How to Read fast and Still Understand

 

Reading to Understand is not necessarily about reading slowly. There are certain principles that can help students and professionals who want to upgrade their knowledge to read faster and still assimilate can use. 

Reading as students should be done by using the course outline to choose topics to be considered from a textbook.  It turns out that all the topics on the course outline are singled out as chapters in the book but while reading through the whole book, not all the given information is important.

 

Based on this observation implementing the Pareto principle will be more appropriate. This is known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparcity.  This concept helps to concentrate on the major and important points of a textbook without reading through the whole book.

 

Reading is basically geared towards acquiring new knowledge and ideas, obtaining needed information, seeking support for our ideas, adding to our personal pleasure and broadening our interests.

 

This is achieved by focusing on the main points of the book which can be observed by reading the introduction the middle and conclusion of the book.

THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF READING

The physical process of reading involves four stages; these are perception, comprehension, reaction and application.

 

The perception or recognition of the meaning and pronunciation of printed symbols is the first stage.  Word attack skills help students to recognize many words correctly especially when they occur in familiar language patterns.  Poor recognition of both isolated words and words in language sequence can cause a person to read with little understanding and enthusiasm.

 

The second stage is the comprehension stage.  Comprehension is the person’s ability to grasp the meaning of what is read. It depends on the ability to recognize the use of words and their relationship to one another.  Readers comprehend what they read when they perceive words easily.  Comprehension includes recognizing and understanding main ideas and related details.  They draw on previous knowledge and experience to “read between the lines” to get the full meaning.

 

The reaction stage is the third stage.  Reaction in reading takes many forms.  People may feel agreement, doubt, enjoyment or sorrow as they read.  They may reject what they read as being impractical or untrue.  The reader’s attitudes, feelings, or understandings are affected by reaction to the writer’s ideas.  Good readers raise questions about the ideas expressed in articles or stories and question the value of facts and opinions.  Reaction occurs when the act of reading becomes a two-way conversation between the reader and the author.

 

The application stage is the fourth and final stage of the reading process.  Application occurs as the information in the reading materials fuses with the reader’s previous experiences and correct misunderstandings.  It occurs when the read information provides new insights, broadens interests and helps solve problems.  Reading a book provides clear direction or action on a problem.

 

WAYS OF INCREASING YOUR VOCABULARY

Growth in vocabulary depends greatly upon an attitude of curiosity about words, a sensitivity and interest in the various shades and degrees of meaning that words may have.

 

Methods of increasing and building up your vocabulary includes using vocabulary trees, creating vocabulary themes, using technological assistance, use specific vocabulary lists, word formation charts, visual dictionaries, learning collocations, and using a corpus.

 

Vocabulary trees help to provide context.  Mapping out few vocabulary trees helps you to discover yourself thinking in vocabulary trees.  If you see transportation, you start thinking of cars, ships, bicycles, airplanes and trains.  This concept helps to broadly expand vocabulary.

 

Vocabulary themes include a vocabulary, the definition of the word and a sentence with the word.  This helps to increase your vocabulary also.

Technology has been presently equipped with learning assistant soft wares.  This includes devices like mobile phones, laptops, notebooks and I pads.   They come with packages such as dictionaries, vocabulary and English tutorial videos.

 

Specific vocabulary list involves using a particular list to prepare for the type of vocabulary to be used at work, school or for hobbies.  Word formation charts provide the concept noun, personal noun, adjective and verb forms of key vocabulary listed in alphabetical order. 

 

Visual dictionaries explain words with pictures which make it easier to identify, understand and retain. Learning collocations help build up vocabulary.  Collections are words that often always go together.  This includes words like drive and car, read and book or open and gate.

 

Using a corpus helps to find which words are often used together with target vocabulary words.  Corpora are huge collection of documents that can track the number of times a word is used.

 

 

Reading can be faster if a person focuses on the main points of a textbook.  It is also important to have broad vocabulary knowledge.  This helps to keep the assimilation flowing.

 

Knowing the kind of reader you are will help you read faster.  Some people read orally and some read silently.  Some people can read in a noisy place while some cannot.  Observing the method of reading that works for you will help to be a faster reader.

It is also important to develop reading habits and interests.  This is the primary factor that will facilitate the speed and effectiveness of a reader.