PowerRead

Read Faster. Way Faster. Yes REALLY much FASTER.

2011-11-10T06:51:00.000+08:00

Learning how to improve concentration while speed reading will help you reach you maximum reading speed. I often hear people tell me how their mind seems to wander while reading.

Here is a technique I learned from the World’s Fastest Reader Howard Berg

Objective: If you can “cut out” distraction your reading speed and comprehension levels will soar. Here is a way to start developing your powers of concentration.

Get a watch. A watch that has a second hand. Gaze at the second hand of the clock as it rotates around the entire face of the clock. Keep you mind and thoughts clear this entire time. All you want to think and do is look at that second hand move around the clock. Most people will find their thoughts intruding after only a few seconds. Keep repeating this exercise until you can keep your mind completely focused upon only the movement of the second hand for an entire minute without any intruding thoughts.

This ability to block out extraneous thoughts will prove invaluable while speed reading.

PowerRead Courses are held in Brisbane Sydney Melbourne and Perth with acknowledged speed reader Wayne Mansfield

Speed Reading Techniques

2011-03-29T10:10:00.004+08:00

Learning how to increase reading speed through using one or more speed reading techniques is thought to be a worthwhile goal, but studies have shown that the ability to read faster may compromise basic text comprehension.

Both speedreading and its quicker cousin, photo reading (where people allegedly increase reading speed to 25,000 words per minute) are thought to be of great benefit - especially to students - as these speed reading programs are believed to lead to speed learning.

Which speed reading course is the best speed reading course on the market has, however, not yet been established, and neither are some experts convinced that rapid reading is a good thing as reading fast or "skimming" a text has been shown to lead to reduced comprehension.

The first proponent of speed reading for kids was teacher Evelyn Wood, and, after she experienced success with her innovative reading technique, the Evelyn Wood speed reading course was developed into her Reading Dynamics speed reading training program.

This program was taught to college kids in the 1950s, and the Evelyn Woods speed reading technique would eventually become popular with such influential people as John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

In a nutshell, Ms Wood's speed reading program encouraged the reader to read while underlining the text with a finger or a pointer as the eye seemed to follow such an instrument no matter how fast it was going.

Ways on how to improve reading speed have changed a great deal since the Evelyn Woods speed reading course was popular sixty years ago, and today's students learn how to speed read through using such diverse methods as speed reading software packages and commercial mega speed reading programs like Scheele's PhotoReading and Howard Berg speed reading (Maximum Power Reading).

1 in the FIRST 1 million on LinkedIN

2011-03-26T13:16:00.000+08:00

I got a email from the founder of LinkedIn this morning. Nothing unusual about that - LinkedIn writes to me all the time - I ticked the "send me stuff" box when I joined. The email was about the impending 100 Millionth member of LinkedIn... and I thought I remember when there were on 10 million on LinkedIn.

But... apparently I was in the first 500k on members - an earlier adopter!! WOW! So thanks for the shout out Reid Hoffman!!

Moving to still higher reading speeds

2011-03-23T09:15:00.002+08:00

Today's ideas again come from World's fastest reader, Howard Berg. He talks about reading faster and comprehending more.

Moving to still higher reading speeds:

Consider this very important statement: author's publish text for a group of people, but you must read that text as an individual. A writer offers all the information they believe that anyone reading their text might require, because a writer can't anticipate what every possible readers' map of a subject might contain. On the other hand you tend to read text on subjects that are relevant to your work or hold special interest to you. This means that you often have a map of many of the important points found in many of the texts you must read, and you can use this map or schema to reach incredibly high speeds in much of your reading.

Ironically, many individuals actually slow down when encountering familiar or easy material. It is human nature to seek out and feel comfortable with familiar surroundings. For example, what might happen if you were reading a really complicated, boring, and challenging Chemistry text, and then found a really interesting, familiar, and easy section in that text. Would you be in a hurry to finish this easy and interesting portion of the text so you could focus upon difficult and boring information, or might you spend more time that you should staying in this comfortable and familiar text? Most people make the mistake of wasting valuable reading time focused upon things they already know, rather than productively using their time to learn new and necessary information. You won't make this mistake ever again. In the future, as soon as you spot familiar or easy information, you will increase your reading speed and use your time to learn new, unfamiliar, important information. There are many significant applications of this point in business that I would like to share with you.

Imagine you are reading your daily newspaper. In business, it is essential to stay on top of timely and important information. Yet, you often hear the news on the radio on the drive to work, or perhaps view it on television. By the time you read the newspaper, much of the information it contains has already been learned. Spend more time on the news that you didn't know about, and you will find yourself becoming a more productive newspaper reader. This is a skill I've shared with companies like Prudential Realty. Information changes daily in real estate, and good brokers search for leads in the newspapers, while keeping abreast of economic changes and changes in the law that can affect their industry.

They know that failure to keep abreast can hurt their bottom line just as using that information correctly can increase their profitability. This same principal holds true for newsletters, and magazines that often contain sections of very familiar information.

Your daily mail, and e-mail are another area where you can put this reading strategy into practice. Many executives have their mail screened by others, because they don't have the time to pour through a pile of unopened mail. How often has someone made a poor judgment call and not shown you a piece of mail that you would have judged important? Scan your mail swiftly looking for things that require your personal attention, or letters that are responding to your personal requests. Look for mail that can be tossed, postponed, or delegated to someone else. Using schematic clues you will find yourself quickly getting through your mail more efficiently than any assistant could possible accomplish. During a recent program I gave in Montreal for Cisco systems, I was told how they were receiving as many as 300 E-mails a day that seriously compromised their time and efficiency.

Learning to speed read their e-mail greatly cut down on this waste of their time. Ironically, many of the e-mails were sent simply to notify people that a letter was on the way. You can significantly cut down on this waste in your company by making people aware that they should either send their letter by e-mail, or use the regular mail. Have them stop cluttering up your associates' time by sending e-mails announcing that regular mail is on the way!

The schematic technique we have just learned works well for familiar or easy material, but not everything you read is easy or familiar material. We need a different strategy for speed reading unfamiliar information. It is important to remember that only about 40% of a text is information, and that the rest is explanation. Explanations take the form of stories, anecdotes, examples, and illustrations. Writers use these structures to clarify, simplify, and exemplify the information they are offering to you. However, you will often find that you understand points made in text and don't require any additional assistance.

When this happens, you can quickly skim these embellishments and move onto the next new and significant point in your text. Only when you find yourself confused or unable to understand a technical point should you take advantage of the extra information the writer included to help make difficult text easier for you to learn.

You can get more learning strategies and powerful programs at

www.HowardBergSpeedReading.com

Visualisation

2011-03-23T09:14:00.001+08:00

Another interesting comment from the World's fastest reader, Howard Berg.

Visualisation - How To Transform Confusion Into Understanding While Reading

Both nouns and verbs in text constitute its schematic clues. Nouns offer information about the people, places, and things while verbs describe any actions that are taking place. The first step towards increasing your reading speed is to make a habit of looking for the people, places, and things doing the activities. Fortunately you brain is well suited for selectively filtering any information that you consciously command it to detect. Let me show this to you with a simple experiment.

Take a look about you and make a mental picture of all the red objects you can see. Look very carefully and make a detailed map of these items. Next you are going to close your eyes and picture everything around you that is coloured blue. Notice what you brain just did? It said, "wait a minute, you told me to look for red so how am I suppose to remember anything coloured blue?" Your brilliant brain searches and finds exactly what you tell it to look at. The same thing transpires while reading. You must tell your brain to look for people, places, and things and their actions. And it will seek and it will find.

There are some very useful filters that instantly empower your brain with the ability to spot important schematic information. These are the same filters you were taught to use in school when writing. These filters are the questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. While reading you must constantly ask yourself these questions to get the following related outcomes:

* who is this about
* what is this about
* why is this happening
* where is this taking place
* when is this occurring
* why is this important
* how can I use this information

A simple and effective way for remembering this information is to picture these key questions floating in your mind on cartoon shaped balloons linked to their appropriate data. The more visual you make your important information the faster you will be able to read and later recall it.

For example, if you are reading about Paul Revere riding his horse to warn the Minute Men about the impending British invasion during the American Revolution, then you would do the following:

* You see Paul Revere's name pasted on the who balloon,
* You paste a picture of him warning the minute men on the what balloon,
* You see him riding into the woods on your where balloon.
* It is during the American Revolution so you paste this on your when balloon
* He does this because he is a patriot so you paste this on your why balloon.
* Paul is using a horse to accomplish his task so this gets pasted on your how balloon.
The following is a graphic illustration of what your suggesting you do in your imagination:

Now that you can easily spot schematic clues in our next column you will learn how to use these clues to increase your reading speed.

You can get more learning strategies and powerful programs at

www.HowardBergSpeedReading.com

Reader Faster and Get Your Work Done!

2011-03-23T09:13:00.001+08:00

These interesting comments came from the World's fastest reader, Howard Berg.

How To Read Faster And Get Your School Work Done In A Blink

INTRODUCTION

More information is published each week than in all of human history through the year 1800; yet, the average reading speed is only 200 wpm with a mere 10% being retained into long term memory. In the time it takes you to read this sentence, I can read this entire page...and another as well. Recognized as the world's fastest reader, I will help you learn to read faster so you can complete your assignments quickly and easily, and still find time for things that you enjoy.

THE ROOTS OF SLOW READING

You already possess the ability to rapidly read essential information. It is an innate ability. Let me prove this to you. Think about how much information your brain must process while driving an automobile on a highway. It must view and analyse the motions of the surrounding cars, road conditions, weather conditions, read signs, and at the same time avoid hitting animals or people who might cross the road. Instead of being overwhelmed by all this information you become so bored that you might turn on the radio, talk to other passengers, or make cell phone calls. If your brilliant brain is so adept at swiftly reading a road during a drive, then why can't it read text just as quickly and easily? The answer is simple. Instead of seeing a book during reading, your brain hears a voice that pronounces the word sounds printed on the page. Quite simply, you don't see a book--your hear it. Yet, vision is faster and more powerful than hearing.
By becoming a more visual reader you will instantly increase your reading speed. Let's begin this process together.

BECOMING A MORE VISUAL READER

Watch a child read and what do you see? You see those reading words one letter at a time, such as D O G spells dog. As an adult, your brain barely notices the letters appearing on the page. Instead you see entire words like dog, or even entire phrases like "hot dog", "ice cream", or "United States of America". "United States of America" contains four distinct words, almost the width of an entire column in a textbook or newspaper. If you can see four words then why can't you see entire lines, sentences, paragraphs, or even an entire page at a glance? You can! You just need a simple system that improves your brain's visual reading efficiency. The first step is understanding how your magnificent brain is decoding text on the unconscious level. Once you become conscious of this unconscious activity you will be able to speed it up to a higher reading speed still being able to comprehend, store, and recall essential information.

As a student, I trained to become a Psychobiologist at the State University of New York at Binghamton. During my studies I learned how our brain uses schema, or more simply our map of the world, whilst decoding text. Each of us has a lifetime of experiences stored in our memory map. Stored experiences that writers expect us to possess and use while reading.

Let's use an example to learn how you use schema to interpret text. Imagine I wrote a story and told you, "the woman wore a red dress." I would expect you to know what I meant by the word woman. As a reader you don't expect me to explain to you that a woman is a female. You already know this information. You are using your schema or life database to read this text.

Probably the best way to demonstrate schema's important role in making text meaningful is by giving you a paragraph to read that is completely lacking any schematic clues. Although the words in this passage taken from my Mega Speed Reading Program are simple and familiar you will find them almost impossible to read:

This is an easy thing to do. If possible you will do it at home, but you can always go somewhere else if it is necessary. Beware of overdoing it. This is a major mistake and may cost you quite a bit of money. It is far better to do too little than attempt to do too much. Make sure everything is properly placed. Now you are ready to proceed. The next step is to put things into another convenient arrangement. Once done you'll probably have to start again real soon. Most likely, you'll be doing this for the rest of your life.

It's pretty tough decoding this text since it lacks any schematic clues. Did you guess that this paragraph is discussing doing a load of laundry? Picture the word laundry printed right about this text as a single word title, and read this passage once again. Isn't it amazing how much clearer this passage becomes simply by adding a single schematically significant word? Even a single schematic clue can make text understandable. From this example it is clear that schema plays a major role in making text meaningful, but how do you know where to look for schematic clues while reading? We find this out in our next newsletter.

You can get more learning strategies and powerful programs at

www.HowardBergSpeedReading.com

Give Yourself Feedback!

2011-03-23T09:12:00.002+08:00

To guide or control your learning process, first, you must accept that recall operates on a feedback principle.

Look at this illustration of how your memory naturally works by linking, connecting, and associating information that you acquire.

See: When you see a picture or a pattern you will remember more detail and your memory will last longer. This is visualization.

Think: When you can relate or integrate new material with your background knowledge you reinforce your memory. This is called manipulation.

Understand: Integrating new knowledge with your previous understanding or using a new concept to do something causes relearning to occur.

Recall: Telling back or recalling in your own words not only is a good way to test memory it is also a good method of reinforcing your memory. Once you have perceived the information your brain organizes and processes the information—personalizes it by your own interpretation.

After reading or hearing new information you must give yourself feedback to optimize recall. After you receive the information you should think or reflect and elaborate on it.

Form a variety of associations among the points you wish to remember. Through this thought process you derive some understanding of it and you are able to recall it in some manner acceptable to you. By reflecting, elaborating, or relearning you make the information more memorable—the richer the associations, the better the memory of it.

Reflection and elaboration help you control the learning process. Other factors can influence how much control you have over your own learning.

Fact: You retain much more information if you relearn or reinforce your learning

Analysis of Recall to Improve Retention of Information

2011-03-23T09:11:00.002+08:00

Memory is the quintessence of human experience. Without memory we cannot progress, cannot learn from experience, and cannot develop a personal identity.

Learning is acquiring knowledge or skill by study, instruction, practice, experience, or example. Learning and memory are intertwined—learning depends on memory and learning is evidence of memory.

Analysis of Recall to Improve Retention of Information

There are three basic measures of retention: recognition, relearning and recall.

Recognition

Recognition is being able to identify concepts, episodes, or truths from your previous knowledge or experience. Recognition is usually easier than recall. For example, you might not be able to recall the details of a face but would be able to recognize the face in a crowd. Recognition is the basis for multiple choice or objective exams where the instructor or the wording of the exam provides some stimulus or triggers association.

