Almost everyone has seen someone speed read, they appear to skim the text and still have read and absorbed the content. It is normal for everyone to read at different speeds, even before some people have mastered the skills of speed reading. The people who have studied speed reading techniques will still read at different speeds; however they will undoubtedly beat those without speed reading experience. The point of speed reading is to understand and absorb the material using specifically learned strategies. Skimming a page and then rapidly turning onto the next page is not really of use if the brain is not absorbing the information at an equivalent speed. The best and most efficient way to learn to speed read is to enrol in speed reading classes, where speed reading skills will be explained clearly.
The advantage of speed reading courses is that students will be shown several different strategies for speed reading allowing them to choose the ones they find easiest to understand the material they are reading. Students should try to learn all the strategies presented during speed reading courses as, once these are mastered, they will see a dramatic improvement in their reading rate, after which they can hone and choose their preferred style. Students will see the benefits of speed reading as soon as the techniques are applied to their main field of study. The time taken for reading assignments and research for written assignments will be greatly reduced. (Allowing more time for sports and other lessons of life also learnt through college living). Equally, once in the world of business and industry, speed reading will reduce the length of time needed for reports, research papers and newspapers.
Speed Reading Strategies Encourage Comprehension
Speed reading does not take the lessons applied when learning to read at primary school and speed them up - this would not work and would not increase the speed of absorption of the information. Speed reading is about learning whole new strategies of reading, ensuring that material content is not missed or misunderstood. Primary school teaches reading in a linear form, building each word through the letters which form the syllables, the syllables forming the words and the words forming the sentences. Speed reading courses teach students to read looking for different patterns and not to read each word individually.
A traditional education builds habits in reading which a good speed reading course will push aside, replacing with new techniques. A comprehensive course will also advise students how to become more efficient readers; hopefully this will also encourage the desire for self improvement as well as the desire to read. Students often work with distractions (usually noise) around them; lecturers in speed reading will normally discourage this as research shows that by reducing the distractions the level of comprehension are increased. Lecturers in speed reading will usually take the time to teach students the importance of preparing the environment they work in before they read a single work - remember speed reading is all about increasing the speed of comprehension not just the speed of reading!
The satisfaction of reading faster and with better comprehension skills cannot be underestimated; the techniques of speed reading increase the enjoyment of reading. Speed reading is a skill to be encouraged in each and every generation of new readers.