The ability to read a lot of material quickly can be especially helpful to businesspeople in a world where information seems to flow more and more freely. Here are some simple techniques that can save time – and increase capacity to absorb more information.
Skimming and Scanning Reading Materials
In grammar school students learn that every paragraph has a topic sentence and that most topic sentences can be found in the first sentence of a paragraph. The skimming formula uses this bit of knowledge to save a lot of reading time.
- Read the first sentence of each paragraph. When coming to a sentence where there seems to be a gap in meaning, go to step 2.
- When discovering a gap in meaning, the sentence being read usually starts with a word like "this," "that," or "those." These are words that refer to something previously stated. When this happens, go back to the preceding paragraph and read the last sentence. Then continue to step 3.
- If something still seems to be missing, search the paragraph currently being read for a topic sentence.
- If there is no topic sentence, make one up and move on. It's that simple.
This technique can cause some consternation for novice speedreaders. It seems like cheating. It's the kind of reading for which elementary school children are scolded. But, it works.
With the scanning formula readers will want to read only the most important words. They will skip the "and's," "a's," "to's," and the like. They will read only the words that give meaning to the sentences. Combine scanning with skimming and readers will find themselves moving quite rapidly down the page.
How to Use the SQ3R Speedreading Formula
There are several steps to the SQ3R speedreading formula:
- Survey as described in the skimming and scanning method.
- Question. Turn headings into questions. This will help readers get more involved in the material and, it is hoped, will arouse curiosity and make readers want to read on.
- Read. Make reading an active search for the answer to the questions previously formulated. Space-read (let eyes scan over only the tops of the letters) to save time and push ahead without backtracking or rereading. The reader's eyes should move rapidly over the material, skipping unimportant points and searching for just the information needed.
- Recite. Look away from the material. Either verbally or nonverbally recite the answer to the questions previously asked.
- Repeat. Go back over steps 2, 3 and 4 for each section. Jot down key phrases in outline form.
- Look over notes to get a better feel for the points covered and the relationships they have to each other. Put the material aside. Come back to it in staggered time periods for review. Two hours later, 10 hours later, two days later. How much has been learned and retained?
The key to success with all of these techniques is practice. Readers will be surprised at how simplistic they seem. They may even be skeptical about their effectiveness. They shouldn't be. After only a few weeks of practice, they will note a marked increase in their reading speed and comprehension.
Linda Pophal - Linda Pophal, owner/CEO of Strategic Communications, LLC, is a marketing and communication strategist with 20+ years experience. Pophal ...
