|
Many years ago, I took a course in speed-reading as part of a college program. It was marvelous for me to break the 700 words per minute “barrier” and explode into a new world of reading. I found that, for me, reading was more of a block or hindrance than an aid to learning. I had to do something significantly different so that I could read the huge amount I needed to read for my degree.
My maternal grandmother was a reading teacher during the 1950s and 1960s. She was the first to introduce me to alternative reading methods, including mechanical readers. Her love for reading has been an inspiration to me through my life. I love to read and have developed a deep appreciation for this wondrous human ability to communicate through the written word.
Even though my mother and grandmother encouraged me to read, I was not a good reader in school. For some reason, I despised reading. I recall being embarrassed as a young child. I was called upon to stand in front of the class and read out loud. Every other word out of my mouth was “no” or “wrong.” I recall having to read sentences twice or more until I got them “right.”
In my college speed-reading course, I increased my reading speed by a factor of three by learning to read sentences only once - rather than going back over each sentence twice or more. You can do the same thing. If you learned to read out loud to a teacher or class, you may have developed this same poor reading habit. |
