Speed reading - How fast are you reading
|
 
|
|
| |
|
 |  |
| Author | 10 Posts |
miki75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 28
|
Hi everyone,
Here is my story: an IMG, grad 1999, preparing like you for the Step 1 foreseen at Aug-Sep, 2008. Finished Kaplan Notes, vatched Video, did a lot of outline notes and now is the time for ... FA  . So far so good! What is happening with me now is that I am reading so slow that it makes me bored, really, I sit up to read, everything in order, no distractions, and after 25-30 minutes I am like bored with staying in one place and not be able to do more than 2 pages. And I planned like 50-60 pages per day, maybe more. And my brain is refusing to go forward. What is it? This is depressing!
I got stuck with it and start to look for a clue - what is my trouble? I have 4 months in front. Motivaton... could be - looked arround and found a motivation. Not enough - still the same. Maybe didnt get enough material in Knowledge Base, as per askdoc's postings terminology which I studied thoroughly, no, doesen't look like. (Refference: www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/34492/ - very important information!)
So, finally, late last night, I am reading somewhere: Speed Reading, bla, bla , bla... what is this?
Have a look at Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_reading and found something that was always bothering me, but I didn't know nothing about it and trully I don't remember somebody teaching me when I was a child how to read. Subvocalization (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvocalisation). That internal voice which is repeating all the time what I was reading. Silent speech, Internal speech, whatever name - that is it the trouble which keeps my speed slow, repeat, and after a while don't remember what I was reading because my mind is already somwhere else in front. So go back and read again  . I tried many times to eliminate that internal speech, but w/o success. Until now! So, I google that to get some solution or more information. They say that normal reader has 200 words per minute with 60% comprehension. Top readers have >1.000 wpm with 85% comprehension!!! Compare 120 effective vs. 850 effectiwe words per min.! Guiness record: 25.000 wpm (Howard Berg) in 1990, according to Google.
My result first was 175 wpm. After 1 free lesson from SpeedReader X ( Demo is offering only 1st free) it increased to 230 wpm, tested in the other site below too. Comprehension was still good 66%, and somehow I started to supress this subvocalisation, or at least it is not so bothering. Can you imagine, if you read with 500 (lets get real) wpm and have 70% comprehension this will be like 350 effective wmp, this is 3 times Normal... and some people say " Well I read 2 months and got 99% on the exam  ." And all this long stems are gone, more time on your exam for thinking  .
Here you can test your speed and comprehension: www.readingsoft.com/
What is your speed?
What do you think about all that?
Good Luck everybody.
PS: I was always wondering to one ex-boss of mine, now he is multimillionaire, how he is managing to do his business, take care of the family, and in the same time he is reading one book a day and is posting short abstract of his thoughts regarding that book..., every day...
Edited by miki75 on 05/04/08 - 04:02 PM
|
| SulphuricAcid
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
|
wow! your boss is something! i would like to be like him
|
| miki75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 28
|
Hei, I am not alone
I started to think that there is something wrong with me if I am the only one preocupied with this issue.
Thanks for coming SulphuricAcid. Yes, he is the cleverest man I ever met in my life, his mind was very fast, beside the educaion - fluent in 4 or 5 languages (don't remember, but there was german, english, russian + the native), and it looks like he is respecting that old rule: use it or lose it.
I guess we have to practice, practice, practice.
|
| SulphuricAcid
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
|
Absolutely!! Practice is the key to success! The only thing is how do you make your self practice?!
I find beginnings very hard.
|
| miki75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 28
|
Well, during the prep4usmle we have to take some small brakes, like 50min study -> 10 min break. Those 10 min you can use for increasing your speed reading. I got Rocket Reader v.8 and there are different ways for preparation: flash, grouping, speed, readings, timings. It has all you need and each time you can finish the lesson by measuring your final speed and comprehension. Now I am @ 335 wpm with 60% comprehension. (at the beggining was 175 wpm...). So, you have 10 days trial, if you don't want to buy it. Do 3 times a day * 10 min and see the result. It is increddible. My target is to get 500 wpm with >70% comprehension. This should be more than enough - it is like I will increase 3x my time for the preparation . Later on I will try to increase more.
Use the advanced mode, because it is more close to real text difficulty. Basic is too simple.
