Speed reading is not magic

Eliminate subvocalization exercises

While we probably agree that most 5 or 6 years old kids are incredibly bright, incredibly perceptive, their ability to articulate is relatively limited. It's simply because the verbal part of their brain and their vocabulary is relatively limited at that age. However, this doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them.

speed reading exercise

This is for speed reading beginners who want to eliminate up to 80% of subvocalization. Its easy, but it takes persistence over 21 days of practice.

Either you subvocalize � mentally-hear the words you are reading, and that requires silence and concentration, or you speak aloud the 2,4,6,8, 10, and that program takes prominence. We are not organize to hear both.

Forget speed reading and read slowly for this practice - about 100 words per minute. Remember, the average college graduate reads 250 wpm, so this practice is really s-l-o-w to make a point.

Repeat out-loud as you are reading the words, sentences and paragraphs, 2-4-6-8-10. Your job is to multiple by 2s as you read along. After you reach 10, continue reading, but start-over, 2-4-6-8-10, and so forth, to the bottom of the page. Don't focus on the counting, let it become a mindless song, a jingle. Your job is to focus above the words and feel you eyes sweep left - middle - right, sentence-after-sentence.

Last thing - another option is to "silently" do the "2, 4, 6, 8, 10s", while reading. You can mentally raise-the-volume on hearing the numbers, and it will drown-out the subvocalization of the words. Remember - our left-brain is a serial-processor, it can only run one-program at a time. When we focus on hearing the numbers it's like a jingle that gets in your mind and won't leave, and that song takes prominence over the subvocalising the words.
The objective is to not need the numbers, and not hear the words you read.

The loudness is emotional, (run by your amygdale, located in the limbic system of your brain), and is a bully. Emotions always push to the front of the serial-processing line in front of auditory- reinforcement - which runs subvocalization. That's the why of it.

You will begin not to mentally-hear your still-small-voice, repeating the printed words as you read. The reason is that you are short-circuiting your audio-reinforcement with the multiplication-table of 2s. Our left-hemisphere - the seat of reading - is a serial-processor, and can only run one information-program at a time. That means our reading brain-modules, the perisy lvian area, Brocas and Wernickes areas, freak- out when you introduce a second program before the first-one is completed.

Eliminate sub-vocalization

One of the greatest inhibitors to reading is speaking. Often as people read they make the word sound, either with their mouth, or in their head. Since you're reading the text, and not performing it, eliminate this sub-vocalization. Personally, this was the hardest bad habit for me to break. If you can't seem to stop `hearing' the words, try focusing on key words and meaningful concepts to force yourself to read faster. If you can force your mind to pay attention, your speed will increase, as well as your comprehension.

 

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