Speed Reading, Is It For Me?
With the amount of reading that goes into everyday life, it's hard not to feel a little overwhelmed at times. Not only that, but sometimes the information you want is buried deep in an article or book and there just seems to be no way of getting it out with anything less than a day long commitment. And then you'll hear about speed reading techniques: apparently these techniques allow you to read in such a way that your comprehension is still high and it doesn't take nearly as long as normal reading does. Sounds too good to be true, right?
Well, it doesn't take long at all to tell you if speed reading is for you or not. The readers who've tried it claim they've found it effective and that they see a difference in the amount of time it takes them to read again. For those of us that are less enthusiastic about the idea, here are some of the things you should consider before deciding whether or not speed reading is for you.
1.) Are You Good At Reading?
Reading speed can be controlled by your natural ability to read and comprehend at a fast rate. If you're simply not a good reader, then you'll likely have less luck using speed reading techniques. The important thing to consider is how much time is spent on reading and how much of it is invested in the material itself. This means that a mere enjoyment of speed reading isn't enough to make this technique work for you – there must be an actual understanding of the material being read before it really can be considered effective.
2.) Do You Have Time To Read?
If your schedule doesn't allow you enough time to read, than speed reading will not make up for it by shortening a process that takes place over a long period of time. There are still going to be those mandatory readings you have to do in the time you've got regardless of how quickly they're read. This means that while speed reading may speed up a small number of books, it isn't likely to speed up large numbers.
3.) Is Your Goal To Read Faster?
While this is certainly one of the main reasons for reading at a faster pace, it might not be yours. If your goal is to better understand the material being read while still retaining the same time commitment, then you're going to find that speed reading techniques help you achieve that goal. Naturally, there are going to be things left out when you're attempting this – that's a given. However, if you want speed more than anything else, then it's possible for you to get it.
4.) How Much Do You Know?
If your goal of speed reading is simply to digest information at a faster rate with less information retention and understanding, than chances are the techniques will work for you.
Conclusion