The most difficult part for me is the elimination of that internal voice - named subvocalization. After that is the thing to get the picture as information field, like read the picture in a flash mode. Doing about 14 characters at once.
Edited by miki75 on 05/11/08 - 12:29 PM
|
| ikenga
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 6
|
miki75,
No u are not alone. Many adults would give an armor leg to learn how to process printed matter faster and more efficiently. There are many speed reading courses and programs out there claiming to help us do just that and many would actually work if only we can have the discipline to stick with them long enough (minimum of 21 days). During my college years (late 80s) I used a program from R & W Heap Pub CO. based in U.K which included a hand held flasher called 'Excel-O-Reader' which flashed words and figures at varying speeds as fast as 100th of a second. With it I was able to exceed 900 words per minutes (wpm) with superior comprehension.
These days there are many sophisticated software programs that can do more complex stuff. Since coming to USA I have previewed many courses and softwares ranging from Ed Strachar's " Reading Genius", "Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics", " EyeQ", " The Reader's Edge"; Howard Stephen Berg's "Mega Speed Reading" to Paul Scheele's "PhotoReading". In my opinion Evelyn wood and Howard Berg are similar with Evelyn Wood being the 'original'. Ed Strachar and Paul Scheele's courses are similar with Paul Scheele's being the 'original'. Ed Strachar's course comes with really cool music though. Ed's cousre is actually a mix of Evelyn Wood and Paul Scheele's program and I believe he took both courses himself before developing his.
I have no experience with "Rocket Reader" but believe it might help if u stick with it for at least 21 days.
Nowadays we not only have to deal with paper texts but increasingly text on Video display terminals (VDTs). Evelyn Wood or Howard Berg will do for paper based text while EyeQ wil work for VDTs. Any of these would help u minimize the habit of sub-vocalization if u stick with it long enough (>21 days).
Once you achieve above 900 wpm then u are ready to take your reading to the next level by checking out Paul Scheele's "PhotoReading". It is superior to Ed strachar's "Reading Genius" even though I like the music that come with Ed's. Whichever program u choose try to stick with it for at least 21 days. Many people do not have this discipline and they will be the ones that would be quick to discredit these courses. You can get Ed's or Howard Berg's programs on ebay for as little as $6.00.
1. http://search.ebay.com/mega-speed-reading_W0QQfro...
2. http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=...
3. http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SEALED-3-VHS-VIDEOS-EVELY...
You can view info on Ed Strachar's and Paul Scheele's programs on Youtube:
1. http://youtube.com/results?search_query=reading+g...
2. http://youtube.com/results?search_query=photoread...
___________________
"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take"-Wayne Gretzky
|
| miki75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 28
|
Thanks for joining ikenga.
I am glad that somebody with experience in Speed Reading joined. Thanks for the advices. I've got the Howard Stephen Berg's Audio lectures - Mega Speed Reading from a friend, but I thought that they are too fast for me, after I listen the first 1,5 hour. So I decided to go through another program, which has more features to practice (flash text, different speed settings, comprehension measurement with each reading in order not to exceed the actual speed, etc.) and after that try Howard Berg lectures.
Now I will try to stay with it for a month and then try the Howard Stephen Berg's "Mega Speed Reading". As I said before, this in between the preparation for USMLE Step 1, so I have to keep my comprehension high.
After listening the lectures, I was thinking that actually Howard Berg's program is also "Photo Reading", I guess that there is more to learn .
Thank you for the links.
|
| SulphuricAcid
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
|
I tried the principles of Photoreading.... and to tell the truth... I had no results... maybe I do something wrong...
I think Evelyn Wood is the most real program... It takes a lot of exercise, and it is exhausting (arm movement), so you need time to adjust to it. I haven't mastered any program yet... When I try the techniques... I find that again, I need to go really slow to understand the medical concepts...
So, I think these programs should be useful, but they take a lot of time to master.
Any opinions on how to use them rightly?
|
| miki75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 28
|
Well, my understanding is that photo reading is the advanced level in speed reading. Before that you could master some basic techniques. Like using software wih adjustable settings. I consider myself a begginer and for the moment I am using software training.
Here is a link: www.acereader.com/
You can try this for 30 days. It has a good training base. The info for this software says:
Breaking bad habits:
- Subvocalization (pronouncing the words in your mind while you read).
