“That was all God-given talent.”
A couple of months ago, Emily asked me something about how I read so fast, and during the course of the conversation I realized that everyone doesn’t read like I do. When I am reading a book, I read sentences or phrases all at once, instead of reading individual words one at a time. Until she asked me about this, I had no idea that the way I read isn’t the way that everyone reads. The only time I have had any inkling that I do things differently than some people is when people are reading out loud and I can hear from word to word that they don’t know what is coming next. When I read out loud, I am usually saying one sentence out loud as I am reading the next, so I can stay ahead. I was trying to explain it to her, saying I take the whole line in at once, give or take some words, and she was like, “How do you do that?” “I don’t know,” I told her.
Since then, I’ve been taking polls among my friends, who often ask me how I read so fast. Many of the people who feel they don’t read fast enough do the word-by-word thing, and many of them also say that they “hear” each word in their head, which also takes longer. Mike often talks about how he wishes I could teach him to be a faster reader, but I always tell him that I don’t know how I do it, so I don’t know how to teach it. In desperation, I brought home a speed-reading book, thinking it might give him some tips (but honestly not having a whole lot of faith in it). One morning while I was eating breakfast, I started flipping through it (that whole, “I have to be reading something at all times and this is what’s available” thing I do) and I saw at the end there was a checklist. The first two things were, “I have learned how to read in sentences or phrases instead of individual words,” and, “I have learned not to ‘hear’ the words in my head.” So Mike’s been right all along - these are things people can learn. I had no idea.
There’s not really any point to this, except that maybe it’s funny how surprised I can be that everyone doesn’t do things the way I do. And, if you feel like you read too slowly, maybe one of those speed-reading books can actually help you. I guess we’ll find out . . . if Mike ever has the time to read it. hehe.
October 20th, 2005 at
Kari, I totally read like you do. I think it’s why I can get through exams so quickly and have my grade not suffer for it…
October 20th, 2005 at
When I was reading your post - I found my self trying to read it faster than I normally would read. I’m a medium speed reader I guess!
October 20th, 2005 at
okay I really don’t understand how you could speak one sentence while reading another.
I usually read one word at a time when I’m into something, but I can read faster when I want by catching sections of sentences at once…but when I’m into a story I want to slow down and hold on to every word.
October 20th, 2005 at
When I read word-by-word, I don’t feel like I’m understanding it as well. I get bogged down.
October 21st, 2005 at
Kari, I am JUST like that, and I never thought about it before. Thanks for helping me understand why I can read that way! How fun.
October 21st, 2005 at
I hate all of you.
October 21st, 2005 at
I have always naturally been a fast reader. And maybe this is why. (the whole sentence thing) Though I feel like my reading speed has diminished as I’ve gotten older. But, while reading the last paragraph of your post, perhaps I was reading too fast to pay attention, because at first I read it as “it’s funny how surprised I can be that everyone doesn’t do DRUGS the way I do. lol
October 21st, 2005 at
I read like you, Kari.
October 21st, 2005 at
Kari, do you know your WPM? [I love Paris. ;)] I usually slog through about 800 WPM on most tests I’ve taken for that.
Sometimes, I do really well and read without hearing words in my head, and I can just fly. And others … others, my old tracking problem kicks up, and I’ll read the same line three or four times in a row. It’s a mental hiccup, and we’ve never been able to nail down why I do it. All I know is that it can be very annoying, and it’s not attributable to fatigue or stress or anything. :sigh:
October 21st, 2005 at
No, I’ve never been tested for it.
October 21st, 2005 at
There are some online tests, if you’d like to give it a try. I mean, it’s a useless number, but … hey.
October 31st, 2005 at
I’m a speed reader too. In fact I sometimes read in a way that I’ve never heard of anyone else do: I don’t read left to right, but sometimes down the center of a page, reading out from the middle. Don’t ask me how it works, because I don’t know. I don’t always read like this, especially if I really want to savor the reading material. if i need to speed read something, however, down the middle all the way! Do you ever do this?
October 31st, 2005 at
Yeah, sometimes I feel like I’m sticking in the middle of the page and going out from there. I know what you mean, Ellen. I don’t do it all the time, either, but I never would have been able to explain it.
October 31st, 2005 at
Wow! I’m so glad you know what I mean! I’ve tried to explain to others before and they end up just looking at me strangely…