose. Visualize as you read. See things as in a movie. Speed up on unimportant points; slow down on important details and ideas.. Move your hands while reading. Follow with your eyes. Try to remember what you read. Remember your vocabulary strategies. Practice often. review Read with a purpose. Skim, scan and read more slowly. Pace your reading according to purpose. Visualize as you read. See things as in a movie. Speed up on unimportant points; slow down on important details and ideas.. Move your hands while reading. Follow with your eyes. Try to remember what you read. Remember your vocabulary strategies. Practice often.

Quick quiz What does being both effective and efficient mean? Discuss “pacing” in reading. When and how do you pace? How can you figure out how many words per minute you read? How can you more easily understand unfamiliar words? About how many words per minute does an average reader read? Identify at least three ways you can increase reading speed. Define “visualizing” in reading. Why is it important? What should you do before you read? What should you do while you read? What should you do after you read?