The science of speed reading and memory techniques for children

Hello, dear readers! Today we would like to discuss the topic of speed reading. Have you ever wondered how it is possible that some people can read an entire book in just a few hours? The answer lies in the skill of speed reading. If you are curious about how to start your journey in acquiring this extraordinary skill, we invite you to read on!

What exactly is speed reading?

Speed reading is the ability to scan and absorb content from text in a significantly shorter time than with standard reading. With this skill, we can read faster while still maintaining full understanding and retention of information. It is an incredibly useful skill both in everyday life and in learning or work. Although it is not magic, we can learn to read faster through appropriate techniques and exercises.

Why is it worth teaching children speed reading?

First of all, because reading is the key to knowledge and self-development. The faster your child can absorb content from books, articles, or textbooks, the more engaged they will be in learning and acquiring new skills. Speed reading also saves time that can be devoted to other passions and interests.

Memory is another important aspect that is worth developing in children. With memory techniques, your child will be able to remember larger amounts of information and also recall important facts and data more easily. This is a skill useful both in school and in everyday life.

How to start learning speed reading?

1. Encourage your child to read: Starting from a young age, read fairy tales to your child and tell interesting stories. This will help develop their interest in literature.
2. Focus and concentration: Before starting to read, it is important to be fully focused. Eliminate any distractions and find a quiet place where you can concentrate on the text.
3. Create a friendly reading environment: Equip yourself with a variety of books, magazines, and newspapers. Give your child the opportunity to choose and encourage them to read independently.
4. Body position: Check if your posture is comfortable and encourages focus. Avoid uncomfortable positions that may lead to quicker fatigue while reading.
5. Skipping irrelevant words: Read with greater confidence in your mind and learn to skip words that are less important for understanding the whole sentence. Focus on key information.
6. Developing scanning skills:Scan the text visually, looking for key words, phrases, and information. This will help you quickly identify the most important content.
7. Regular practice: Speed reading is a skill that needs to be practiced regularly to develop. Remember that this process takes time and patience.
8. Elimination of subvocalization: Subvocalization is the habit of silently pronouncing words in your mind while reading. To read faster, it is worth reducing this habit or eliminating it altogether. Focus on understanding the overall meaning of the text rather than internally reading each word.
9. Exercises to expand your field of vision: The larger your field of vision, the more words you can capture in one glance. Use exercises such as reading in a wide horizon, which means scanning the text horizontally, to develop this skill.
10. Use memory techniques: Learning mnemonic techniques, such as creating associations, rhymes, or mind maps, can help your child remember information. Have fun together with these techniques!

Speed reading exercises for children

Here are some simple and fun exercises that will help your little ones develop their speed reading skills:

• Quick finger tracking: Let’s start with a simple exercise that will help your child focus on the text and speed up reading. Ask them to track a line of text with their finger, moving it from one word to the next. This will help strengthen focus and increase reading speed.
• “Jump reading”: This exercise involves your child jumping their eyes from one word to another without reading them in full. At first, you can do this together, and then encourage the child to try it on their own. This exercise will help them master the skill of quickly moving their eyes across the text.
• “Reading sprint”: Choose a text that the child wants to read, such as a short story or tale. Set a time challenge, for example, 5 minutes, and try to read as much as possible in that time. Remember, it’s about reading speed, not understanding every detail. This exercise will help develop the skill of quickly scanning text.
• “Collect words”: In this game, choose a page from a book and ask your child to point out as many words as possible that start with a specific letter. For example, “Find as many words starting with the letter ‘M’.” This exercise develops the skill of quickly recognizing words and focusing on initial letters.
• “Flying reader”: Ask your child to move their eyes from top to bottom of the text as quickly as possible, without stopping at each word. The goal of this exercise is to speed up reading and develop fluency in scanning the text with their eyes.
• Group reading: Organize reading meetings with family or friends. Each child can choose a short excerpt from a book and read it aloud at a quick pace. This is an excellent exercise that will stimulate healthy competition and encourage fast reading.
• Timed reading: Challenge the children – read as many pages of a book as possible within a set time. The clock will be a motivating element that encourages focused reading and speeding up the pace.
• Watch exercises: Ask the child to read a text on one page of a book within a specified time, for example, within one minute. Repeat this exercise, gradually shortening the time to develop reading speed.
• Reading in pairs: Suggest to the child to read in pairs. Each child can read one paragraph aloud and then jump to the next. This is a great exercise that will help develop both reading speed and listening skills.
• Listening to audiobooks: In addition to traditional reading, encourage children to listen to audiobooks. This is a great alternative that will allow them to familiarize themselves with different reading styles and speed up word recognition.
• Quick eye movement exercises: Set reference points on the page (for example, with a finger or pencil) and practice moving your eyes from point to point, trying to maintain the pace.
• Tracking with the eyes: Move your eyes smoothly across the lines of text, avoiding going back to previous words. Imagine that your eyes are “sliding” over the text.

In addition to the skill of fast reading, memory techniques are equally important for developing your child’s mind. Memory is a key element of learning and achieving success in school.

Memory techniques

– One of the basic memory techniques is the method of associations. Encourage your child to create visual images or vivid stories related to what they want to remember. Imagination is key here! This way, the information will be more durable and easier to retrieve later.

– Another helpful memory technique is repetition. Encourage your child to regularly repeat the information they want to remember. This can be short repetition sessions every day or from time to time. Repetition reinforces what has been learned in memory, making it more durable.

Remember that regular practice is the key to success in fast reading. Encourage your child and give them time to develop these skills. Fun exercises and a positive atmosphere will help make the learning process even more enjoyable. Good luck!