A Need For Speed Reading?

Sometimes we get asked the question… Is there really a need for speed reading?

If we force ourselves to read the material faster, won’t that just take a way from the whole enjoyment of reading? Normally when it comes to our workshops, the need for speed reading is usually fuelled by the demands to consume large amounts of reading material for reasons like being a student, or a career driven professional.

Normally we steer our workshops in the direction of the educational reader. But what if you are primarily a leisurely reader, someone who just reads to relax or enjoy a good story? Is there really a need for speed reading?

The short answer is yes.

Speed reading can be beneficial for everyone even the leisurely reader. Today I want to turn the spotlight on the leisurely reader and talk about the need for speed reading when it comes to reading fiction books.

Many people enjoy a good read after a long days work or when they’re on vacation. Nothing induces relaxation like jumping into some comfortable clothes, pulling up a lawn chair and parking yourself down to read a nice fiction book which takes your mind into another world as you forget about the daily stresses of life. 50 Shades Of Grey anyone? When it comes to relaxation, it’s easy to understand why you wouldn’t want to put any emphasis on speed reading. After all, wouldn’t that just mean more work? More focus? More conscious use of your brain? Well not exactly…

Learning how to speed read does take some practice and discipline, but these habits eventually become second nature. It really doesn’t take any more effort to read for leisure as a trained speed reader. The fundamental reason for this is that speed reading focuses in on the elements which the faster readers are doing at an unconscious level. If you are interested in learning what these elements are, I recommenced you check out the other resources or the site or perhaps book yourself in one of our upcoming workshops.

There are plenty of leisurely readers who read for relaxation at double the reading speed of the average reader. They don’t put much thought into the speed reading techniques they once learned because with practice, the techniques become second nature.

When you read a fiction book, you visualize it in your head. Every part of the book excites your imagination as you go on a journey with the characters in the book. It’s like watching a movie in your mind. Imagine watching a movie in slow motion. Would it be as interesting as watching a movie at regular speed? Probably not.

When you’re a speed reader, you can read the words faster, allowing you to picture the story in your mind faster and with vivid detail. Ask any avid speed reader and they too will tell you the same thing. When you learn how to speed read the proper way, it helps you process information very efficiently and with practice, you’ll be able to read a lot faster and comprehend the information even better.

So let me ask you this question… Do you like watching your movies on a high definition TV? Or do you prefer watching your movies on 1960s tube television? That is precisely the difference in the quality of your mind movies when you are a speed reader. The high definition I am referring to is better comprehension. The better your comprehension, the more you will enjoy what you are reading.

Speed reading helps improve your comprehension, along with your speed. I hope this sheds some light on the need for speed reading. As I have mentioned in my other articles, Iris teaches students how to read in the most efficient way possible. We don’t teach a bunch of tricks that take away the enjoyment of reading. The speed reading we teach will actually help you enjoy your fiction material even more.

 

More Resources:

• Attend a live speed-reading course in your city
• Register for an online speed-reading course

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