Reading is a skill that needs constant practice to improve upon. Every day most of us read thousands of words a day — on our cell phones, computers, mail, email, magazines, news tickers, etc. We don’t even realize the amount of information we take in through from reading alone. Your eyes are constantly picking up words without our conscious knowledge and adding them to our memory.
With all these computer-enhanced sources, people have been turning to actual books less and less. It was only a matter of time until books became accessible through hand-held tablets as well. Now, more than ever, it wouldn’t hurt to improve your reading skills, and learning speed reading techniques in one way to do that.
If you are like most people, the reading habits you use now are the same ones you first learned from — visualize the word, sound it out, read left to right while your lips move and sometimes you vocalize what you are reading. There’s nothing wrong with this method. It is extremely effective as a learning tool for children reading for the first time, but it highly inefficient for adults who have to consume a large amount of information.
You are using your eyes, ears and mouth to read what is on the page when you only need to use your eyes. It puts a lot of work on your brain, trying to make sense of what you are doing. When you speak as you read you can only read as fast as you speak (about 100-250 words a minute). This method is called “brain subvocalizing” and it occupies your vocal chords when you speak the words out loud.
Wouldn’t you like to read up to three times faster, and comprehend more, than you do right now? If so, you will need to make some changes in your reading style, and be open to breaking old habits of reading behavior.
Have you heard the phrase “You can’t talk and chew gum at the same time”? Well, this is true. Your mouth is occupied chewing the gum, so you cannot subvocalize the words you are reading on the page. Amazingly, you will find you can increase your reading speed just using this simple speed reading trick.
While your eyes, and ears are doing all that work your brain is trying to make sense of what you are doing. When you speak the words it’s impossible to read faster (100-250 words a minute). Brain subvocalizing — break that habit “can’t talk and chew gum at the same time.” Occupies your vocal chord and you won’t say the word out loud.
My name is Ron White. I am a two-time USA Memory Champion. By using this simple speed reading technique of putting gum in your mouth as you read you can improve your reading quite a bit. Try chewing gum while you are reading and see for yourself how much faster you will go!
Sources:
7 Speed Reading – A little-known “trick” for increasing your reading speed (that involves chewing gum): http://www.7speedreading.com/a-little-known-trick-for-increasing-your-reading-speed-that-involves-chewing-gum
7 Speed Reading – How to Improve Your Reading Speed — Just Read! http://www.7speedreading.com/how-to-improve-your-reading-speed-just-read
