Discover the Secrets of Learning to Speed Read

Remember the Saturday morning cartoon with Wily Coyote and the Roadrunner?

“Fast” brings back the figure of the Roadrunner zooming past the obstacles and traps laid out by Wily Coyote.

Speed may allow you to arrive at your intended destination; However, along the way, were you able to take note of the things that you may have missed while speeding along the fast lane? As in driving, flying down the road does not give you enough opportunity to see and enjoy the view. The same can be said about learning to speed read.

Much of what you learn can be acquired through reading. The simple activity of getting in a comfortable chair, sit back and start reading a favorite book opens a new world for you. Reading enables one to tap into all the great minds of past and present.

The more you read, the more knowledge you acquire. In the hopes of reading more, some attempt to learn how to read fast. It is believed that the faster you read, the more you cover.

Speed reading involves using specific techniques and concepts compared with the word-for-word method that we were taught in school. Improving reading speed enables you to cover more pages with the same rate as conventional reading. However, it is important to remember when learning how to speed read, or searching for speed reading instructions, is that you also learn comprehension and retention. Without comprehension and or retention, there is danger that you might miss the important details in the book.

There is a solution for this. Few people are aware of this seldom-talked about technique in speed reading. This is based on the principle that the mind thinks in pictures.

Learning is accelerated when you “see” the whole idea of the write-up or book. Seeing “live pictures” of ideas and thoughts of the writer makes reading experiential and unforgettable. When you see nothing while reading, you learn nothing. Speed reading becomes useless.

This technique is called visualization. Visualization is vital to quick learning. Visualization in reading is like constructing a jigsaw puzzle where pieces are put together to form the whole picture. The whole thing not only “appears,” but actually “comes alive” before you. All of this happen in the realm of the mind.

Just going through the motions of speed reading can give you an obscure picture of the subject matter. However, like a haze, this picture often quickly evaporates into thin air. Speed reading without visual pictures often informs but very seldom impresses.

Impressions last while information changes with time. Past information is easily forgotten in favor of new ones. Impressions change you, and these are stored permanently in the mind.

For learning to become effective, it requires brief pauses to be able to visualize and reflect. Effective learning is not about how fast you can finish reading a book. It is more on how you effectively comprehend the ideas brought forth by the writer.

Visual pictures provide lasting impressions. Go after ideas and how it will enrich people’s existence. Go for lasting impressions and insights that will mold you into better individuals.