Fast reading

Peter had finished dinner, done his homework, and was about to begin his favorite time of the day. He would now practice speed reading and then read the current book he was in. As he sat in his chair, he looked around his room. He found great joy in looking at his bookshelf. He felt as much pleasure looking at the book he had read as he did looking at the medals and trophies he had won by running. As he sat looking at the many books on his bookshelf, a thought occurred to him. It was a revelation that would take speed reading of him to new heights. He was looking at a book and looking at the title. Just looking at the title, and maybe the cover, depending on how it was arranged on the shelf, gave him thoughts of what the book was about.

I didn’t have to think about what the book was about. Just looking at the book, she instinctively knew what it was about. That is one of the reasons why she found great joy and satisfaction when she looked at her bookshelf. All that knowledge was in her head. She knew that he didn’t remember every single thing or event, but she knew what the book was about and he can remember certain things. Many times, even years after reading a book, she can see or hear something, and she remembers reading it. Sometimes, to strengthen his memory, she would look at a book and try to think of something she had read in the book. Then she would look at another book on the shelf. Without picking it up, she would try to think of something she read about in that book.

Sometimes I would just open a book and flip through it, or look at the pictures. Many thoughts and memories would come to her mind. While she was thinking about all this, a light bulb went on in her head. If she could look at the title or cover of a book and instantly remember what the book is about, she should be able to look at a sentence or thought and instantly know what it is about. Most people look at a word and pronounce it. Some people look at each letter and say the word very carefully. They will do this with each and every word. They don’t want to miss anything. After reading a page or two, they may need a break. This is how most people learn to read. Unfortunately, many people still hold at or near that level. That is why some people can read two books a year and others can read two books a month.

If Peter took a quick look at his bookshelf, he wouldn’t pronounce every book. He would look at one and move on to the next. It’s like walking across a room. He goes to another room and thinks about what you just saw in the first room. You will be able to imagine and name a number of things. However, as you walked around the room, you did not pronounce or say each item. The same principle applies to speed reading. When reading something, there is no reason to probe it. Look at the word, phrase, and thought, and move on to the next one. That first word, phrase, or thought is still in your mind and will link to the next. It’s important not just to look at letters or words on a page. Visualize and build an image in your mind. This will help link each sentence or unit of thought to the next. It will also help strengthen memory and make reading more enjoyable.