• Slow reader:…1 minute 18 seconds
• Average reader:…39 seconds
• Fast reader:…24 seconds
• Speed reader:…12 seconds

I’ve been reading a lot about “London’s Reading Crisis” in the Evening Standard recently and I think the educational system needs a new pair of glasses to see the future of reading.

How about updating our ability to read!

Young people are clever and learn fast, just watch them start playing a new video game, quickly developing their performance and outsmarting a “clever” adult in no time.

We’re living in a fast paced world and our attention span is getting shorter by the second.

Young people are fast in their mind but are still being taught to read the “old fashion way” and the end result is,  they read at the same speed as they talk!

We can think at least 10 times faster than we talk… and I know we can learn how to read faster too.

I’ve helped many young students gain confidence, get engaged and get stuff done by learning this skill for life – It’s all about Speed today!

• Slow reader:…..1 minute 56 seconds
• Average reader:…….…….58 seconds
• Fast reader:………………36 seconds
• Speed reader:…………….18 seconds

Public speaking is also an excellent way to help develop your memory and structure your thoughts.

If you really want to learn something, one of the best ways you can do it is to go ahead and teach it!

I think that Toastmasters is a great platform to practice and improve your public speaking skills. If you read a book or learn something interesting you’ll have the opportunity to share your ideas with a great group of people. By having to choose a subject for a short presentation you’ll focus on the message and enhance your chances of remembering the subject for longer. You will also start reading more attentively because you’re looking for inspiration for your next talk.

There are over 37 clubs in London and if you’re interested in attending one of their meetings then why not try it out for FREE.

Just visit the club’s website for more information and to see whether you have to book yourself in advance or can just turn up!

http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub/searchresults.cfm?Country=United%20Kingdom&State=England&City=London

You’ll get the opportunity to meet new friendly people in a supportive environment who are also on a mission to improve the power of  their communication and to join a group you pay less than £100 a year….Now that’s a great investment in yourself!

To know more about Toastmasters just visit one of their websites I’m sure you will like it!

http://www.toastmasters.org

• Slow reader:……..56 seconds
• Average reader:….28 seconds
• Fast reader:……….18 seconds
• Speed reader:………9 seconds

Have you ever heard of TED Talks?

They are short presentations of remarkable people – no more than 18 minutes.

This is an amazing interview with Dr Jill Bolte where she talks about how the right and left brain work.

She got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions – motion, speech, self-awareness – shut down one by one. An astonishing story and an amazing insight into the crazy world of the right side of the brain.

http://blog.ted.com/2008/03/12/jill_bolte_tayl/

I had similar experience while meditating and it is so amazing to see someone talking about it from the scientific point of view.

• Slow reader:……..46 seconds
• Average reader:….23 seconds
• Fast reader:………14 seconds
• Speed reader:………7 seconds

• Slow reader:…….1 minutes 8 seconds
• Average reader:……………..34 seconds
• Fast reader:………………….22 seconds
• Speed reader:………………..11 seconds

This is another finding at “Techonolgies for Learning Show” in London BETT Show . I found one gadget that might be of great use to you.

I found a scanning pen that scans as you roll it down the page, it can be text or pictures. Much better than marking the margins of a book with a pencil. Just scan 3 lines and have them all inside your computer to edit and start creating your own book summaries or projects.

Watch the short video on youtube and decide if this is something that would help you taking notes and become more digital minded.

Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQzUCtc1RP8&feature=related

You can search the web for a good deal and you can check the specifications of the “Docupen” by going to this website: http://planon.com/products/docupen/xseries

This is an other simple and powerful gadget…

• Slow reader:…….1 minutes 10 seconds
• Average reader:……………..35 seconds
• Fast reader:………………….22 seconds
• Speed reader:………………..11 seconds

Today I’ll show you how to save time by transforming handwritten text in printed text without any effort. Other people will be able to speed read your notes!

I went to a fantastic show in London ( BETT Show ) that had exhibitors from around the globe with the latest “Technologies for Learning” and I found one gadget that might be of use to you.

I found a Digital Pen that you use to write as normal and the words are sent to your computer as text to be edited. Really fantastic if you keep writing notes on paper and want them organised in your computer.

It also captures any drawing with accuracy. Watch the short video and think about all those things you can do with a pen that is linked to your computer.

Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMvY_6y5JLk .

You can search the web for a good deal and you can check the specifications of the “Mobile Notes” by going to this website:

http://www.scanningpens.co.uk/e-pens-mobile-notes.php

This is a very simple and powerful gadget…

• Slow reader:……..3 minutes 12 seconds
• Average reader:…..1 minute 36 seconds
• Fast reader:……………………59 seconds
• Speed reader:………………….29 seconds

Today I want to explain to you how speed reading works. We use the left side of the brain to read. While reading silently to ourselves, we hear our own voice repeating the words inside our head. If you pay attention to this as you read this email, you will hear your own voice inside your head saying the words back to yourself.

So what you are doing is looking at the words, pretending to say them and pretending to hear them just to understand the text. A lot of time pretending to do something that is not necessary. No wonder it’s easy for you to end up distracted and have your mind drift away!

We talk at a speed of around 120 to 250 words per minute. When I say that you can read faster, you might be concerned this just means the little voice inside your head will be saying the words faster, like an excited football commentator.

Well, don’t worry, that’s not the case. Let me tell you that, in fact, you’ll learn how to use the right side of your brain to read faster and silence the voice inside your head.

You’ll learn to look at the words and understand them straight away without pretending to say them to yourself in your mind. So, by learning to speed read you’ll start to enjoy reading much more and will save time reading your documents, books – emails, too.

You now know why it is easier to speed read rather than read in the traditional way? Because you won’t waste time talking to yourself so you’ll get more focused. As a result, your comprehension will be enhanced automatically.

You may think that you already read quickly but how do you know? Who would you compare yourself with? There are no set standards. You probably learnt to read as a child in the traditional way and sometimes you get bored and distracted, read a few paragraphs and then skip back to re-read a paragraph that you can’t remember or didn’t understand. Does that sound familiar?

• Slow reader:……2 minutes 17 seconds
• Average reader:….1 minute 8 seconds
• Fast reader:………………..42 seconds
• Speed reader:……………..21 seconds

Today I’m going to start sharing some information with you about reading and some practical speed reading tips to get you reading faster.

Everyone knows that information is power and time is money… but how much information will make you more money? Well, you could start making more money by learning to speed read. A US Department of Labor and Yahoo study shows that people who read at least 7 business books a year earn 2.3 times more than those who read just one book.

Now think about this: If you read from 30 to 50 books in a particular subject you become an international expert in that area of knowledge.

Can you imagine yourself choosing a book and reading it like you were choosing a DVD and watching it?

I can show you how to read a book of 200 pages in about 2 hours. You’ll be able to read 1 or 2 books a week by reading only 30 minutes per day, so in about 6 months you can read around 35 books in one particular subject and become an expert in that area.

When you apply this knowledge to your profession you will be ahead of the masses that don’t read and you’ll have the potential to generate more business… and make more money!

Our attention span is very short and reading in the traditional way can be frustrating. People become lazy when it comes to reading just because they read slowly. The brain loves speed and you will feel the difference by learning some easy steps to improve your reading speed.

In my next post, I’ll explain about the voice in your head that distracts you and slows your reading speed.

• Slow reader:……1 minutes 50 seconds
• Average reader:…………….55 seconds
• Fast reader:…………………34 seconds
• Speed reader:……………….17 seconds

There are many misconceptions about Speed Reading and I want to help you understand what to expect if you take a Speed Reading course.

Your mind processes information very quicky. When you read slowly your mind tends to drift away, you end up wasting time by re-reading a paragraph that you didn’t understand and become demotivated to read or study.

Pay attention whilst reading these lines to the voice inside your head, saying the words back to yourself. This is called” inner speech” and people are not always aware that they have this little voice pretending to say the words to themselves to understand the text. When you read in this way your reading speed will be limited to the speed that you can talk, which varies from 120 to 250 words per minute.

Once you learn how to speed read you will silence this inner speech and will be reading silently. Your speed will increase to 500 words per minute or even 1,000 words per minute. It will depend on the complexity of the text. You will learn how to change gears, read at the right speed to have the best comprehension and avoid becoming distracted or having to skip back to re-read something you’ve already read.

After all, there are no set standards to measure your reading speed. How do you know how fast you are reading and who are you comparing yourself with?