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What have you been reading lately? At a meeting, you can tell who the broad-spectrum readers are. Wide readers often think and speak well. They win the admiration, respect, and good opinion of others. After all, reading broadens the mind. In fact, many people consider it one of the most satisfying pleasures of mankind, combining, as it does, mental agility and physical relaxation way above the scale of television.

The act of reading is primarily a mental activity. After all, you read with your mind and use your imagination to paint the setting of the action thriller you are reading. You use your mind to imagine the pain that the main characters are experiencing as the story unfolds; or you bring into play the different arguments and ideas brought up by the author of that self-help book you are holding.

Reading effectively helps you to develop a wide range of vocabulary by reading various kinds of books. A skillful reader recognizes a wide range of vocabulary. The reader may not understand exactly what every word means, but he/she will have a good idea of what the sentence is trying to say.

Reading makes you more alert and more curious about new words. Some readers develop ‘the dictionary habit’, which means that every time they come across a new word, they try to figure out what it possibly means from the context. If they cannot do this, they refer to the dictionary.

Similarly, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing the reader to different subjects. He/she learns to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. Just as in other kinds of education, he/she is learning by actually doing and while he/she is reading he/she is automatically learning about the subject matter of the book too – a free by-product!

Reading teaches you to have an active and open mind. Merely understanding the writers idea is not enough, you have to make a positive response to what you read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the author. Always keep your mind open; understand and weigh the ideas that you read. A practical part of active reading is the drawing of conclusions.

Now let me mention the idea of speed reading. All of the above applies between three and ten times over, because speed readers can read that much faster than the average reader! Consider that! – Being able to read, understand and remember all those books and articles. You would surely become well-read in your subject much more rapidly than others. Just imagine how that could help you at work, in school or in college …

Now, let me tell you the four primary rules for better reading and better comprehension:

1) Try to read more and more every month. Remember the saying that practice makes perfect. 2) Develop the habit of reading for main ideas. Look for the subject and predicate. Do not waste time on details or little words. 3) Learn to read with focus and concentration. Think of what you are reading. Do not let your attention wander somewhere else. Good readers read with understanding. 4) Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try purposely to read faster. Give yourself a time limit on a specific piece that you are reading.

Reading is a wonderfully stimulating mental activity. It expands your understanding and capability. You really have so much to gain by learning the joy of reading. So, go ahead and get down a book right today.

Are you interested in speed reading for yourself or a loved one? If so, please pop along to our web site focusing on Speed Reading.

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