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IMPROVE YOUR READING RATE. And MAXIMIZE YOUR COMPREHENSION Presentation provided by UTPB West Texas Literacy Center an HSI funded program. HSI is a federally funded program granted by the Department of Education Title V programs. Developed by: Ana Miller, M.A.. Ed., Reading Specialist.
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IMPROVE YOUR READING RATE And MAXIMIZE YOUR COMPREHENSION Presentation provided by UTPB West Texas Literacy Center an HSI funded program. HSI is a federally funded program granted by the Department of Education Title V programs. Developed by: Ana Miller, M.A.. Ed., Reading Specialist
WHY SHOULD I IMPROVE MY READING RATE? • In college, you have more to read and less time • Reading too slowly reduces comprehension • Reading too slowly does not stimulate your brain and decreases interest in the text • You have the capability-1 trillion brain cells and the visual capacity to take in a full page of text in 1/20 of a second • Reading 500+ wpm is attainable
WHAT FACTORS REDUCE READING RATE AND COMPREHENSION? • Limited perceptual span or excessive fixation: Word-by-word reading, pointing • Regression: Needless or unconscious rereading, habitual and signals lack of concentration • Vocalization: Moving your lips while reading • Subvocalization: Talking to yourself in your head as you read silently • Physical habits: Tapping foot, pencil • Distractors: Watching TV, eating, interruptions, etc. • Lack of reading practice THESE FACTORS REDUCE READING SPEED, COMPREHENSION AND RECALL
WHAT FACTORS INCREASE READING RATE AND COMPREHENSION? • Set yourself up to succeed – read in a quiet distraction free environment • Do not read on your bed • Read actively: Set your purpose for reading and self-monitor • Increase your eye-span - Chunking PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE READING!!!
AVERAGE READING RATES • Adult – 250 WPM with 70% comprehension (Smith, 2005) • College Student – 300 WPM • Slow Readers – 150 WPM or less or 250 WPM with limited comprehension
TYPES OF READING • Scanning – Telephone book, dictionary • Skimming – Surveying, previewing, checking relevance of text • Light Reading – Reading for leisure, novels, 100-200 wpm • Word by word – Scientific information, unfamiliar terms • Study Reading – SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Rite, Review) Goal: In depth comprehension ADJUST YOUR SPEED ACCORDING TO YOUR PURPOSE FOR READING AND THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TEXT
Research Based Reading Study Method: SQ4R • SURVEY – Skim title, subheadings, graphics, captions, boldface terms, first one to two paragraphs, summary • As you skim, ask yourself, “What do I know about these topics?” • Bring in your background knowledge and your prior experiences • Take no more than 5 minutes for an average chapter
SQ4R • QUESTION - Turn the first subheading into a question using how, why, what, when, where, who? • This technique creates reading for a purpose – you are now seeking an answer • Improves focus and concentration
SQ4R • READ – Quickly and selectively-remember that you are searching for an answer to your question • Read only one section or a few paragraphs, depending on the difficulty of the text • RECITE – Answer your question ALOUD • If you can’t say it, you don’t know it.
SQ4R • RITE – This is the note-taking step • Writing the answer to your question and other relevant information doubles retention • Cornell Method, Outline, Double and Triple Column Journal, Graphics, Post-it-Notes • This step creates an ongoing study guide REPEAT THE CYCLE: Question, Read, Recite, Rite as you read the next section of text. Repeat this cycle until you have completed the reading assignment or the chapter
SQ4R • REVIEW – When you have completed the reading assignment, following the Question, Read, Recite, and Rite cycle, survey again, answering your questions as you skim • One week later, review the information again • Review each week until you are tested, creating a cumulative weekly review • This step transfers information from short-term memory to long-term memory • Take 5 minutes to Review
ELIMINATE SUBVOCALIZATION • The inner voice experienced as a slight movement in the tongue or throat region • Slows down reading to about 250 wpm, the speed of normal speech • REMEDY • Decrease eye fixation: Word-for-word reading
INCREASE EYE SPAN - CHUNKING • Eye span is the number of words that you read at one time • Chunking 2 words doubles rate, 3 words triples, 4 words quadruples… • Increases comprehension • Focus is on how the words fit together to make meaning, rather than on each individual word in isolation PEN AS A PACER TECHNIQUE Goal – To increase the number of words within a chunk
SPEED READING IS NOT MAGIC IT REQUIRES: • The desire to improve your reading skills • The willingness to try new techniques in reading • The motivation to practice reading
References • Rood, S. (2000). Improving Reading Speed and Comprehension. Longwood University. • Smith, B. (2004). Breaking through college reading. 7E. NY: Longman.