- Re-Reading/Regression (letting your eyes wander back to re-read text).
AceReader paces you to read at higher speeds. At these higher speeds, it becomes physically impossible to subvocalize. And because AceReader displays text by flashing word sets, you will be forced to read ahead and will not have the opportunity to regress.
- Reduce Your Eye Fixation Time (time spent when your eyes are focused on a single point).
- Expand Your Eye Fixation Zone (ability to read a wider text width when your eyes are focused on a single point).
- Increase Your Re-Fixation Speed (ability to reposition your eyes at a rapid rate).
AceReader uses the following two technologies. (Each can help you learn to take in multiple words at one time.)
- RAPID SERIAL VISUAL PRESENTATION — When AceReader is in RSVP mode, text is displayed in the center of the text area. RSVP can help you read faster than normal because your eyes do not have to move. The words come to your eyes instead of your eyes going to the words.
- TACHISTOSCOPIC SCROLL PRESENTATION — When AceReader is in TSP mode, text is displayed in a manner that forces your eyes to move just like they do in normal reading. TSP can train you to read in a normal fashion but at higher speeds.
and some more:
Low Vision Aid - Read without eye movement. Change the text font and background color to meet your needs. Memorization and Flash Card Tool - Use AceReader Pro's Flash Card Game to memorize learning material (i.e. state capitals, multiplication tables). You can also use the Burst Forward and Burst Repeat features to rapidly read and re-read text for the purpose of memorizing it. Self-Improvement Programmer - Step up the speed and rapidly display messages to yourself for the purpose of programming your subconscious with positive suggestions. PhotoReading Aid - Use AceReader to flash whole pages of text at desired speeds to assist with online PhotoReading techniques. Speed Reading Aid - Use AceReader to assist your eye tracking at configured speeds. This will help break common bad reading habits that slow you down (i.e. subvocalization and regression...).
ikenga wrote:
...Once you achieve above 900 wpm then u are ready to take your reading to the next level by checking out Paul Scheele's "PhotoReading".
I guess there are more like this, but this one is good (better than RocketReader v.8).
Edited by miki75 on 05/13/08 - 11:22 AM
|
| ikenga
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 6
|
miki75,
Sorry for my belated response. You,re on the right track. Just practice 15-30 minutes daily for 21 days and u will begin to see result. However, I will advice u stick to one program until you have mastered it. DO NOT practice with Usmle review books instead use any other light non-fiction material for practice.
The idea of using your hand or text flasher as pacer is to enable you break unnecessary eye fixation learned in childhood. If you watch the eyes of someone reading from a text you will notice that their eyes move in jerky starts and stops. The eyes much like camera only sees during the stops. So to increase speed the eyes need to stop less often while seeing more words per stop. By increasing your visual span in this way your speed will naturally soar. This is called phrasal reading (seeing words in groups) as opposed to individually (word reading).
If you watch the eyes of an efficient reader you will notice that they move in a smooth sweeping pattern rather than jerky starts and stops used by inefficient readers. Such people have the ability to see a a full line of text and even a whole paragraph at a glance.
Evelyn Wood instructor demonstrates the contrast between these two group of readers thus: Ask your study partner or anyone else to sit facing you. Next ask them to trace an imaginary clock with their eyes starting from the 12 o'clock position.Notice their eye movement. Next ask them to follow your finger with their eyes while you trace a large clock. In the first instance their eyes will follow a jerky starts and stops pattern akin to word by word reading while in the second instance their eyes would move in a steady but smooth fashion similar to phrasal reading.
Remember keyboarding lessons? If u first learned to type using two fingers u agree that it is tough to later try to learn to type with ten fingers. This is the problem with most adults trying to learn phrasal reading when they have spent a great deal of their adult life reading at an elementary speed. The finger motions and all the softwares are just mere tools to help you to break the habit of word for word reading. Once you break the habit you will no longer need to pace your eyes with your fingers or software since they will become accustomed to reading at this new adult speed.
Watch the video that accompany the Howard Berg's Audio programs or the Evelyn Wood VHS videos a few times to grasp the concept before you lunch into practicing the drills.
PhotoReading works but you need to learn the basic concept of phrasal reading before you can appreciate it.
___________________
"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take"-Wayne Gretzky
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | |
You don't have permission to post.
|
