How to Read Faster?
Before You Read
Recognizing Informal Style and the Use of Slang
Even without knowing about the author's background, you can tell that the article is written in an informal style because of the use of slang. Slang refers to words that are not accepted in standard usage but are often used in conversation or in popular writing because they are more vivid, colorful, or humorous than ordinary language. What words is used in the very first sentence instead of the more ordinary word child? in the third and fourth sentences, there are two other examples of slang: the word zipped and the phrase a snap. Can you guess the meaning of these from context and replace them with more ordinary words? How many other words or phrases can you find in the first section (before the heading marked 1. Preview...) that seem conversational and informal? Which kinds of paragraphs -long or short- seem more characteristic of informal style? What about the length of sentences? As you read, try to decide why the author chose an informal style to present this kind of information.
The following article was written by the well-known African American comedian and TV star Bill Cosby. He grew up in poor circumstances at a time when opportunities for African American in the United States were very limited. (This situation improved significantly after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.) Despite these limitations, Mr. Cosby was successful. After becoming rich and famous, he returned to college and earned a doctorate in education so he could help others survive in academic life. Do you have any practical questions about reading that might be answered in article? From what you know about the authors' background, how do you think he will present the information?
1. Preview - If it's Long and Hard;
previewing is especially useful for getting a general idea of heavy reading like long magazine or newspaper articles, business reports, and nonfiction books.
It can give you as much as half the comprehension in as little as one tenth the time. For example, you should be able to preview eight or ten 100-pages reports in an hour. After previewing, you'll be able to decide which reports (or which parts of which reports) are worth a closer look.
Here's how to preview; Read the entire first two paragraphs of what ever you've chosen. Next read only the first sentence of each successive paragraph. Then read the entire last two paragraphs.
Previewing doesn't give you all the details. But it does keep you from spending time on things you don't really want -or need- to read. Notice that previewing gives you a quick, overall view of long, unfamiliar material. For short, light reading, there's a better technique.
2. Skim -If it's Short and Simple;
Skimming is a good way to get a general idea of light reading -like popular magazines or the sports and entertainment sections of the paper.
You should be able to skim a weekly popular magazine or the second section of your daily paper in less than half the time it takes you to read it now.
Skimming is also a great way to review material you've read before.
Here's how to skim: Think of your eyes as magnets. Force them to move fast. Sweep them across each and every line of type. Pick up only a few key words in each line.
Everybody skims differently.
You and I may not pick up exactly the same words when we skim the same piece, but we'll both get a pretty similar idea of what it's all about.
Skimming can give you a very good idea of this story in about half the words
-and in less than half the time it'd take to read every word-. So far, you've
seen that previewing and skimming can give you a general idea about content
-fast. But neither technique can promise more than 50 percent comprehension,
because you aren't reading all the words.
(Nobody gets something for nothing in the reading game.)
To read faster and understand most -if not all- of what you read, you need to know a third technique.
3. Cluster -To Increase Speed and Comprehension;
Most of us learned to read by looking at each word in a sentence -one at a time-. Like this:
My_brother_Russell_thinks_monsters...
You probably still read this way sometimes, especially when the words are difficult. Or when the words have an extra-special meaning -in a poem, a Shakespearean play, or a contract. And that's O.K.
But word-by-word reading is a rotten way to read faster. It actually cuts down on your speed.
Clustering trains you to look at groups of words instead of one at a time -to increase your speed enormously. for most of us, clustering is a totally different way of seeing what we read.
Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
Here's how to go about it. Pick something light to read. Read it as fast as you can. Concentrate on seeing three or four words at once rather than one word at a time. Then reread the piece at your normal speed to see what you missed the first time.
Try second piece. First cluster, then reread to see what you missed in this one.
When you can read in clusters without missing much the first time, your speed has increased. Practice fifteen minutes everyday and you might pick up the technique in a week or so. (But don't be disappointed if it takes longer. Clustering everything takes time and practice.)
So now you have three ways to help you read faster. Preview to cut down on unnecessary heavy reading. Skim to get a quick, general idea of light reading. And cluster to increase your speed and comprehension.
With enough practice, you'll be able to handle more reading at school or work -and at home- in less time. You should even have enough time to read your favorite comic books -and War and Peace!
Author is Bill Cosby