Relearning

Learning is gaining knowledge. Relearning is spending additional periods of time in reworking the material or reinforcing your original learning.

Recall

Recalling information is remembering or causing to remember what you have already learned. You have to provide your own mechanism for eliciting the appropriate response, as might be required in an essay or subjective type of exam. Recall is the ability to write, tell or think, in your own words, what you have seen, experienced, or read. It is the most important and most accurate measure of retention.

Here’s something to think about... We are more aware of forgetting things than remembering things.

Reading at the Study Level

2011-03-23T09:04:00.001+08:00

Were your speed reading skills mistakenly overlooked during the new year? Here are some reminders for Reading at the Study Level to get you back on track:

Your own textbook will be very useful for practicing your Advanced Reading skills. If you do not have a textbook you can borrow one from a library or, for a minimal cost, you can pick one up at a thrift store, used bookstore or garage sale. For practice, choose a textbook that has a subject that interests you.

Textbooks are normally divided into manageable sections and usually have questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are good to measure your comprehension.

Since studying and comprehension are inseparable you need to learn to enhance your study skills along with enhancing your comprehension.

1. When you study, especially when you review previously read material, it is wise to concentrate on the information that you will most likely be tested on. Most examinations do not cover 100% of the textbook. Think about the areas your instructor or professor stressed. Will the examination be similar to ones administered before? Were you advised that the examination would be in multiple choice or essay format? Can you talk to the instructor or professor and find out what specific areas the examination will cover? This is streamlining or defining your purpose.

2. Survey and preview the textbook or appropriate sections. At your fastest pacing or previewing speed go through the whole text to identify the structure and organization of your study material so that you can identify manageable pieces for reading and reviewing. Break the sections down into easy to remember sections. Previewing a 350-page text should take about fifteen minutes.

3. When reading use pencil pacing to mark the margins of important points for later review or clarification of facts.

4. Study one section at a time. Again using pencil pacing and at your fastest comprehension speed go through the section and pay close attention to the primary ideas or principles. Mark additional concepts or definitions for later review.

5. Remember to think about what you have read and ask yourself questions. Make notes, list questions you need answers for, indicate specific areas that interest you, or list the definitions and formulas that you wish to memorize. Thinking about the information makes it easier to recall it later.

6. Take a five to ten-minute break after each section to stretch and refresh yourself.

7. Perform a final review. Concentrate on the areas that you pencil marked in previous readings.

PowerRead Self Study Course

2011-03-23T08:25:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the PowerRead self study course... this will help you capitalise on all you have learnt at the PowerRead Seminar...

Over the next 90 days look out for your regular newsletter and study guide to help you become a PowerRead[er] for speed reading in business.

Fact: Reading slowly is more likely to hamper comprehension

Myth: If I slowly read one word at a time I will have better comprehension of what I am reading

Fact: You will enhance your reading ability. You will do it by adopting a totally new and different approach to reading:
- You will learn to read by sight rather than by sound
- You will read for thoughts, not for words

Pacing Sweeps

Pacing is done by placing your pacing hand on the page with your fingertips in the left-hand corner of the page.

Now move your hand lightly across the page from the left to the right margin.

When you reach the right margin do not stop. Continuing with a curved downward movement at the right margin, change direction and move your hand back toward the left margin.

Complete this two-directional move in one smooth action (see fig. 1), with no jerky pauses or sharply angled movements at the margins.

This motion from the left margin to the right and back to the left is called one complete sweep. Repeat this sweep smoothly down the page until you have made several sweeps.

Pacing should be a rhythmic progression across the page, from left to right and back from right to left.

Continue this sweeping motion until you reach the end of the page. Repeat this exercise a number of times until you feel comfortable with this method.

If you haven't we recommend your download and review this Study Guide. Take a few moments to leaf through the study guide to get a good overview of the course methodology and the way one lesson progresses to the next.

Speed Reading Techniques

2011-03-08T08:55:00.001+08:00

Speed Reading Techniques Improve Reading

The first secret technique to speed reading is to get over your reading FEAR. What slows your reading speed is the fear of missing stuff as you go. But nobody ever said you could only read it once! You will increase your reading performance by layering your reading comprehension i.e. reading it once, twice, three times super fast with less overall time.

To improve reading you must get a handle on your FEAR of missing stuff as you speed read. When you feel the FEAR remember - Forgetting Everything is All Right. And You must Forget Everything And Remember more. It's no different from the fearful rush you felt when you first took off your bicycle training wheels or first took a car on the road. The more you do it, the better you get at it, and the less scary it is.

The physiological reading speed limit so far in the Guinness Book of Records is 25,000 words per minute with good reading comprehension. Mr. Average reads about 100-200 words per minute. There is no reason you can't aim for 1000 words a minute easy. But you have to practice to improve reading by speed reading just like you did to ride a bicycle or learn to drive a car.

Read More

Improve Reading And Vocabulary

2011-02-28T09:57:00.003+08:00

In this post, we are going to talk about improving vocabulary, and how read to do it. How will you improve your English reading skills fast and easily? How will you learn English vocabulary easily?

**Yes, You Can Improve Very Fast

You are lucky. There is a lot of research about this topic. The research tells us what methods are successful– and what methods are failures. The research is very clear and very strong. If you use the correct methods, you will learn very fast.

**What You Must NOT Do

Do NOT read difficult articles and textbooks. Do not. If you read difficult articles and textbooks, your reading ability will improve very very slowly.

Many students try to improve by reading very difficult English articles & textbooks. They use their dictionary and take notes and study them. They may need one or more hours to read just one article.

They think they will learn faster by studying very difficult textbooks… but they are wrong. Totally and completely wrong.

Speed Reading Techniques - Examples

2011-02-23T07:43:00.002+08:00

Speed Reading - Some Basic Facts
Speed readers utilize different speed reading techniques in order to improve their rate of reading. These techniques allow them to work their way through the text and get its gist without having to resort to traditional, slower methods of comprehension.

Here are several speed reading techniques that are used by speed readers nowadays, which greatly decreases the time required for understanding texts.

Speed Reading Techniques - Skimming
Skimming is one of the most basic speed reading techniques. Though people usually use skimming to quickly examine the contents of a text, speed readers make use of this method on every occasion that they read.

In this technique, the reader ignores the words that are less significant to the meaning of the sentence. This enables the reader to easily comprehend the main point of a sentence by only absorbing the bare essentials of the text.

Read More

10 Tips to Improve Reading Speed & Reading Comprehension

2011-02-18T08:06:00.003+08:00

Read Early in the Day

Many people can double their reading speed and improve their concentration by reading the material that's important to them early in the day.

Prioritize Your Reading

Create three piles for your reading materials - important, moderately important, and least important. Then read the material in their order of importance. You'll improve your reading speed by doing this, and improve your reading comprehension by getting to the important material first, when your mind is clear and sharp.

Skim Material First for Main Ideas

Speed read for main ideas in nonfiction works like how-to books and educational texts. Scan the table of contents and first and last sentences of each paragraph. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension if you understand a book's structure first. This will help you know which parts of the book to skim and which parts to read more carefully.

Form a Question

Improve your reading comprehension, reading speed, and concentration by turning headings and subheadings in textbooks and other nonfiction books into questions. Then scan the text for the answers. Your reading speed improves by doing this, and you become focused on your material.

Speed Reading: Your Questions Answered

2011-02-08T07:46:00.002+08:00

As adults we have great demands put upon our time. There is work, families and social activities that take out huge portions of our waking hours. It is no surprise that many adults, outside of an academic situation, find that they do not have any time to read. Many adults would list reading as a frivolous activity in which they have no inclination due to the amount of time it takes them to get through a single book.

Even students feel the pressure of time as they are faced with tons of homework and required reading. How can there be enough time to study, work and live? Some people have found the answer through speed reading. If you are lucky enough to be gifted with this amazing talent, then it is certain other people have commented on how quickly you are able to consume reading material. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, this article is for you. It will answer some of the common questions about speed reading and hopefully set you on the path to picking up a good book to read.

What is speed reading?

Speed-Reading Techniques

2011-01-07T09:34:00.001+08:00

I was a Bible college student when one of our chapels featured a

guest speaker who taught us how to speed-read. At the time I didn’t

need the skill since most collateral reading assignments in my courses

were under 500 pages, but I started practicing just for the fun of it

– sort of like a private parlor game. However all that changed when I

wound up in graduate school at Princeton Seminary and several Profs.

expected me to read several thousand pages of collateral along

with the five or six textbooks. That’s when I got serious about speed

reading. Here is the collection of what I practiced then, and picked up

since. The first thing I had to do was toss away the reading myths I

had held so long.

Reading Myths

1. Reading is linear. I had always figured reading was

a linear process; you know, start up front and grind through to the

very end in the exact order it was printed in. Reading is no more

linear than thinking is, (or I eventually discovered, than writing; few

writers start at the beginning — indeed, they usually “write the first

part last.”

2. True reading is word-for-word. I started as a kid

looking at individual letters. They didn’t help much. Next I started

sounding out syllables. Finally, I could read whole words. Why stop

with words? Well, I know one reason… I had a college professor who made

us swear we had “Read every single word” of our collateral reading.

Why? He didn’t make us swear we’d “read every single letter.” The

answer is simple: that professor (like me) had never moved from

letters, syllables, and words, to reading phrases, sentences and

paragraphs. He assumed the only way to read thoroughly was by the

laborious method of reading one word at a time.

Speed Reading

2011-01-05T07:38:00.001+08:00

A man named Kim Peek is probably the fastest documented speed reader in the world. He can read over 10,000 words a minute, with 98% retention, and he does it by skimming two pages simultaneously, one with each eye. Peek is an autistic savant, and the Raymond character in the movie Rain Man was partly based on his phenomenal abilities, which include near perfect recall of over 7000 books.

His brain lacks a corpus callosum, the nerve bundle that connects the left and right hemispheres, but nobody knows whether this is the cause of his remarkable ability to read different material with each eye at the same time. There are no other known cases of particular speed reading abilities in other people who were born without a corpus callosum or have had it disconnected by surgery.

Speed is of the Essence

In our era of information overload, speed reading is big business. Bookshops are huge and filled to overflowing with both fiction and non fiction, the internet offers an ocean of text on every conceivable subject, and almost all professionals, as well as students need to constantly keep up with what's being published. There's more material out there to be read than there ever was before, and people have less and less time. So there's a growing demand for the experts and courses that claim that almost anyone can be taught to read 1000 words a minute or even more.

Overall Approach

Speed Reading experts tend to divide their instruction into overall approaches to reading texts, and specific practical techniques to use while reading. The overall advice may include approaches to what material you'll even choose to read – be selective as not every book on your subject is worth reading; start with an overview of the information – work "from global to detail"; distinguish between what you already know, and what is new, so that your reading time and efforts are devoted to the new. Overall such advice is generally sensible, and could be summarized as prioritizing both which books to read and which passages to focus on.

Practical Techniques

The specific practical techniques that can increase your word per minute count include things called photoreading, skimming and rhizomapping. One reading and memory guru, Tony Buzan, claims that with the right training, most people can get up to 1000 word per minute on the right text.

This is quite a leap, as the average college student can get through 250-300 words per minute. According to Buzan, if you want to speed read, first you have to learn how your eyes and brain work – they read other words either side of your main focus and skip around a page rather than moving smoothly from side to side. With practice the aim is to read whole chunks rather than looking at words letter by letter. Rereading passages, and vocalizing to yourself are apparently detrimental, as they slow you down.

The Power of Positive Reading

2010-12-17T11:12:00.000+08:00

The reason reading is so vital is because it determines the focus of your mind. A passive person accepts whatever information is send by default. The environment determines such a mindset and usually that means negative input.
This is an arena where the advantages of taking control over one's thoughts are significant in seeing results. Thoughts determine action. Focused action leads to accomplishment. Feeding the right thoughts to the brain is analogous to planting the type of seeds one hopes to harvest.
Reading is power. It enables one to interact with some of the most inspiring thinkers and achievers in history. I use the word interact intentionally, because reading can be active on the part of the reader. A dialogue can be developed between the author and reader as comments are made in the margin, portions of the book or article are highlighted, and even dates and locations are recorded when new insight was made.

Reading to Gain Knowledge
One motivation to read is to learn something about a topic. Reading of this sort has a cause-and-effect. Exposure to the material has extended a person's knowledge base. An active reader can learn more about a specialization and increase expertise or gain a broader insight into a general topic. George Mcdonald observed, "As you grow ready for it, somewhere or other, you will find what is needful for you in a book."

Reading to Inspire
A second reason for reading is to stimulate action. Reading of the accomplishments of other people is a way to get the juices flowing. Goethe noted, "Every reader, if he has a strong mind, reads himself into the book, and amalgamates his thoughts with those of the author." Reading is not escapism, it is a means of expanding one's capacity.

Continue:The Power of Positive Reading

How to Be a Speed Reader

2010-12-17T07:22:00.002+08:00

Bob Pozen, chairman emeritus of MFS Investment Management, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and sometime writer for Harvard Business Review and HBR.org, gets an awful lot accomplished with a minimum of visible effort and stress. Justin Fox, editorial director of HBR Group, was curious how Pozen did that. The result is a seven-part series on productivity, of which this is the second installment. The first, on Pozen's daily routine, is here. This week's topic: How Pozen reads so fast.

JF: Describe your approach to reading.

To begin with, you have to ask: "Why am I reading this book or newspaper?" Reading for pleasure — that's a separate topic. But if you ask most people why they are reading the newspaper, they will give you vague answers.

I know what I'm reading the newspaper for. At breakfast, I read the Boston Globe and the New York Times; at work, I read the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. In reading the Globe, I'm trying to follow the major political events in Massachusetts. I also want to see what's happening with the Celtics, Red Sox, or Patriots.

With the New York Times, I'm reading the front page to see what the paper considers important and then deciding whether to read any other stories in my areas of interest. I'm mainly interested in finance, health care, retirement, and taxes — broadly speaking. I read the editorial page of the Times to see the liberal perspective on current events.

With the Wall Street Journal, I read the summaries on the left of the front page and then leaf through the Journal page by page. I'll read the introductory paragraph of an article and think, "Is there something here that relates to one of my four topics — finance, health care, retirement, or taxes?" If so, I'll read the tops of the paragraphs until I come to new facts or a new analysis of the subject. Then I will read the full paragraph. I will also look at the editorial page of the Journal to understand the conservative perspective on current events.

