STRATEGIES TO INCREASE READING SPEED by Didi Sukyadi

STRATEGIES TO INCREASE READING SPEED by Didi Sukyadi Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

What is Reading • The interpretation of written symbols • The interpretation of all signs which stand for something else • The process of making intellectual adjustment to stimuli from various sources including natural signs as well as conventional symbols.

Barriers to Speed Reading 1) Faulty of visual perception (mistake e. g. pilot for plot, residence for resistance, stalk for stick, ladder for latter, etc. ) Overcome this problem by drills in rapid word recognition 2) Word by word reading 3) Regressions 4) Finger pointing and head swinging

Barriers to Speed Reading • Vocalization • Sub vocalization (lips, tongues, vocal cords, do not move) • Lack of stamina • Lack of motivation and reading interests • Word blocking (stopping to worry about unfamiliar words) • Word analysis (origin, structure, prefix and suffixes)

Barriers to Speed Reading • Monotonous plodding (always reads at the same speed with all kinds of reading materials) • Back tracking (Going back to read some words again) • Re-reading (reading the whole matters) • Readability (internal and external readability): Internal: supervised: 75%, independent: 90% (50%: frustrated level) • Mode and purpose (getting concepts or general information? ) • Lack of concentration

Practicing Speed Reading • • Decide whether you are serious or not Set aside 30 minutes to read every day Set a fix schedule Don’t practice when you are tired Use varied materials Read the materials as rapidly as you can Don’t worry if your comprehension drops when you read faster.

Practicing Speed Reading • • Sharpen your speed perception Enlarge your span of recognition Reduce sub-vocalization Avoid unnecessary digression Read with concentration and attention Maintain regular record of your reading speed. Build up a stamina for reading Have a strong motivation and interests for reading • Cultivate your desire to increase your reading speed.

Speed Reducer • • • Unfamiliar terms Difficult sentence or paragraph Difficult concepts Detailed technical materials Difficult and detailed directions Materials on which you need detailed retention Material with a diagram Material requires visualising time Material you wish to weigh carefully

Speed supporter • Simple materials • Examples and illustrations unnecessary for understanding • Detailed explanation and elaboration which you do not need • Ideas which restatement of previous ones • Materials from which you want only the more important ideas

• • • • Good Readers Rich vocabulary Read in larger thought units or phrases Make only needed fixations as the materials demand Wider span of recognition Read with confidence Absence of vocalization Read with definite purpose Can read beyond the lines Positive and lively attitudes A wide variety of reading interests Use several speed No retention problem Highly motivated Strong stamina

Poor Readers • • Read by word Does not take help from contextual clues Lacking eye-mind coordination Backtracking, refocusing, rereading Daydream freely Poor reading background Overestimate the difficulty of the materials Read all types of materials with extra care as if it were a legal document • Take reading as a tiresome activity.

SKIMMING • Quickly gathering information from the printed page. • Allow our eyes to travel over a page quickly, stopping only here and there to gain idea • Skipping the irrelevant parts and select those that are relevant • Don’t vocalize and sub-vocalize

HOW TO SKIMM • Examining preface, table of content and headings • Sampling various pages in a story or novel to decide if it is easy enough to read • Sampling the introduction, section headings, illustrations or maps and conclusion of a chapter. • Examination of introduction, section heading, illustrations or maps • Examination of headlines, accompanying illustrations and perhaps topic sentences.

SCANNING • Looking for information we need • Glance quickly down the page or column expecting the information to stand out from the rest of the page. • Verify that he/she has found the sought for information • Identify signposts of the author such as chapter titles, headings, side headings, boldfaces, italic or index.

SKIMMING-SCANNING • Skimming is a rapid reading where the eyes keep floating over the reading materials. • Scanning; finding facts in a very fast manner. • Skimming: we do not find a specific answer but skipping over large section of materials to get overall picture of a selection • Scanning becomes easier if it is preceded by skimming.

WHEN SCANNING • Move our eyes across the page as quickly as possible • Know what to find before we begin to scan • Flash our eyes down the page for information we want only • Once we find lines in the passage that may lead what we are seeking, stop scanning instantly. • Shift your reading into a careful reading to find out what we are looking for

THE SIX MYTHS • • I have to read every word Reading once is enough It is sinful to skip pages in reading If I skim or read too rapidly, my comprehension will drop • Machines are necessary to increase my reading speed. • There is something about my eyes that keeps me from reading fast.

MERITS OF SKIMMING • • Improve average reading speed Saving time Increase comprehension Useful for getting reference information Giving more outputs in very less time Increasing our fund of knowledge Helping in book selection Consolidating technique for revising reading materials

OK 4 R • Overview (read introductory paragraph, center or side headings, topic sentence, general contents) • Key ideas ( Distinguish key ideas from secondary ideas. Convert headings into questions) • Read (Read the section to answer your questions. Pay close attention to transitional signals. Keep asking yourself)

OK 4 R • Recall (test your memory and understanding. Without looking at the section, try to say or write the main points of it) • Reflect (Think about what you have read. Relate facts and ideas into what you already know) • Review (review it periodically. Say over the sequence of main ideas and supporting details

PQRST • Preview the selection (read title, headings, first and last sentence of paragraphs) • Raise the questions about the contents during previewing. Headings to questions • Read to answer questions posed in P & R • Summarize by making brief notes based answers to preview questions. Find main ideas of each paragraph and the whole selection. • Test your understanding by attempting to answer preview questions without looking at the notes

SQ 3 Rs • Survey (getting to know with the outlines, chapter titles, main headings, topic sentence and summary, boldface, pictures, drawings, maps and diagrams, questions) • Question (turn the main headings or subheadings into questions) • Read (definite reason of reading, define the problem, focus on main points, group supporting details, pay attention to illustrations, be flexible readers,

SQ 3 Rs • Recite (self examination; recite the answers to the questions without referring to texts or notes) • Review (symbolical review: recall, selfrecitation, class discussion, test, summaries and lecture notes. Reimpression review: occurs when a reader rereads

PQ 3 R • For a thorough understanding about the content • P (Preview) • Q (Question) • R (Read) • R (Reflect) • R (Recite) • R (Review)

Critical Reading • Reading the lines (What did he say? ) • Reading between the lines (What did he mean? ) • Reading beyond the lines (What generalization may be drawn? , What evaluations may I make?

Steps in Critical Reading • • • Recognizing the author’s intent Exploring the scope of the selection Reflecting about biases Comprehending what author said Assessing the soundness of the author’s ideas • Relating and synthesizing the ideas presented • Applying ideas gained to other materials read