Reading, PhotoReading and Purpose

Traditional reading. One word at a time. Each and every word sounded out. Going back and correcting rereading to correct errors (odd when you think about .If you know you made a mistake you already corrected it so why go back and read it again?) When you were learning you didn’t know you made a mistake your tutor took you back to correct the word. And comprehension? Pot luck. The way to learn how to understand what you were reading was by reading more. Some people still have trouble with comprehension.

When you first learned to read your teacher a just pointed to the word and said what it was. We learned through repetition. Reading the same words over and over. So by the age you they should be able to read because it is a skill others have.

The skilled reader has difficulty explaining how he or she managed to understand what the author is talking about. The person with difficulty in reading has difficulty with understanding what the message is that the author is trying to convey. When the reader has difficulty understanding what they are reading then they slow down. Making matters worse. The normal solution for reading difficulty… read more and read slower.

The PhotoReading paradox - read more read faster

We know we need to read more and our slow reading won’t do it. We just don’t have the time keep reading slowly. To read more we need to read faster so the next stage in reading is PhotoReading.

PhotoReading will allow you to read a lot more and faster. And because the information has gone into your long term memory first. The mind can work on understanding the information faster.

How can we make sure we understand what we read?

When I teach PhotoReading I am not only teaching the student how to read faster. I teach the importance of knowing the purpose for reading. This is one of the keys to understanding what you are reading. Without a purpose it is difficult to understand what the author is trying to convey.

When you know what you want to know It’s easier to find. Without a purpose reading a book is like searching for a haystack looking for whatever prizes you might find. You don’t know how big or small the prize is. Frustration is part of the process. You sift through straws trying to find what you are not looking for. At least when you know you are looking for a needle in a haystack you know when you found it. The moment you find a needle you got it.

That’s the point of having a purpose when you read. It tells you when you “got it”.

Want more? Add a comment with your questions.