With the FT, I'm looking for coverage of topics outside the U.S. I read the front page of both sections and skim the rest to find articles with material not covered by the Wall Street Journal or New York Times. I also read the editorial page of the FT, which I find to be relatively objective.

Confessions of a Speed Reader

2010-12-16T13:53:00.001+08:00

There was an article recently on Wall Street Journal on the resurgence of Speed Reading. When we were growing up, it was all the rage. While some swear by it, others have very negative things to say about reading with low propensity to absorb and retain content.

Speed reading relies on quickly scanning the material, usually using a pen and through a zig-zag pattern clustering words to absorb meaning quickly. The technique encourages repeat reading to additionally increase material comprehension.

Miguel, Marky, Margarita and Max's mom was a speed reading tutor. In College, I am reminded of a conversation I had with her on the subject. As a tutor, she also had her apprehensions but different people have different reading objectives.

Others are really time-challenged so Speed Reading makes a real difference in their lives.

Personally, I think speed reading is great but must be used in moderation.

Life's already moves at warp speed and it's better sometimes as my mother says to "smell the flowers".

There are a few folks like my sisters who often have the tendency to read novels in speedreading mode when the literature goes slow.

Turn Pages Faster for Reading Faster

2010-12-08T11:16:00.000+08:00

Do you want to read faster? I guess do you do so in at least some cases. Well, then turn pages faster. Sounds ridiculous? Actually, it does matter how much time you spend on paging.

During my speed reading courses I have observed carefully how the trainees perform the reading exercises. I have noticed that different people spend considerably different amount of time on turning the pages. Most people can turn pages in one or two seconds, but some people waste too much time on it. I have seen some of the trainees to spend five seconds on turning the page.
How does it affect your reading speed? If you spend five seconds on turning the page then during those five seconds you are not reading the text. If the other guy pages in one second, then he can use extra four seconds for reading and he gains a considerable advantage.

How much will it affect the reading speed? It depends on the amount of text printed per page and on the reading speed itself. On the average, there are about 500 words per page, but it may range form 250 to 1000 words. The fewer the number of words per page the more often you have to turn pages and the greater the effect of paging speed on reading speed is. The reading speed is also important as if we read at 500 words per minute and then there will be one paging per minute in case of 500 words per page. If our reading speed will be only 250 words per minute, then we have to page every two minutes. So, paging speed becomes more important when we are faster readers.

If we are reading at 500 words per page, which is twice the average speed and there are 250 words per page then an increase in paging duration by one second will reduce the reading speed by 3.3%. I chose 500 words per page as an example as after learning the basics of speed reading most people are able to achieve that reading speed. Three extra seconds in that case would cost in 10% lower reading speed, which makes a considerable difference.

How to page fast? You have to avoid the mistakes the slow-pagers make. First, if you are not sitting straight and behind the desk, then it may be more difficult for you turn pages. It is much easier to page when the book is flat on a table. Do not lie on a sofa while reading as you have to hold your book with your hands then. In that position you are also not so actively participating in the reading process; you do not react so fast when you have completed a page and you are likely to make a delay with turning the page.

Continue:SelfGrowth

The Best 6 Free Tools for Speed Reading Anything 2-3x Faster Online

2010-12-07T09:03:00.001+08:00

Average Read Time: 3.5 Minutes (1 minute if you were using these tools…)

Who wants to read a bit faster? Stupid question, I know. Well then let’s do something about it.

All of us read online. While nothing beats the distraction-free paper book when it comes to reading experience, there’s no question that the screen is taking over. And distractions are everything but impossible to avoid: email, ads, surfing, Facebook, Twitter.

We need to get focused. With focus comes efficiency.

Over the past two years of teaching speed reading to students and businessmen, I’ve found some killer online tools that actually work. They will get you focused and you’ll read more in less time.

6 Free Tools for Speed Reading Anything 2-3x Faster Online

1. RSVP Reader for Firefox. My favorite tool. This alone will likely double or triple your speed. A plugin that allows you to read what’s on the page by flashing chunks of words in your toolbar. You can control how many words you see and the speed of the text. Perfect for practice or everyday reading. Set the speed higher than you’re comfortable with for a little training exercise.

While using your hand or pen as a guide is crucial for speed reading paper text, it’s challenging online. This reader serves as a guide/pacer without your finger greasing up your screen. The only downfall is it won’t work for reading emails with most services. There are similar but less powerful versions such as Reasy, for Chrome and other browsers. Here’s more on RSVP Readers. Demo video here.

2. Spreeder. Same concept as RSVP Reader but with this one you copy and paste the text into a window on their webpage. It then flashes words in a similar format and you can control the speed, length, etc. Lot’s of great options. Awesome for PDF’s, Word docs or long emails since the RSVP Reader doesn’t support those.

3. Readability. So simple yet so necessary. This is a bookmarklet that converts any web page into a plain black and white nicely formatted presentation of the text. No links, no ads, no distractions. Pure blissful focus. You can adjust just about everything under the sun but the settings right out of the box seem perfect for me. There is a lot of brain power and research behind ideal online reading format that went into this one.

4. Quick Reader for iPhone and iPad. Search for ‘speed reading’ in the Apple App Store and there’s way too much to handle. We tested every one and this is far and away the best. The founder is super passionate about reading too. It offers speed reading practice, drills, tests and general reading. Best way I’ve found to practice and improve on the go. Comes with a handfull of pre downloaded books (some are acutally cool) and connects with Project Gutenberg for a ton more titles. The functionality of this one blows my mind. And best of all, it’s a ton of fun to use. Free version gives you plenty and the paid one is only $4.99.

5. Read it Later. You ever notice at the end of the day you have a browser with 50 tabs open to all the articles and blogs you came across that you wanted to read? I do. But you don’t want to bookmark them because you only need to read each one once. This solves it. It’s a bookmarklet that hangs out in your toolbar. Every time you come across a sexy article worth saving, click a little check mark and it’s added to your reading queue up in the cloud. Revisit the queue at any time to read one of your articles. Once you’re done reading, it disappears from the list.

The best part of it…There’re apps for just about every mobile device including iPad and iPhone and they all automatically sync so you can pull up your reading list anywhere, even without an internet connect. So sweet! Much more efficient than reading articles throughout the whole day. Batch your reading and get productive.

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How to Compare Speed-Reading Courses

2010-12-07T08:58:00.002+08:00

Speed-reading courses claim to improve reading ability by increasing the number of words you read per minute. Some speed readers claim to be able to finish a 500-page book in less than 15 minutes. It all sounds very impressive. Keep in mind, however, that the fastest readers are the ones with excellent study skills and vocabularies.

Identification

Traditional speed-reading courses like Evelyn Wood's Reading Dynamics have been around since the 1950s. These classes teach you to read faster through techniques like skimming and using your finger as a pointer to help you improve the amount of material you can cover.

Program Features

In comparing speed-reading courses, various questions must be answered: Are you looking for a course for an adult or child? Do you prefer an in-person seminar or a computer software program? Would you like a program with customization that allows you to change the text format? Some programs allow you to display the full text while groups of words are highlighted and move off the page as you read.

Considerations

Cost is an important consideration as well. Face-to-face seminars are more expensive than software programs. All courses teach the same basic techniques to keep your attention focused on the page, according to Glendale Community College. Study skills are critical as well; speed reading isn't going to help you with understanding the material you read.

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The Fine Art of Daydreaming While Reading

2010-12-07T08:49:00.003+08:00

On Midmorning with Kerri Miller, the recent topic of conversation was “How our Fast Culture Hurts Reading.” The guests, David Ulin and John Freeman, talk about how the instant gratification of the World Wide Web has hurt people ability to concentrate and really dissect reading like we did before the internet was widely available. I thought that this topic of conversation was especially interesting in terms of book blogs and the many books that pass through our fingertips.

I learned the fine art of skimming while in college. There was no way I was going to get through five novels in one week. So I skimmed and I found that I could get what I needed to pass the class without really digesting the book. Then I finally got out of the habit of skimming when I graduated. Then came my book blog and I am constantly fighting the urge to skim, especially when I am online. There are literally thousands of book related items to read online and I want to soak it all in, but there is not enough time to allow me to do so. So I skim. I miss important parts of someone’s post or I don’t absorb it like I did before I was trying to cram it all in. Once I noticed that I was doing it, I have now made a concerted effort to slow down.

Also, I am completely amazed at how many books many book bloggers are able to read. I used to think that I had to keep up and now I have completely given up. I can read a book a week. I’m fine with that and if I really love a book, I’ll go back over the passages that I liked and try to absorb them. I think that is why poetry is not very popular. Poetry requires you to absorb each line, then sit and stare into space as you think about each word. In this world, where we are constantly in action, who sits and stares into space anymore? Well, I do…sometimes.

Do you find yourself skimming articles and posts online? How about books, do you absorb each word or do you race to finish it?

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What is speed reading?

2010-12-06T09:05:00.000+08:00

Speed reading is the act of quickly absorbing written information. The goal is to read quickly but still retain comprehension of the material. The rate at which people read material is not a constant and varies greatly depending on several factors. Some material, such as school work or manuals, may require more contemplation and fewer distractions in order to process and still understand what is being conveyed. Being able to read ten books in a single day is useless if the reader is unable to retain comprehension of the material

What types of methods are used in speed reading?

Some of the different methods used in speed reading are chunking, skimming, and eliminating sub-vocalization. Readers will not "read" the words aloud in their minds. Their eyes skim through the material and comprehension is formed within the brain processes. Most speed readers use a variety of methods to increase their speed and comprehension level.

A speed reader may not read every word on the page. They may skip some sections as it as little overall consequence to the meaning. Most people can read a selection much faster if they read silently. Reading each word aloud takes time for the information to make a complete circuit in your brain before being pronounced. Some researchers believe that as long as the first and last letter is in place, the arrangement of the other letters in the word can still be understood by the brain because it logically puts each piece into place.

Continue:Speed-Reading-techniques

Speed reading techniques

2010-12-05T07:02:00.000+08:00

The most important concept behind speed-reading is eye span. You know that fleeting moment when your eyes blink as you read a line in a book? Your eyes are not blinking without purpose. They are taking in the information, which that brain of yours will later process.

The eye blink I am referring to has no more motivation than the textual material at hand. This is where speed-reading or slow reading is decided. If you read word-by-word your are definitely one slow reader. If you read by vocalizing every syllable, you are also slower. Unlike me, you probably listened to your mom when she said that the best way to retain information is to read it to yourself aloud. Overcoming this conventional wisdom alone will bring you a hefty gain in reading speed!

So the big rule is avoid subvocalization which is the clinical term for reading word-for-word. The wisdom behind avoiding the subvocalization trap lies in the fact that your eye span works in conjunction with the eye blink to record the information in the brain. The shorter your eye span, the less information your brain assimilates. Do you get it?

That's why the chief trick behind becoming a speed-reading freak is widening your eye span. That means that in one reading sweep at the blink of an eye, you should not only capture one word but words, phrases and eventually a whole sentence.

Do not do this right away. Clinical studies show that forcing it too soon might even lead to dyslexia or the inability to read (would you believe Tom Cruise suffered from this malady and eventually overcame it, probably from the pressure of reading too many movie scripts?). You have to start your speed-reading career slowly and surely. You won't be paid $20 million for it like Tom Cruise, but believe me, you'll reap its rewards in time.

So back to the golden rule of speed-reading. Widen that eye span. Support and start working on the habit immediately by reading in optimum condition, that is with the proper lighting, right text size, and yes, plenty of leg room. Don't read word-for-word!

Another pitfall to avoid is re-reading, which is technically known in speed reading circles as digressing. Don't get caught doing this, or better yet, avoid doing it altogether. This takes up too much of your precious reading time. Believe me, it's not worth it. You think your mind will remember it better by going back? Clinical studies reveal otherwise.

A speed-reading critic once said that he'd rather read slowly than "jump from one parapet to another without knowing the difference." That is not true. Speed reading, in fact, has a direct correlation to comprehension. In other words, the faster one reads the better the comprehension.

There are two great speed-reading techniques that you can try. One is what the AceReader school terms as Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) which is really nothing but Center Text Mode kind of speed-reading. The idea is that you should confine the text from within the center of your vision to be able to read more rapidly. That means, the more central the text is from your vision, the more effortless the reading.

Continue: Speed reading techniques

Is Speed Reading for You?

2010-12-04T10:37:00.000+08:00

Are you an efficient reader? What kind of reader are you?

You will know in a few minutes after you have completed this free online speed reading test.

You will get your reading speed as soon as you have finished your timed reading. You may then perform a comprehension test with a series of questions about the text you have just read.

Instructions

Get ready to read, click the Start button and start reading. The button starts the timer. Don't speed but read normally to find your present reading level.

Click the Stop button as soon as you have finished. This will stop the timer and display your reading speed.

Before you start the real test you may click Start, scroll down without reading, then click Stop to see what happens. You may also size the window of your browser to adjust column width.

Continue:ReadingSoft

Radically Increasing Your Reading Speed

2010-12-03T13:18:00.000+08:00

Speed Reading can help you to read and understand written information much more quickly. This makes it an essential skill in any environment where you have to master large volumes of information quickly, as is the norm in fast-moving professional environments. What's more, it's a key technique to learn if you suffer from "information overload", because it helps you to become much more discriminating about the information that you consume.
The Key Insight
The most important trick about speed reading is to know what information you want from a document before you start reading it. If you only want an outline of the issue that the document discusses, then you can skim the document quickly and extract only the essential facts. If you need to understand the real detail of the document, then you need to read it slowly enough to gain the full understanding you need.

You will get the greatest time savings from speed reading by learning to skim excessively detailed documents, although the techniques you'll learn will help you improve the speed of all the reading you do.
Technical Issues
Even when you know how to ignore irrelevant detail, there are other technical improvements you can make to your reading style which will increase your reading speed.

Most people learn to read the way young children read – either letter-by-letter, or word-by-word. As an adult, this is probably not the way you read now: Just think about how your eye muscles are moving as you read this. You will probably find that you are fixing your eyes on one block of words, then moving your eyes to the next block of words, and so on. You are reading blocks of words at a time, not individual words one-by-one. You may also notice that you do not always go from one block to the next: sometimes you may move back to a previous block if you are unsure about something.

A skilled reader will read many words in each block. He or she will only dwell on each block for an instant, and will then move on. Only rarely will the reader's eyes skip back to a previous block of words. This reduces the amount of work that the reader's eyes have to do. It also increases the volume of information that can be assimilated in a given period of time.

A poor reader will become bogged down, spending a lot of time reading small blocks of words. He or she will skip back often, losing the flow and structure of the text, and confusing his or her overall understanding of the subject. This irregular eye movement makes reading tiring. Poor readers tend to dislike reading, and they may find it harder to concentrate, and understand written information.
How to Use Tool
Continue:Mindtools

History of Speed Reading

2010-12-02T09:03:00.000+08:00

Gathering information is something all humans do naturally. So it’s only natural that once learn to read we want to start doing it faster so we can gather and absorb more information.

One of the first insights into speed reading was developed through the United States Air Force using the methodology behind the tachistoscope, a device that displays an image for a certain amount of time. The tachistoscope was being used to train pilots to quickly identify enemy planes while in the cockpit. After a little experimentation, they discovered that flashing four words on a screen at 1/500th of a second was understood completely by the reader. This had dramatic implications for reading.

It was originally believed that people read by looking at each and every letter in order to understand the meaning of a word. The U.S. Air Force experiments killed this idea of reading by letters and helped create an understanding the humans are capable reading not just a word at a time, but groups of words.

Speed reading became popularized in the U.S. during the late 1950s by a woman named Evelyn Wood. She actually coined the term “speed reading” before it became a conventional phrase. After studying the habits of naturally fast readers she developed a methodology that was taught in many seminars throughout the country. She is famous for having her methods taught to President John F. Kennedy, who was a strong proponent of speed reading. Until the late 1990s, her classes were frequently taught at college campuses throughout the U.S. She passed away in 1995 at the age of 86.

Although speed reading techniques have been refined through the years, the foundations remain the same. Speed reading involves reading multiple words at a time in phrases without sub-vocalizing every word.

Source:History of Speed Reading

How to Speed Read a Magazine

2010-12-01T11:45:00.000+08:00

Before you start reading anything in the magazine you want to sift through the table of contents and determine what needs to be read. Circle the articles in the table of contents that you plan to read. You can cross out the article after it has been read.

Let’s start with this basic assumption: You can read something faster if you are familiar with it. Most people would agree with this statement. The problem is that most of the material you read is not familiar to you, which is obviously on of the reasons why you would want to read it.

So the idea here is to somehow get familiar with the material before actually reading it. Think of this as warming up before you read, just like you would before you exercise. The can easily familiarize yourself with an article and “speed read” it by following three simple steps.

Read the First and Last Paragraph
In well written material, the first paragraph is usually an introduction to what you are about to read in the article. Similarly, the last paragraph should summarize the article. So if we read the first and last paragraph we should, at the very least come away with a strong sense of what the main idea is in the article.

Read the First Sentence of Every Paragraph
Wouldn’t it be nice to know all of the main ideas in an article before actually reading it? Since most well written paragraphs are structured with the main idea as the first sentence, we can read the first sentence of every paragraph in the article and come away with a lot of information about the article before even reading it.

Read the Entire Article
Think about the last two steps you did. You read the first and last paragraph, and then the first sentence of every paragraph. At this point, you should have a pretty strong idea of what this article is going to be about. The only thing you’re missing are the details, which you will now get as you read.

Remember we made the assumption that if you are familiar with something, you should be able to read it faster. At this we should definitely be familiar with what we are about to read. So we should approach it more confidently and naturally read it faster.

If you are resistant toward going faster, it could be because you are worried you may miss something. Try to fight that resistance and force yourself to go a little faster than you normally would through the material. You’ll probably find yourself picking up more than you expected.

Source:How to Speed Read a Magazine

Speed Reading in Only One Hour

2010-11-30T09:38:00.000+08:00

The mind is a source of immeasurable power, and we only use a tiny portion of it. In the book, "Speed Reading in only One Hour" I show you how to tap some of that unused power and how to use it for your own improved grades in high school, college, and great successes life.

Your brain is capable of understanding from 10,000 - 50,000 units of data per minute; one unit equals one word. This information is based upon old statistics (1980's). Based on recently developed speed reading technology, and strides in brain and mind development, you can achieve even greater reading speeds.

In the US the average HS grad, when tested, reads about 250 words per minute. The average US college student reads at an average of about 300 words per minute. But, no matter what your starting reading speed when you are tested, don't worry, it is only the beginning. Can you imagine what an advantage you will have to be able to read over 100% faster than you had before? 200% 300% -- The possibilities are limitless.

We receive information through our five physical senses, (touching, tasting, hearing, smelling, and seeing) and by those we make decisions. We make choices and judgments from the factors that our physical senses bring into play. The five physical senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch) are preprogrammed for automatic reaction.

We learn in many way, not only from physical senses, but through other forms of thought. Most thinking is conscious in nature. Senses, on the other hand, work automatically. An example of an automatic response might be: when a hungry teenager smells pizza, he or she begins salivating. Or was that Pavlov's dog? Actually, it's the same! What's taking place is that the sense of smell (called olfactory senses) has automatically brought up a thought, "PIZZA", to the brain and mind. The thought may be unconscious.

Sensing food is a physical sensation through smell. It is a mental sensation (unconsciously or consciously) through thought. And lastly there is a physical sensation through eating, swallowing, and smiling. To summarize the PIZZA adventure: Brain and mind is where the "action" is taking place. Body is where the "reaction" is taking place.

The brain and the mind has enormous untapped power; I'll teach you how to tap into that potential through Speed Reading in One Hour, available at speedread.org . I'll show you how you can be a total success in your college life and beyond.

Source:SelfGrowth

Skimming - will it improve your reading speed?

2010-11-29T09:35:00.000+08:00

A cornerstone of the ability to speed read is the ability to skim. However, many argue that skimming is in fact cheating - i.e. you're not really reading at all! The following is a brief outline argument in favor of why skimming will improve your reading speed (and ability).

Basically, skimming is the most rudimentary form of reading. The object of skim reading is not to necessarily comprehend all that is being read, but rather to familiarize yourself, as quickly as possible, with the text being read. In this regard, skimming materials, by reading the index, subject headings and sub-headings, allows you to prepare yourself so that when the time comes, you can race ahead and speed read at pace - as you are already familiar with the text. Consequently, your overall reading speed will be vastly improved.

In addition, skimming allows your subconscious the chance to absorb the main ideas of a text. These are later cemented by your speed reading of the contents. The combination of these two methods allows you greater comprehension of what you are reading.

Conversely, if you are reading from cold, there is more chance you'll miss certain points or issues. If you want, think of it as if you are watching a movie for the second time: don't you always see parts of the movie the second time that you didn't see the first, which makes the second viewing all the more relaxing and pleasurable?

How to Skim Read

Having ascertained that skimming will increase our reading speed, we now need to know how to skim read. Whilst there are many different methods adopted to skim reading, the following are the essential elements:

* read the index of a text - note that it is essential that you do this so that you get the general ideal of what the text is about;

* read the introduction paragraph of the text;

* read each heading in the text;

* read each suading in the text;

* read the first paragraph under each heading and su
eading of the text;

* (if you have time) read the first and last line of the first and last paragraph of each page;

* (if you have time) read the first and last line of each independent paragraph;

* read the last paragraph of the text - again, this is very important as it is usually in this section that you'll find all of the main concepts of the text being summarized and concluded.

Moreover, when skimming, try using your peripheral eye vision to identify the main idea of the text, the main dates in the text (especially if the text relates to historical issues), and any illustrations/diagrams/graphs.

Finally, when you are skimming, start at the beginning and read straight through to the end. Do not go back over what you have already read before you have completed the whole text as this will defeat the purpose of your skim reading: in any event, you are going to speed read the text once more after you have completed your skim read!

Remember, skim reading is not intended to replace any reading of the material. Its intention is to familiarize yourself with the text so that you can be fully prepared to review it once again at a later time.

In the event that you find yourself with insufficient time to both speed read and skim read a text, you should not confine your reading to a mere skim read as you may find that you miss out on vital pieces of data. Besides this, enjoy your skim reading in the comfort of knowing it will enable you to increase your overall reading speed!

Self Help For Speed Reading

2010-11-28T11:18:00.000+08:00

Speed reading is a great idea for people who want to read faster. Many people desire to read faster because it saves time. They might be in school and need to read over hundreds of pages a night to finish projects. Or perhaps an employee, who has taken their work home with them, wants to read fast so they can get back to family life. Either way, reading fast can be done; there are many techniques available to speed up your reading.

The first idea for speed reading is to skim the pages. This involves simply reading the first sentence in each paragraph. If it is of interest you can search out for important sentences and key words. Try to remember the key words and important starter sentences as they will help you to retain the information taught in the writing.

Skimming might also mean that your eyes scan over the text quickly in search of particular key words. Certain words may pertain to what you are looking for and you might only want to read the information that is around the keyword. This speeds up your reading because you can save time on reading words that are unnecessary to you.

Another method to speed reading is called Meta guiding. It involves using a finger or pen to scan under the text. It is a great visual for anyone who needs help racing through sentences and words. Your eyes will follow the speed of your finger or pen and catch key words as they pop up.

The Schematic Processing method is used when you want to decode information in text at a higher pace. It is the ability to understand information quickly based on concepts that are from reading familiar text and unfamiliar text.

Photo Reading is an idea that claims to teach photogenic abilities. It is a teaching method that is supposed to give you ways to learn a huge bulk of text in a short amount of time. The method has been tested and the results did not find a significant difference that would indicate that the claims work.

There are lots of commercial programs and courses that offer speed reading ideas and information. It is best to view the information with caution. Many ideas do not work for everyone so it might not be advisable to spend lots of money on them; the important thing is to find techniques that work for you.

Continue: SelfGrowth

How to Prepare For Exams - Speed Reading Helps You

2010-11-27T11:52:00.000+08:00

Have you ever found yourself in time trouble when preparing for exams? Do you spend the last days and hours before the exam with your nose buried deep in the book? As a professor at the university I have seen many of the students suffer from these problems. Time trouble and last minute cramming are serious problems, which have a negative impact on many students' exam results. Yet, it is possible to avoid them if you follow my advice below.

Why do students cram heavily before exams? Because they do not feel confident in their knowledge as they have not prepared on time for the exams. But it will not help them to achieve a good result. Heavy last minute cramming will make your head thick and while sitting in the exam room you will find it difficult to answer the questions.

It is much better if you relax before taking the exam. You may take a walk or chat with your course mates. In the latter case do not discuss the exam topics. It will not help you to gain extra knowledge, but your brain will be fresher when doing so and you can get a better result in that way.

You much admit that it is not possible to save much with last minute cramming. You have to acquire your knowledge in the right time. You cannot start with your preparation on the last couple of days. In order to avoid time trouble you will benefit from good time management and fast reading.

The first thing is that you have to plan your time. It means that you have to share your study load on all of the months of the semester. When doing so you have already acquired the required knowledge before the exam day approaches. During the last days before the exam you will only have to revise the material slightly in order to keep it fresh in your mind.

It is wise to do really hard work at the beginning of the semester. You can gain a huge advantage by taking it serious during the first two weeks of the semester, when most of the students to not think much about studying as the exams are far away. If you get an early start then you will build a strong basis for achieving a good exam result.

The second possibility to save time is to study faster. We acquire most of the information by reading. Therefore if we could read faster then we can learn faster. It means that learning to speed read will help you to gain more knowledge in shorter amount of time. Fast readers are good learners. I teach speed reading courses at my university. They are not compulsory for the students, but I can say that students, who have participated in them, tend to do better at the exams.

Speed reading will not teach only to read faster. On speed reading courses you will also learn how to prioritize your reading materials as some of them are much more important and more relevant for the exams. You will also learn how to preview texts quickly, which helps you to make that kind of choice. In many cases you can save much time by applying selective reading techniques.

It is also important that you will choose the right speed for different texts. There are always some texts, which are more difficult or more important. You should read them at slower pace, while for some other text you should be really fast. You have to be flexible with your reading speed in order to use your time rationally.

Finally, being able to speed read gives you a psychological advantage. If you are sure that you can work though piles of study material without spending too much time on it then it gives you self confidence. You will avoid pre-exam stress and have control over the study process.

Source: EzineArticles

The 3 Things You Can Do Now To Instantly Increase Your Reading

2010-11-26T09:29:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wished that you had more time in the day? I know I have.

Time is something we can never have enough of. There’s simply too much to do, and too little time to do it! Having said that, take a simple task like reading. We take it for granted that the speed at which we read is going to remain the same. In fact most of us don’t even think about whether our reading speed is ever likely to change! Well, with new techniques and tactics, one can double their reading speed and slash their reading time, in virtually no time!

Speed reading is essentially a collection of techniques developed to make the process of seeing words and understanding them, quicker. There are various ways to achieve this and many resources such as speed reading books are available.

Here are some quick tips developed by experts in the field.

1. Don’t backtrack. A substantial amount of our reading time is used up in re-reading lines that we’ve already read. To prevent this, try reading while placing a bookmark on the lines above the one you’re currently reading. Try it with any book or magazine you happen to be reading. This prevents backtracking or re-reading and increases the focus on the words being read.

2. Don’t sub -vocalize. While reading, most of us are ‘saying’ the words silently, in our minds. When we’re young we read aloud, then we’re taught to read silently. What most of us don’t realise is that hearing the words in our minds and comprehending the meaning of those words are two distinct and totally separate processes. Vocalizing each and every word simply increases the amount of time spent on each word. On the other hand, people who read more than 800 hundred words per minute simply will not have the time to ‘say’ each word in their minds. Their eyes see a word and the brain has been trained to associate a meaning to that word image. So in a sense, speed reading means reading in a more visual manner. Sub-vocalization is a deeply ingrained habit but can be broken with some practise, like any other habit we have.

3. Chunking. Try reading words in groups as opposed to reading each word individually. Reading small groups of words together increases the speed of reading but doesn’t compromise on comprehension. Be determined, as this requires practise and conscious effort.

These are just a few pointers to get you started! With some effort and a reasonable amount of practise, you will find that your reading time has greatly increased! There are a lot of resources to help you along, should you want to try and achieve your true potential!

Source:SelfGrowth

How To Use Set Goals To Achieve Speed Reading Skills

2010-11-25T09:27:00.000+08:00

By Joe OkoroFor everything in life to be successful, there must be a form of set goals in place to checkmate the progress to reach that goal eventually. This is a fact that is applicable in all aspects our lives. Speed reading is no exception. However, setting goals for the achievement of your speed reading will also require that you use action plan to make it a success.

When you set goals, it makes it possible for anyone to reach a target that ordinarily might not be reached. You will need to be very positive each time you set your goals. Use affirmations to confirm to yourself that you actually mean what you decide to reach your goal. Affirmations help you to reinforce your goals in mind and also give you a push to carry out your plan to reach your goal. When you affirm, it means telling yourself: "I must achieve my goal of speed reading"

In carrying out your action plans to achieve your speed reading, you want to include all details, techniques, strategies, methods, and information to this effect. In that case you will need a progress chart which will help you draw outlines that will keep record of your progress. Such records should include details like; reviewing, surveying, preview, recite, records, and so on. These are speed reading techniques that you will include in your plan to achieve your speed reading aim.

When you set your goals, make sure that you are realistic by setting accomplishable steps that will help you along the way. If you set goals that you can not fulfil, you will be frustrated along the line and possibly give up before you learn speed reading. Now, let us check out some of the things you need to do if you are to use plans to accomplish speed reading.

First step: Go to an undisturbed zone and seriously think why you need to learn speed reading. What impact will it have on you, your career, and your private life. Is it going to be beneficial? Finding out good reasons will help you to be very focused and motivated to apply techniques that will help you.

Second step: Use techniques that will help you to speed read to accomplish your reading skills. Such techniques as discussed above and try speed reading with them. You will make it easy for yourself if you pick up a topic in an area that you are interested in.

Be focused and read through. Now you will need to preview first before the actual reading. Get a stop watch and start. Once you are through, check your comprehension level and the time it took you to complete the material. Repeat it again and time yourself again. When you are through, try to draw a progress chart that you will use to check your performance as you progress. You will notice that as you complete each step that it becomes easier for you. Now, go ahead and try out my recommendations and see how well you fare.

DECEMBER SEMINAR!

2010-11-24T12:22:00.002+08:00

PowerRead

Speed Reading For Business Success!
A Hands on Full day Workshop that will Double Your Reading Speed.. Guaranteed

This PowerRead Seminar flyer has 2,235words... how long should it take you to read it?

Reader	Reading speed	Time
slow	150 words/minute	15 min
average	230 words/minute	10 min
above	350 words/minute	6.5 min
fast	500 words/minute	4.5 min
exceptional	700 words/minute	3 min

FACT 1: The average reading speed of adults in Australia is just 300 words per minute!

FACT 2: You can double your reading speed by the application of a few simple techniques.

FACT 3: The average comprehension score of adult readers in Australia is poor!

FACT 4: You can improve your comprehension score by the application of a few simple techniques.

How easy is this to do... with just 4 hours tuition and the amazingly effective PowerRead Speed Reading System you can DOUBLE ( or even more...) your reading speed at an increased comprehension rate. Sound too good to be true... read on and see that PowerRead could just be your answer to information overload.

PowerRead! Speed Reading for Business Success

Monday, December 6th, 2010	Brisbane	Christie Corporate
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010	Sydney	Portside Centre
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010	Melbourne	Karstens Conference Center
Thursday, December 9th, 2010	Perth	Cambridge Convention Center

8.30am to 12pm Extensive Support Material, Light Refreshments Included

Seminar Price $249

Click Here to Book your Place Now!

Cancellation Policy: All sales are final. Should you be unable to attend, a substitute participant is always welcome. No refunds will be given. Speakers and dates may be subject to change.

Providing this information constitutes your permission for AEC trading as The Maverick Partnership or and any associated party to contact you regarding related information via mail, e-mail, fax or phone.

You are important to us. If you are having problems booking, please let us know by eMail or phone the booking hotline in your city

Any questions?? Feel free to contact us and we'll explain the unique advantages of this particular seminar but remember places are limited!

AEC Platinum Privileges Card: Holders of the AEC Platinum Privilege Card can attend these seminars as part of their membership benefits.

The Real Secrets of Speed Reading

2010-11-23T08:51:00.001+08:00

Imagine having the ability to absorb many times the amount of information in a shorter space of time than you ever thought possible.

Imagine being able zip through books, documents and papers and not miss a word, taking it all in but in half the time.

Sounds good doesn't it?

This article will reveal some of the secretive tips and techniques that you can use to achieve this.

Its important to remember that you don't have to take a lot of your current reading time to make a huge difference. If you could take a second off of a page, think what a difference that would make when you're reading a whole book! It's really possible to take in all the info you need even when going through a book at a higher speed. Here are some tips to achieve this...

Use your hand to guide your eyes across the page. It's really that simple. Make sure you move your hand at a pace that feels right and keep it moving down the page. Don't stop and start, keep it moving and over time your eyes will be able to keep up. The more you practice at this the better you'll become.

Another effective technique is to place a piece of card over the words that you have just read. Slide it down the page as you read and this will prevent you from going back over words you've already read. This is one of the main difficulties people have with reading quickly, they soon find themselves going back over the same words again and again. A simple piece of card should remedy the situation.

We've already talked about moving your hand down the page and letting your eyes keep up. Well, a similar techniques is to use your hand to draw across the page from left to right. Use a smooth motion and use your longest finger as a point to follow.

Other people may find it helps them to bunny hop their hand down the page. Small leaps down the text can really make your eyes whizz along the page. This can also be achieved with a diagonal motion, but really it's personal preference.

These techniques aren't as easy as they seem and require some practice but if you give it a go you'll find you can absorb boundless amounts of information with ease.

Reading Myths

2010-11-22T11:12:00.000+08:00

1. Reading is linear. I had always figured reading was a linear process; you know, start up front and grind through to the very end in the exact order it was printed in. Reading is no more linear than thinking is, (or I eventually discovered, than writing; few writers start at the beginning -- indeed, they usually "write the first part last."

2. True reading is word-for-word. I started as a kid looking at individual letters. They didn't help much. Next I started sounding out syllables. Finally, I could read whole words. Why stop with words? Well, I know one reason… I had a college professor who made us swear we had "Read every single word" of our collateral reading. Why? He didn't make us swear we'd "read every single letter." The answer is simple: that professor (like me) had never moved from letters, syllables, and words, to reading phrases, sentences and paragraphs. He assumed the only way to read thoroughly was by the laborious method of reading one word at a time.

3. Reading is a laborious task which takes a long time. Not at all! Reading can be both fun and fast. Indeed, speed reading is like auto racing -- it is far more exciting.

4. All parts of a book are of equal value. This myth persists until you actually write your own book. Then, all at once you realize there is "filler" material , illustrations, and even sometimes whole chapters jammed into a book just because the publisher insisted. Take messages for instance. Ever hear a message and wish you could put it on fast forward over that long story illustrating a point you already understand? Well, in reading you can fast forward.

5. Reading faster will reduce retention. Sorry. It should be that way, shouldn't it? Those who groan slowly through a book painstakingly sounding out every single word, maybe even moving their lips, should get a greater reward shouldn't they? Sorry. In fact, speed reading techniques will increase one's comprehension and retention.

How to speed read, constant learning

2010-11-21T09:01:00.000+08:00

I downloaded 1000 or so Brazillian songs after doing an AllMusic rampage, and 500 or so hip hop songs in the vein of Madlib, MF Doom, Anticon, etc. It’s strange how if I heard some of these albums in the “proper context,” (especially serendipitously, which is the way one’s supposed to hear new music) on a drive through the hills of Brazil or through New York City, these albums would immediately mean more to me, but listening in my room with an imposing 36,000 other songs also vying for my attention, I only notice the drop-dead, no-doubt-about-it amazing songs. Anyway, I use SoulSeek X to download most of my stuff, as albums. With it I’ve downloaded about 32,000 songs.

I’m reading The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship and just finished the marketing chapter. Marketing is fascinating, but I bet it would be a nightmare to study in a classroom setting, where the professors (like my current advertising professor), would focus more on terminology than the big picture. Every musician should read some stuff on marketing. After I read The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing last year, which absolutely blew my mind (hilarious to say of a book on marketing?!), I wrote a spastic, sprawling manifesto on innovation in music. The two fields coincide to an eerie extent.

I had an exceptionally long wait at a take out restaurant today, and didn’t have anything to read or listen to. The relatively short 10 minute wait was excruciating, to just sit there without something to read or listen to or phone call to make. At that point I realized that we’re at a point (as a society, I mean) where we pretty much can be having things fed into our brains at all times. Podcasts automatically download and update, we just pick and play them (…too bad most are complete wastes of time). To move forward, we need to know how to effectively absorb all of it so it doesn’t go out the other ear.

Speed reading is therefore such a ridiculously valuable skill. I’ve read a few books (the Evelyn Woods book, and an obscure unofficial photo reading book, both downloaded as torrent PDFs), and while I’ve dramatically increased my reading speed, it’s still not fast enough.

So, here’s how to quickly double your reading speed. First, don’t re-read whatsoever. Even if you miss some of the words (especially big ones), you will get the overall meaning. By not looking back, it actually makes you focus more, so you’ll gradually stop having to reread. This might freak some people out, but if you think about it, do you ever remember the miniscule details a month after reading a book? No! The important parts emerge organically, by repetition, by virtue of their being important and the author reemphasizing them.

Once you can do that, the next step is to read not individual words, but groups of words as clusters (3-5 clusters a line). Each cluster should take as much time as reading a single word would. The way to keep moving forward is to only say to yourself the words that stick out. Reading words aloud to yourself, even if silently, is called sub-vocalizing. The fastest one can read while sub-vocalizing is 900wpm (this is considered the “speed-barrier” of reading. Once you stop sub-vocalizing, you can read thousands of words a minute). The average reader reads at 250wpm. The mind processes something like 15,000 thoughts a minute. One you break it, you can read up to 3,000 words a minute, or a page a second (!). So, even that isn’t super-much for the brain to handle. This stuff is actually possible.

Teach Your Child To Read

2010-11-20T08:48:00.000+08:00

We all know that learning to read is an important part of growing up for a child. Learning to read is also essential to future success both in school and in life. Older children and adults who struggle with reading will struggle in the future in terms of both professional prospects as well as personal life. Reading is quite simply a part of every day modern life. While we all know that helping our children learn to read is important, many parents struggle with what they can do as non-educators to teach children to read. There are three simple ways you can teach your child to read - expose them to the world of literacy, read to them, and give them the tools they need to become literate.

It is important to expose children to the world of literacy from a very young age. This means demonstrating on a daily basis how important reading is by sharing the various ways the written word is a part of daily modern life from street signs to food labels to printed literature. It is also important to teach young children how print works, such as the fact we read from left to right and top to bottom. Readers know this is the way literature works but non-readers need to be taught. You should also make sure your child has reading material available that is suitable and age appropriate. You can either provide your child with a library of their own or if money is tight then make sure they have a library card and visit regularly. Exposing your child to the world of literacy from a young age is an important part of teaching reading.

Reading to your child is the most important part of helping your child become a reader. Teaching reading involves teaching children to love reading. The more fun your child has with books from an early age then the more interested they will be when they reach school age in becoming a reader. Reading to your child also improves your child's emergent literacy skills including vocabulary, knowledge, and print awareness such as how a book works. Reading to your child on a regular basis gives your pre-reader a jumpstart in learning to read and continuing to read to your child even after they learn to read helps improve their vocabulary and reading skills.

Giving your child the tools they need to become literate is also important. Some parents handicap their children's efforts to learn to read by not helping them master the alphabet and beginning letter sounds before school begins. Other parents discourage learning to read by not providing age-appropriate reading material. If there are no books or magazines in the house to read then how can a child learn to read? Still other parents do not speak properly to their children, perhaps using baby talk, to encourage the development of vocabulary and grammar skills. You can be involved in helping your child learn to read by giving your child the tools they need to become literate.

If you follow these three simple steps you can teach your child to read. Teaching reading is as simple as exposing them to the world of literacy, reading to them, and giving them the tools they need to become literate.

Source: Teaching Reading

Lifelong Effects of Speed Reading

2010-11-19T11:22:00.000+08:00

How would you like to remember 90% of what you read from anything? the newspaper, your favorite novel, business reports, your child's MySpace blog? How would you like to be able to read faster? Perhaps youll even read 3x faster and still remember almost everything you read! How would you like this to happen in just one single hour?

Impossible? Not hardly! With speedreadcomplete.com and the Speed Complete Speed Reading Program, hundreds of thousands of people have done just that!

But what can one do with the ability to read over 600 words per minute and remember almost every word? The lifelong effects of speed reading are numerous.

First, you will finally be able to get to all those books on your list "or your university professors' "Suggested Reading" lists" you have never had the time to read before. Suddenly, an hour's commute to work on public transportation won't mean simply a chapter or two it will mean an entire book checked off your list! You won't even get that sense of disappointment when you skim a book just to finish it. With the Complete Speed Reading Program, and the new ability to retain nearly everything you read, you'll be able to discuss the book in next month's "or even next year's" book club! When you read Les Miserables or Moby Dick for your literature class, you will be able to read the unabridged versions in less time than it takes your classmates to read the bastardized cut-out-entire-chapters versions! Not only that, you will have the bragging rights that come with reading the classics as the author intended

Continue:Lifelong Effects of Speed Reading

Speed Reading Technique - 1

2010-11-18T08:57:00.000+08:00

Every serious minded person will come to terms with the fact that the habitual practice of reading ultimately leads to a more oriented, focused and knowledge-based lifestyle.

It's cultivation breeds' exposure. It helps in wise and mature decision making. In fact, reading regularly is the only known effective means of exercising the mind. You may have acknowledged this but have a problem with your frequency and reading speed. Do not worry; we will take care of that.

That is in fact what this report is all about. In this revelation, I will take you by the hand and walk you through some fundamental steps you need to take into cognizance in order for you to increase your speed while reading. Note that it is inconsequential and relatively of no value to read speed if your comprehension rate is low. Why do some people have higher speed-reading rates than others? Why do some search for years without any solution for an end to their low-paced reading? There is a technique involved in this process – the speed reading technique.

This report describes this special way of doing the art we call speed-reading. First, you'll need to understand that the status of your overall fitness (health) is a crucial factor here. You'll have to be visually sound. For confirmation of this, you may want to go for an eye test or exam. Immediately you're done, then we can safely say that for adequate speed reading technique, these are some simple steps you'll need to master:

Deal immediately with all forms of distractions – distraction can take any form, whether its music or a crowded environment, you'll be doing yourself a lot of good if your concentration rate is 99% and above. Immerse yourself onto the session.

Speed Reading Technique - 2

2010-11-17T09:01:00.000+08:00

Start to time your current reading speed ¨C you'll need to know where you are today in order for you to decide where you want to be tomorrow. I've noticed that there exists a sense of urgency when time is associated with any endeavor.

Get a stopwatch and time your current reading rate. This will enable you track your improvements through subsequent timings. Its time to know your average speed-reading rate and how well you comprehend exactly what you read. You can help yourself by logging onto www.readingsoft.com/quiz.html or run a goggle search on "reading speed test" or other related keywords to know where you belong to and how well to improve.

Depending on the type of literature, you're reading, pre-reading may be essential. In fact, most experts give this point a high level of importance. It is necessary because no matter what you're reading, there are "add ups" that makes up the content. These are not the most important facts. Skimming in this way will allow you to know where the main points are located so you can concentrate and emphasize on them while doing the proper reading.

Frequent starts and stops are noticeable traits from slow readers. They tend to re-read words that they are unfamiliar with or they cannot comprehend. This may be OK to some extent if high comprehension is the motif. Otherwise, when it becomes a habit, you cannot beat speed-reading. The technique here is to ensure you mask words as you read so you forget the tendency to go back. Common materials for masking are sheet of paper and the index card. Also, make sue that you get a separate book for vocabulary development.

Write new words and their meaning so you have compilation of new words added to your vocabulary. Trust, this method works effectively. The reason being that you will be more familiar with words as much as not going back to re-read to grasp its meaning. Other times, you re-read for lack of concentration, like we agreed before, please give it all 100% concentration otherwise; it really does not worth the effort. Remember, comprehension is central to speed-reading.

That's it on speed-reading technique.

Speed Reading - Should You Learn It?

2010-11-16T10:17:00.000+08:00

Is speed reading a useful skill for you? To answer this question, you first need to understand if you have a practical use for such a skill, and also what the concept of 'reading' really means to you.

Speed reading skills, which are broadly based on principles of photographic memory and visual stimulation, have both their uses and limitations. For instance, it makes no sense if, at the end, the reader is clueless about what he or she has read.

Such skills are only of any tangible use if they yield a minimum 90% comprehension rate. If such a rate is not achievable, reading at twice or thrice the normal speed can be a futile exercise and even create a lot of problems.

People who can benefit from the ability to read more rapidly than usual include high school or college student who has to wade through sheaves of written material to go through as you increase your level of education.

Businesspersons, such as clerks and executives, also need to constantly process a lot of memos and material, so speed reading can be very useful in such professions. After all, what often matters most for them is being able to remember facts and figures that have vital business relevance.

However, speed reading is probably the biggest boon for those who have reading disabilities. It has been established that approximately 10-15% of all children have problems with normal reading, resulting in much slower reading speeds despite the fact that their mental capabilities are sound. In such cases, it makes sense to acquire speed reading skills, because these can improve learning and comprehension despite the reading difficulties.

Continue: EzineArticles

Easy Tips for Faster Reading

2010-10-15T09:24:00.002+08:00

How to get more out of a trade journal/magazine

Tip # 1: Browse and Play

Browse through the publication--frontwards or backwards--so that you get to know what's in it and where it's located. Notice the layout and how the information is presented. Notice the table of contents and any special sections. Don't be too serious--it's best to be playful.

Notice which articles pique your interest, but don't read them yet. Catch titles, subtitles, pictures, and charts. When you find something interesting, think of how you can use it--reading for information should be a goal seeking activity. Decide how much time you can afford, and then go for it.

Follow this tip and your reading will become purposeful, active, questioning and goal oriented...this means you save time and get more information from the time you spend reading!

Tip # 2: Locate the Most Important Articles...and Be Smart

Get 80% of the information in 20% of the time by simply reading the title, subtitle, bold type, last paragraph and first paragraph--spend only 30-45 seconds. Then reflect on the relevance of the information for you. If it is important to read more, go to the next step. Otherwise, find another article.

Take 1-2 minutes to skim through the article to find the core idea. Know what is being expressed. Do you need more details? If not, find another article.

Read lightly and flexibly. Know what you need. Slow down to fulfill your purpose, answering questions that are most important to you. Since very few words carry the meaning, speed up to pass redundant or useless information.

Tip #3: File important articles, pass them on, or re-cycle the publication.

How to read the reports you love to hate.

In just 11-13 minutes you can get 80% of what you must know from even the most difficult reports. Here's how you can do it now, quickly and easily:

At the end of your work day, take 2 minutes to glance through the report's layout, table of contents and ending. Decide on 3 things you must know from this report.

STOP! Do not read further. Flip the pages in front of your eyes like a fan 2 or 3 times. Make a guess where you will find your answers. Leave it alone until tomorrow.

10 Tips to Improve Reading Speed & Reading Comprehension

2010-10-11T14:19:00.001+08:00

10	Read Early in the Day Many people can double their reading speed and improve their concentration by reading the material that's important to them early in the day.
9	Prioritize Your Reading Create three piles for your reading materials - important, moderately important, and least important. Then read the material in their order of importance. You'll improve your reading speed by doing this, and improve your reading comprehension by getting to the important material first, when your mind is clear and sharp.
8	Skim Material First for Main Ideas Speed read for main ideas in nonfiction works like how-to books and educational texts. Scan the table of contents and first and last sentences of each paragraph. You'll improve your reading speed and comprehension if you understand a book's structure first. This will help you know which parts of the book to skim and which parts to read more carefully.
7	Form a Question Improve your reading comprehension, reading speed, and concentration by turning headings and subheadings in textbooks and other nonfiction books into questions. Then scan the text for the answers. Your reading speed improves by doing this, and you become focused on your material.
6	Read in the Proper Environment Prop your book or magazine using a bookstand - angling your reading material at 45 degrees improves your reading speed and reduces eyestrain. Avoid reading difficult or important material in bed, where your mind and body tend to relax. You'll stay alert if you sit at a desk instead.
5	Write a Course of Action on Correspondence Improve your reading speed and avoid re-reading correspondence by jotting brief notes immediately after reading each piece of correspondence. Simply refer to your notes on each piece when you're reading to respond some time later. READ MORE

Reading

2010-10-11T10:29:00.000+08:00

Do you wish you could dramatically increase your reading speed?

Reading speed is not just something you were born with. It is trainable and able to be developed just like any other skill. Reading is to the brain as aerobic training is to the body - by increasing your reading speed you will likely find yourself with better concentration and memory, sharper thinking and analytical skills, and able to save days, weeks, or even months of time keeping up with your reading.

If you are like most people then you will have a stack of unread reports or articles in your inbox or desk drawer. These regularly get moved to the unread pile of magazines and newspapers in the corner of the room, next to your bookshelf full of books and textbooks, of which most have only been read to chapter 3. If this describes you then you are one of the millions of people that could benefit from learning how to read more effectively. Buzan's speed and range reading techniques have been shown to not only increase your reading speed, but to also allow better retention and comprehension of the things you read. Attend a Reading Program

Tony Buzan's speed reading techniques are based upon forty years research into how your eyes actually function and upon how your eyes interact with your brain. Buzan's techniques are entirely natural and more in tune with how your mind actually works that many of the 'ordinary' slow reading techniques that most people use.

The benefits of reading at different ranges/speeds:

Improves your reading speed dramatically.
Improves and maintains your comprehension.
Increases your understanding of the functions of your eyes and your brain, in order to help you use them far more effectively while reading and studying, and also to improve them in your everyday personal and professional life.
Helps you improve both your general knowledge and your vocabulary.
Saves you time.
Gives you confidence.

Twitter for Business Guide

2010-10-11T07:55:00.001+08:00

Wayne Mansfield here … the man behind Australia’s most successful motivational newsletter… The Maverick Spirit.

You probably have heard about the buzz for Social Media Marketing in general, and Twitter in particular to get more business. What you mightn't know is that I, Wayne Mansfield, am currently acknowledged as the 4th most effective user of Twitter in the world. (Number 1 is FoxNews Network...)

Consequently, I have quickly become recognised as THE expert on how to make Twitter work for business. I'm able to demonstrate in my Twitter for Business Seminars how to create immediate business responses from using Twitter correctly.

Paul Dunn - successful businessman, philanthropist and Chairman of the B1G1 Foundation, Singapore - recently wrote that I have been acknowledged as the 4th most connected and active user of Twitter

I have a network reaching more than 23 million people across Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn. As Paul says: "That is awesome! It’s purposeful dedication and relentless testing coupled with an intuitive grasp of great ways to do things."

Paul goes on to say that I have written what he feels is THE definitive guide for business people, A Beginners Guide to Using Twitter for Business and it is available as a digital download – instantly in your hand to get to work with

What I have done is create, based on how I did it, A Beginner's Quick Start Guide and Tutorial to Using Twitter for Business. It's an eBook that is available immediately to download and it is just $10 Aus.

Read what others say about my skills and then, I urge you, buy the book!

Speed Reading Books!

2010-10-08T09:33:00.000+08:00

Speed Read in 11 Minutes

World’s fastest method, learn 3 techniques that double reading speed, and learn how to read a book correctly.

Learn More

Speed Read in 28 Minutes

A special method for teens and adults. Learn 4 methods that will double your reading speed in less than a half hour.

Learn More

Speed Readin in only one hour

Get the advantages of all the above methods, please reinforcement audio, and how to make your own speed reading scanning device.

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Learning speed reading with speed reading programs from Speedread America is easy and financially beneficial. Our Speed Reading Programs have courses that employ many speed reading techniques and exercises to increase reading speed. These speed reading exercises and techniques as well as other educational books and tools are listed here in our online digital download library.
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November Seminar

2010-10-07T09:45:00.000+08:00

The Golden Opportunity Most Sales People Dread...
Cold Calling is the key to Sales Success

Learn the secrets to making a dynamite first impression

Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats will show sales people how to build powerful techniques that will allow them to get in the door and grab the sale. Because the business environment today is very competitive, sales people need to be constantly building their skills and working at being more productive than any other sales person. Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats will help sales people continue that growth pattern by focusing on real-life issues and providing practical techniques for dealing with them. Designed to achieve instant results, Cold Calling for Scaredy Catsincorporates a planning time so the participants leave with a specific plan to use the techniques and tools they’ve explored.

Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats deals with many areas of interest and concern to sales people. It provides suggestions for overcoming Cold Calling jitters and gives strategies for getting beyond the gatekeepers. Learn the things that should never be said in a cold call and techniques to use voice mail effectively. However, it’s not only about techniques—it’s also about attitude. Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats deals with attitude and how to deal with the stress of being a sales person.

Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats will be an interactive experience for participants as they develop skills in being more effective in aspects of cold calling from making the initial contacts to closing deals. There will be other sales reps and sales managers present so participants will have an opportunity to network and learn from each other as well as in the formal workshop setting.

In a Power Packed three hour session, you will look at the FIVE most important areas of Cold Calling:

Cold calling: the golden opportunity most sales reps dread.
Preparation: the key that separates sales rookies from pros.
Getting through: how to handle screens, gatekeepers, and voice mail.
Honing your telephone skills: sharpening your most effective tool for increasing sales.
Positive attitude and persistence: key ingredients for Cold Calling success.

Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats will share with sales people a step-by-step cold calling approach that will send your hit rate soaring; powerful techniques that turn sceptics into buyers; super-effective telephone scripts you can easily adapt; creative openers that melt resistance and pique curiosity; proven tips for getting past gatekeepers and screens to the person with buying authority; Learn the secret to making a dynamite first impression and establishing your credibility in seconds; and more.

Book your place now as these seminars will Fill Fast
Australia Wide Tour

Group Rates available for 5 or more: 5 - 9 $148; 10- 19: $137; 20+ $125

How to book:

By eMail
Complete the form below & click 'submit'
By fax
Print the form below, complete & send to the fax booking line in your city
By phone
Call the Booking Hotline in your city

National wide tour... at a location near you:

	Phone	Fax
Sydney	(02) 8916 6302	(02) 8916 6166
Brisbane	(07) 3041 4028	(02) 8916 6166
Melbourne	(03) 8678 0316	(02) 8916 6166
Perth	(08) 6313 3978	(02) 8916 6166

Seminar Location and Booking Details
Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats

Monday, November 8th, 2010	Brisbane	Christie Corporate
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010	Sydney	Portside Centre
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010	Melbourne	Karstens Conference Centre
Thursday, November 11th, 2010	Perth	Cambridge Convention Centre

9 am to 12 pm Workbook & Morning Tea provided

Seminar Price $185

Click Here to Book your Place Now!

Cancellation Policy: All sales are final. Should you be unable to attend, a substitute participant is always welcome. No refunds will be given. Speakers and dates may be subject to change.

You are important to us. If you are having problems booking, please let us know by eMail or phone the booking hotline in your city

Any questions?? Feel free to contact us and we'll explain the unique advantages of this particular seminar but remember places are limited!

AEC Platinum Privileges Card: Holders of the AEC Platinum Privilege Card can attend these seminars as part of their membership benefits.

Australian Seminars: http://www.stumpjump.net/

New Zealand Seminars: http://businessseminars.co.nz/

Quotes Of The Week

2010-10-04T09:34:00.002+08:00

When I look back, I am so impressed again

with the life-giving power of literature.

If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of

myself in the world, I would do that again by reading,

just as I did when I was young.

~ Maya Angelou ~

Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted;
nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested:
that is, some books are to be read only in parts,
others to be read, but not curiously, and some few
to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
~ Francis Bacon ~

Joke of the Week - This man was sitting quietly reading his paper...

2010-09-24T09:01:00.002+08:00

This man was sitting quietly reading his paper one morning, peacefully enjoying himself, when his wife sneaks up behind him and wacks him on the back of his head with a huge frying pan. Man: "What was that for?" Wife: "What was that piece of paper in your pants pocket with the name Marylou written on it?" Man: "Oh honey, remember two weeks ago when I went to the horse races? Marylou was the name of one of the horses I bet on." The wife looked all satisfied and goes off to work around the house. Three days later he is once again sitting in his chair reading and she repeats the frying pan swatting. Man: "What the hell was that for this time?" Wife: "Your horse called."

October Seminars!

2010-09-22T10:29:00.001+08:00

Looking for a fast-paced, dynamic sales seminar that will teach simple and effective techniques and strategies to help you achieve outstanding success? Then you should attend this seminar!

PowerSelling is about closing sales in Australia in 2010 and beyond. What separates the pros from all the rest is the ability to "Close the Sale." Without this ability to get the customer to buy, many salespeople fail, businesses don't reach their true potential and countless dollars are lost.

The Truly Australian Way to Sell
Professional selling is an art. And Australians are truly a different buying people to Americans or the English.

The PowerSelling Seminar, presented by Wayne Mansfield - author of the best sellingAustralian Sales Script Book, shows you at least 37 proven ways to close the sale. Hard times have gone on too long... make a decision to attend this seminar and start on the road to sales success

PowerSelling: 37 Secrets of Winning the Sale!

Price and the power of persuasion: Understand the importance of price and how it affects your customer and you will immediately sell more - "how much" doesn't mean "oh we have to cut the price!"
Face to face selling in the 21st Century: Cultural and generational change in the last 20 years make the old assessment of who is a "average Australian" obsolete.PowerSellinghighlights how to engage these changes and prosper.
The one simple truth about selling... Learn this and you will join the SuperStars
SuperSales people have two distinct skills: learn the art of story telling and scripting and reap rich rewards.
Selling to Couples: Learn what you must know to increase your conversion rate when joint decisions are required.
Timing, timing and timing: When is the best time to ask for the sale?? And can there be more than one best time? PowerSelling will show you that timing is flexible and you can recover from a poor first impression with the right timing.
What is Psychophysics and how can it help you sell: Knowing how the mind works WILL increase your sales ability.
People NEVER buy what they can't afford unless... learn how getting people to want what you have is always better than needing what you want - emotions are the key!
PowerSelling covers all these secrets and more... give yourself and your team a competitive edge in this competitive business environment of today and beyond.

October Seminars!

2010-09-22T10:27:00.000+08:00

Are you sick of banging your head against the brick wall? Sales results are not what they should be? Then here is the answer...

Strategies to Lead winning sales people

Sales is the heart of most organizations. The front-line contact with the customer. Seems simple enough, but today, sales management has become one of the most dynamic environments for change in business.

Sales management professionals are now constantly facing the reality of:

customers who seem less loyal, yet more demanding
increasing complex distribution channel options
sales team challenges that push "recruit, reward and retain" to new levels
the pressure not only of selling, but attaining the optimal sales mix
marketing/sales interfaces that require effective negotiation and prioritization skills

The challenges of present day business are more complex than just a few short years ago, but spoils available from the resulting opportunities are vast for those who can master the critical elements of sales force performance. By attending the How to Lead and Motivate Sales Teams Seminar you will gain what could be called an "unfair advantage" on your competitors and tip the advantage in your favour.

Stop being frustrated with the lack of direct ability and performance of your sales team... unfortunately it's probably your own fault! Like most sales managers who have never been educated on the best practices of their position, do you wondering how to more effectively lead and motivate your sales people... well wonder no longer!

Act NOW to book and attend How to Lead and Motivate Sales Teams and you will learn how to achieve outstanding results whilst juggling all these things:

Hiring new salespeople.
Coaching and counselling.
Setting goals with salespeople.
Managing the training and development of salespeople.
Focusing and directing individual salespeople
Creating a winning climate of mutual respect
Force the salespeople to think strategically
Keeping in contact with the changes in the market
Mastering communication with your sales team
Provide regular structured direction and feedback to the sales team
Keeping the sales team focused on the highest-potential activities each month
Providing the team with a sense of ownership of their performance and results

	Phone	Fax
Sydney	(02) 8916 6302	(02) 8916 6166
Brisbane	(07) 3041 4028	(07) 8916 6166
Melbourne	(03) 8678 0316	(02) 8916 6166
Perth	(08) 6313 3978	(08) 8916 6166

Seminar Location and Booking Details
How to Lead & Motivate Sales Teams

Monday, October 18th, 2010	Brisbane	Christie Corporate
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010	Sydney	Portside Centre
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010	Melbourne	Karstens Conference Center
Thursday, October 21st, 2010	Perth	Cambridge Convention Center

2 pm to 5 pm Workbook & Afternoon Tea provided

Seminar Price $297

Click Here to Book your Place Now!

Cancellation Policy: All sales are final. Should you be unable to attend, a substitute participant is always welcome. No refunds will be given. Speakers and dates may be subject to change.

You are important to us. If you are having problems booking, please let us know by eMail or phone the booking hotline in your city

Any questions?? Feel free to contact us and we'll explain the unique advantages of this particular seminar but remember places are limited!

AEC Platinum Privileges Card: Holders of the AEC Platinum Privilege Card can attend these seminars as part of their membership benefits.

Australian Seminars Visit: www.Stumpjump.net

New Zealand Seminars Visit: www.businessseminars.co.nz

Speed Reading

2010-09-22T09:45:00.001+08:00

Radically Increasing Your Reading Speed

The Key Insight

The most important trick about speed reading is to know what information you want from a document before you start reading it. If you only want an outline of the issue that the document discusses, then you can skim the document quickly and extract only the essential facts. If you need to understand the real detail of the document, then you need to read it slowly enough to gain the full understanding you need.

You will get the greatest time savings from speed reading by learning to skim excessively detailed documents, although the techniques you'll learn will help you improve the speed of all the reading you do.

Australian Sales Script Book

2010-08-25T09:22:00.003+08:00

Australia's Own
$ales $cript Book
The Hottest Selling Tool!

There is just ONE real difference explaining why super achieving sales people sell 10 times as much as the average sale person - and extensive international research continues to confirm that when this sales secret is implemented, average sales people become super achievers.

That ONE difference is that super achievers use scripting when selling - saying the right thing at the right time, each time they are in front of a prospective purchaser. And the answer to becoming a super achieving salesperson is easily found in the leading Australian sales resource The Australian Sales Script Book developed by Australians for Australians.

For over 20 years The Australian Sales Script Book has set the careers of thousands of average sales people on the pathway to becoming super achievers.

Our client testimonials show documented increases in sales results of hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 20 years. Extensively updated for the 21st Century, your copy of The Australian Sales Script Book is waiting for you now.

What is a Sales Script Book?
The Australian Sales Script BookIt is a collection of the most powerful and useful phrases (scripts) a sales professional can use to counter any objection and close the sale. A custom tailored Sales Script Book can cost a company upwards of $2,000.... and more.

It is no coincidence that sales superstars, some of who earn in excess of $1 million a year, all use Script Books. The Australian Sales Script Book makes the job of selling easier and less stressful. While your competitors are racking their brains to think up an on-the-spot response to an objection or stall, you can simply glance down the page in the appropriate Australian Sales Script Book section and find the right response to a sure close.

The Australian Sales Script Book contains hundreds of tested sales Scripts. You can now benefit from many years worth of research and purchase your own, generic Australian Sales Script Book You know about the high cost of customised Sales Script Books. They run between $15,000 to $35,000. Now you can get our generic Australian Sales Script Book at the special introductory price of $149.

Continue:Stumpjump

Negotation POWER Seminars New Zealand

2010-08-16T09:20:00.005+08:00

FIRM... FAIR... FUN...
A seminar for more powerful negotiation

Why is it that some people seem to be able to get whatever they want from a negotiation and others do not?

This seminar will show you just why this is – but more importantly, you will learn how to maximise your negotiation results also!

If you have ever felt like:

You were hopelessly outgunned
You were massively intimidated
Your bargaining position was weak

Then you owe it to yourself to make the time to get along to this seminar!

The secret to successful negotiations rests in your understanding of the “Negotiation Power” that you and the other side have in each negotiation. Most people are blissfully unaware of what the negotiation is really about and, as a result, end up in a far worse position than they should have.

This doesn’t have to happen to you anymore!

It doesn’t matter who you are, in business you are negotiating most of the time. Often, you don’t even realise that you were negotiating and this is where your problems start.

Whether you are a senior manager or a receptionist (or anywhere in between) you need to improve your negotiation skills in order to get better workplace outcomes and results.

NegotiationPOWER Skills

In his fast paced, engaging style, your presenter Dennis Hall will share with dozens of negotiation skills including:

How to identify power sources in a negotiation
How to apply appropriate tactics to deal with powerplays
How to get what you want without damaging relationships
How to leverage your powerbase
What is Negotiation
Negotiating to build relationships
Negotiating to deal with Change
What you need to know before negotiating
How to broaden your negotiations
Rules of engagement
Establishing credibility
Agreement signals
Confirming understanding
Checking compliance
Reviewing the outcomes

The negotiation process can become quite a challenge and you may be faced with many difficult situations that can obstruct your strategy to win the deal. NegotiationPOWER - Six Deadly Sins of Negotiation helps you develop a thorough understanding of the practical tips for recognizing the problems and turning the discussions in your favour. We share with you strategies that show you how when you are confronted with a difficult client who is not on the same wavelength as you, a new way to broaden your thinking process and find new ideas for resolving these potential negotiation problems.

Seminar Location and Booking Details
NegotiationPOWER
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 Christchurch Crowne Plaza Hotel
Thursday, September 30th, 2010 Auckland Langham Auckland

Book Now

Time SHIFTING

2010-08-05T10:07:00.000+08:00

Time is money, the adage goes, and lots of it gets lost in disorganisation and disruption. It's time to learn how to Beat Work Overload. Increase Your Effectiveness. Achieve Much More...

Then answer to your time stress is close at hand with Australia's most dynamic Time Management Seminar - it's just 3 short hours, great practical tips and interactive fun and you can regain control of your life.

TimeSHIFTING will be your competitive edge. You will learn to:

* Increase your productivity by prioritizing your activities.
* Evaluate your current use of time, help you take control of your schedule and develop a personal time management system that works for you.
* You will learn how to: balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines with ease, make maximum use of your peak energy time, and improve efficiency in handling routine matters.
* Plan today to meet long-term goals. Have more time for fun.
* Effective Time Management will help you to become an overall better time manager so that you can eliminate stress and finally start doing the things you've wanted to do but couldn't because you were pressed for time

This session is great for:

Business owners, sales and marketing managers, those wanting to regain control of their life.
The staff of any business wanting to get more done in a friendlier positive workplace. Send your receptionist, service personnel, internal sales staff, accounts people, complaints department, travel agents, hotel front office staff, bank officers and other service personnel.

From whatever business or walk of life, you can't afford to miss TimeSHIFTING.

Click Here to Book your Place Now!

Joke of the Week

2010-08-01T09:53:00.000+08:00

Only three doors

An airline captain was breaking in a new blonde stewardess. The route they were flying had a layover in another city. Upon their arrival, the captain showed the stewardess the best place for airline personnel to eat, shop and stay overnight.

The next morning, as the pilot was preparing the crew for the day's route, he noticed the new stewardess was missing. He knew which room she was in at the hotel and called her up wondering what happened. She answered the phone, crying, and said she couldn't get out of her room. "You can't get out of your room?" the captain asked, "Why not?"

The stewardess replied: "There are only three doors in here," she sobbed, "one is the bathroom, one is the closet, and one has a sign on it that says 'Do Not Disturb'!"

Turn your Phone into a Money Machine

2010-07-27T12:58:00.004+08:00

Extensively Updated for 2010 Our most popular seminar

Come and See why PhoneSense is Australia's Most Popular
Telephone Technique Seminars

Used by West Australia's major newspaper to train their 150 strong classified Ad team!

These sessions are great for:
receptionists, service personnel, internal sales staff, accounts people, complaints departments, travel agents, hotel front office staff, banks and other service co’s... if you have a Yellow Pages Ad... you can't afford to miss this!

100’s Of Ideas
Hundreds of ideas to take back to work and put into immediate action! Comprehensive workbook, scripts and backup consultations make these Seminars fantastic value.
If you don’t achieve outstanding results using these ideas we will refund your money.

Australia wide tour... at a location near you:
Phone Fax
Brisbane (Ø7) 3041 4028 (Ø2) 8916 6166
Sydney (Ø2) 8916 6302 (Ø2) 8916 6166
Melbourne (Ø3) 8678 0316 (Ø2) 8916 6166
Perth (Ø8) 6313 3978 (Ø2) 8916 6166

Booking Code : ph-sØ1

More info: Australian Education Corporation

101 Ways To Annoy People

2010-07-26T12:49:00.000+08:00

1. Sing the Batman theme incessantly.

2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage."

3. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."

4. Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..."

5. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.

7. Speak only in a "robot" voice.

8. Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly.

9. Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub".

10. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies.

11. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.

12. Sniffle incessantly.

13. Leave your turn signal on for fifty miles.

14. Name your dog "Dog."

15. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."

16. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."

17. Claim that you must always wear a bicycle helmet as part of your "astronaut training."

Continue:FunnyJokes

Cold Calling Seminars

2010-07-23T11:58:00.000+08:00

The Golden Opportunity Most Sales People Dread... Cold Calling is the key to Sales Success

Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats will show sales people how to build powerful techniques that will allow them to get in the door and grab the sale. Because the business environment today is very competitive, sales people need to be constantly building their skills and working at being more productive than any other sales person. Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats will help sales people continue that growth pattern by focusing on real-life issues and providing practical techniques for dealing with them. Designed to achieve instant results, Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats incorporates a planning time so the participants leave with a specific plan to use the techniques and tools they’ve explored.

Cold Calling: the Golden Opportunity Most Sales Reps Dread

* How Do You Feel About Cold Calling? * What Cold Calling Will Do for You * The Critical Role Prospecting Plays in Achieving Sales Success * Surefire Techniques for Eliminating “Cold Call Jitters” * Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes That Doom Cold Calls * Step-by-Step Cold Call Approach * Skill Practice * Script Checklist

Who Should Attend

* Sales representatives * Sales managers * Account executives, CEOs, and VPs, * Call centre personnel * Customer service professionals * Many others who are involved in sales would all benefit in attending this seminar on cold calling skills

Bok Now: Australian Education Corporation

Qoute of the Week

2010-07-22T11:30:00.000+08:00

Ideas have become far more important to us than action - ideas so cleverly expressed in books by the intellectuals in every field. The more cunning, the more subtle, those ideas are the more we worship them and the books that contain them. We are those books, we are those ideas, so heavily conditioned are we by them. We are forever discussing ideas and ideals and dialectically offering opinions. Every religion has its dogma, its formula, its own scaffold to reach the gods, and when inquiring into the beginning of thought we are questioning the importance of this whole edifice of ideas. We have separated ideas from action because ideas are always of the past and action is always the present - that is, living is always the present. We are afraid of living and therefore the past, as ideas, has become so important to us.

J. Krishnamurti

The PowerSelling Seminar NewZealand

2010-07-20T10:35:00.003+08:00

Looking for a fast-paced, dynamic sales seminar that will teach simple and effective techniques and strategies to help you achieve outstanding success? Then you should attend this seminar!

The PowerSelling Seminar, presented by Wayne Mansfield - author of the best selling Australian Sales Script Book, shows you at least 37 proven ways to close the sale. Hard times have gone on too long... make a decision to attend this seminar and start on the road to sales success

PowerSelling: 37 Secrets of Winning the Sale!

* Price and the power of persuasion: Understand the importance of price and how it affects your customer and you will immediately sell more - "how much" doesn't mean "oh we have to cut the price!"
* Face to face selling in the 21st Century: Cultural and generational change in the last 20 years make the old assessment of who is a "average Australian" obsolete. PowerSelling highlights how to engage these changes and prosper.
* The one simple truth about selling... Learn this and you will join the SuperStars
* SuperSales people have two distinct skills: learn the art of story telling and scripting and reap rich rewards.
* Selling to Couples: Learn what you must know to increase your conversion rate when joint decisions are required.
* Timing, timing and timing: When is the best time to ask for the sale?? And can there be more than one best time? PowerSelling will show you that timing is flexible and you can recover from a poor first impression with the right timing.
* What is Psychophysics and how can it help you sell: Knowing how the mind works WILL increase your sales ability.
* People NEVER buy what they can't afford unless... learn how getting people to want what you have is always better than needing what you want - emotions are the key!
* PowerSelling covers all these secrets and more... give yourself and your team a competitive edge in this competitive business environment of today and beyond.
Professional Presenter. Wayne Mansfield is considered by many to be Australia's most talented sales presenter.

Seminar Location and Booking Details
PowerSelling - 37 Secrets of Winning the Sale!

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 Auckland Langham Hotel
Thursday, August 26th, 2010 Christchurch Crowne Plaza Hotel

2 pm to 5 pm Workbook & Afternoon Tea provided

Book Now!

Easy Pancakes Recipes

2010-07-15T10:23:00.000+08:00

Equipment

A jug to mix the ingredients
A spoon
Fry pan
Spatula

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
Oil, butter, cooking spray

Method

* Crack two eggs into the jug
* Plonk the flour and salt on top of eggs
* Pour in milk
* Mix with spoon or quickly with handheld mixer.
* It is best to let the mixture rest for ten minutes or so but I’m usually in too much of a hurry to wait.
* Heat frying pan and melt butter or oil. I often use an olive oil spray on a non-stick pan.
* Pour in mixture to the size you like. Once bubbles have evenly formed over the top of the pancake flip it over to cook the other side. Once it is cooked through flip onto plate.
* Top with butter, jam, cream, maple syrup, ice-cream, honey, lemon and sugar … whatever you like!

Hints

* Don’t beat the mixture too much, just mix until it is combined. Whenever you beat eggs too much they become tough.
* Some people might mix a dessert spoon of sugar into the mixture to make it sweeter, but I never do.
* Some people also mix a dessert spoon of melted butter into the recipe but I don’t do this either.

Source:Easy Pancakes

Twitter for Fun & Profit New Zealand Seminars

2010-07-12T07:14:00.007+08:00

back by popular demand...

"Tweet" your way towards
"income for life"

what is all the buzz about Social Media and how can you profit by getting into Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Youtube...

... this is "all the tricks & tips" workshop, so take advantage NOW

If you thought Social Media was just for kids - then it's time to Think Again!

If you thought that you couldn't make a continuing income in this tough economy? then it's time to Think Again!

Prime Minister Rudd does it. Big companies are doing it. Oprah and Ellen are doing it - even Rove is doing it. You thought it's not for you then it's time to Think Again!

Worried about working forever? Don't be because if you act quickly and get into the Twitter revolution... you can be a year way to an "income for life" then it's time to Think Again!

Book Now! Business Seminars New Zealand

Joke of the Week

2010-07-06T07:04:00.001+08:00

A Real Man

A real man is a woman's best friend.

He will never stand her up and never let her down.

He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.

He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear and forget regret.

He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires.

He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and invincible......

No wait... sorry... I'm thinking of gin, never mind.

Upcoming Seminars - Putting Customers First

2010-07-05T07:14:00.005+08:00

Does your customer service STINK...

68% of customers who leave do so because of the indifferent attitude of a company employee while just 9% are won by the competition... what are you doing about that?

Take the lead and win more business through excellent customer service. This fabulous 3 hour seminar shows you how to win customer loyalty that will guarantee your competitive advantage.
As never before, Putting Customers First is THE critical strategy for business success in the 21st century.

Success in the long term depends upon customers continuing to receive real benefits from your products and services. Maintaining your customer focus will ensure that your customer and your business reap the rewards as you achieve your objective of Putting Customers First.

Putting Customers First is your competitive edge. You will learn:

* To gain a thorough understanding of your customers requirements, needs, and expectations.
* To evaluate trends, retain long-term customers and define best customers.
* To gather valuable feedback, establish service priorities, agree future emphasis, and document your objectives.
* To deliver service to customers that they expect, when it is expected and at a fair price using up-to-date business processes.
* That effective efficient serve and support is the key to building customer loyalty in a business that puts customers first.
* To plan and implement for the expected changes that will always invigorate and help your business grow.
Take action NOW to make your Customer Service GREAT. The Putting Customers First Seminar is FANTASTIC for people at all levels of business, whether owners or team members who want to build a customer first business. We encourage the staff of any business wanting to get more done in a friendlier positive workplace to attend. Business owners should send their receptionist, service personnel, internal sales staff, accounts people, complaints department, travel agents, hotel front office staff, bank officers and other service personnel.

From whatever business or walk of life, you can't afford to miss Putting Customers First.

Continue: Putting customers First

Upcoming Seminars

2010-06-29T10:02:00.005+08:00

The Seven Secrets of Communicating with Confidence, Clarity & Credibility in Every Situation
Learn all you need to know about successful communication both face to face and remote - from interpreting body language to writing letters, optimising meetings to speaking on the telephone
How to Communicate with Confidence, Clarity & Credibility in Every Situation not only shows you how to hold an audience when making presentations and how to take notes or compile reports, but also provides practical techniques for you to try in many different situations.

Good communications is the lifeblood of an organisation and a successful business. When you master the skills of speaking, writing and listening you will pave the way to effectively sharing information and improved business and personal relationships.

Book Now! Australia wide Australian Education Corporation

Joke Of The Week - Reading between the lines

2010-06-28T10:17:00.003+08:00

1 Bob Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found

2 hard at work at his desk. He works independently, without

3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never

4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and always

5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended

6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee

7 breaks. Bob is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no

8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound

9 knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be

10 classed as an asset employee, the type which cannot be

11 dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be

12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be

13 executed as soon as possible

Addendum:
That idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly re-read only the odd numbered lines

Speed Reading for Understanding

2010-06-28T10:07:00.001+08:00

Speed-reading is a great tool but not if you don't comprehend what you read. The whole point of speed-reading is to read and understand material at a faster pace so more can be accomplished in less time. If you speed read and then don't know what it was you just read, you haven't really accomplished anything.

To better understand what you are speed-reading, you first have to make sure distractions are eliminated as much as possible. Distractions, such as television, will interrupt the reading flow. It is best to be in an area that has less traffic, such as a den or home office. Someone just walking through the room could be a big distraction.

Be sure you are in a comfortable chair with good light so you are not shifting around or straining your eyes. Many people find it easier to concentrate on reading if they have the material on a desk rather than holding it in their hands. This gives your hands the freedom to follow the flow of the reading material.

Using one or more fingers on the page you are reading to pace the flow can aid in understanding what you are reading. As your fingers move down the page, they keep your eyes following the sentences. You can pick up on key points in the material easier if your eyes don't skip down the page too fast for your brain to comprehend the meaning of sentences.

Before you actually start reading, skim through quickly to get a feel for the pattern of the material. Every author has a particular pattern and going with the flow of that pattern will help to understand the material. It is be a different pattern for different books and authors. It might seem as though this will add to your reading time but it will actually shorten it in the long run as you will comprehend better as you read and not have to go back to re-read as much. During this skimming, you will also be able to make a mental note of particular points to pay attention in understanding the entire material. More...

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2010-06-27T10:50:00.002+08:00

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Quotes Of The Week

2010-06-26T10:35:00.000+08:00

Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to
mankind, which are delivered down from generation to
generation as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn,
~ Joseph Addison ~

Of all the diversions of life, there is none so proper to fill up
its empty spaces as the reading of useful and entertaining authors.
~ Joseph Addison ~

Software To Help You Read Faster!

2010-06-24T08:17:00.003+08:00

Why Speed Reading Software?
Reading uninteresting text can slow down many readers. Unfortunately, you can't get out of reading what's required. Many people wish they could read faster to save time at work, school or home. There are people out there who possess a natural talent for speed reading. They're able to enjoy the extra time doing what they want to do and reading what they want to read, rather than the boring documents they have to read.

With effective speed reading software, average and slow readers can learn to increase their reading speed while maintaining a high rate of reading comprehension. On this site you will find articles such as Reading When There's No Time To Read and Top 10 Books You'll Want to Speed Read as well as reviews on The Reader's Edge, Ace Reader Pro, Speed Reader X and other speed reading software to help you in the decision making process.

Speed Reading Software Qualities
A good speed reading program will offer several general features. The program should track a reader’s progress to prevent accidentally repeating the same exercises and tests from a previous session. For multiple users, password protection can be important to protect readers' privacy. The option to change the program settings are also useful to choose specific texts, set reading speeds and choose the types of exercises to take.

Feature SetEffective speed reading software will include comprehension tests for reading exercises and/or speed tests. Learning to read faster doesn’t accomplish anything if the reader fails to comprehend what they read.

The software should also require readers to take a speed reading test the first time they use the program to establish a base speed reading rate to track readers’ progress. Based on this rate, the program will automatically set the reading speed for exercises and tests. The option to manually adjust reading speeds is also important in the event a reader doesn’t feel they are ready for a particular speed. More...

Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics

2010-06-24T07:55:00.003+08:00

THE DISCOVERY: Reading Dynamics is a discovery, not an invention. People have been reading rapidly for centuries. Nineteenth century economist John Stuart Mill complained he couldn't turn pages as fast as he could read them. Author H. L. Mencken could read a 250 page book in an hour. US President Theodore Roosevelt read 2 to 3 books a day while in office.

Evelyn Wood's discovery began when she was working on her Masters Degree at the University of Utah shortly after WW11. She submitted an 80 page term paper to her professor Dr. C. Lowell Lees and then watched in amazement as he read and graded it in less than ten minutes. His untrained reading rate: 2500 words per minute, yet he could not explain how he did it. Mrs. Wood, a school teacher, began to wonder if she could do the same thing and if there were others with similar skills. A two year search turned up some 50 people from all walks of life, teenagers to an eighty year old. They could read from 1500 to 6000 words per minute, and understand and remember what they had read. Analysing them she found they read more than one word at a time, seeing words in meaningful patterns, and moved their eyes quickly, smoothly, and easily down the page. They adjusted their speed to the type of material they were reading and knew how to find the thoughts in a paragraph, and the central idea in an article or book. "The purpose of reading," Mrs. Wood wrote, "is to get the information, feeling, and understanding the author is trying to convey. And, gauged by this purpose, these natural readers succeeded admirably."
Read More...

How to Learn Speed Reading

2010-06-24T07:49:00.002+08:00

Whether you're hitting the textbooks in philosophy class, reading long-winded emails from co-workers, or just reading the morning newspaper, chances are at one time or another you've wished you could read a little faster. So widespread is the desire to learn speed reading, in fact, that teaching the skill has become big business: a host of companies now offer books, training sessions and even computer programs to increase reading speed, sometimes at a cost of hundreds of dollars. But why fork over your paycheck or student loan money for a speed reading system when you can start reading faster today by following these simple steps?
Read More...

Quote Of The Week

2010-06-24T07:26:00.005+08:00

I've traveled the world twice over,

Met the famous; saints and sinners,

Poets and artists, kings and queens,

Old stars and hopeful beginners,

I've been where no-one's been before,

Learned secrets from writers and cooks All with one library ticket To the wonderful world of books.

Speed Reading Tactics - How Do You Read Super Fast and Comprehend?

2010-06-23T13:44:00.001+08:00

The most often question I get asked is, "How can I read over 1500 words per minute and still understand, or comprehend the material?" Stated in another form, "Does speed reading really work?" Without writing an entire course, this article will try to answer these questions.

When people question about reading fast and not comprehending, there is a basic misunderstanding of terms. As I've written in previous articles, reading is the mind's response to print. If your mind is not responding when you are applying any speed reading technique, then you are in fact not reading. The word reading, then, always assumes some level of comprehension.

If you have been exposed to some program that teaches you how to move through materials at very high rates in the thousands of words per minute range and you are not comprehending, then the program has failed you. Recently I got an email from someone who told me they had been working with a computerized program and that they had increased their speed to over 2000 words per minute but were not comprehending much and asked if I could help. This was an excellent example of bad, misguided training. Read More...

Jokes Of The Week - Teacher Humor

2010-06-23T10:41:00.004+08:00

- Mother: What did you learn in school today?

Son: How to write.

Mother: What did you write?

Son: I don't know, they haven't taught us how to read yet!

- Teacher: What are you reading?

Pupil: I don't know

2009-12-14T11:40:00.002+08:00

A world community can exist only with world communication, which means something more than extensive short-wave facilities scattered; about the globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common ideas, and common ideals.

Robert M. Hutchins

Joke of the Week

2009-12-07T09:21:00.002+08:00

I have a question

A father and son went fishing one day. While they were out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, "How does this boat float?

The father replied, "Don't rightly know son." A little later, the boy looked at his father and asked, "How do fish breath underwater?"

Once again the father replied, "Don't rightly know son." A little later the boy asked his father, "Why is the sky blue?"

Again, the father repied. "Don't rightly know son." Finally, the boy asked his father, "Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?"

The father replied, "Of course not, you don't ask questions, you never learn nothin'."

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