Seven precepts of fast reading

- Dude, sharpen the ax!
- Yes, I have no time! Firewood needs to be cut!

Not every habrayuzer can afford a systematic speed reading course, be it “Dominant” by Oleg Andreev (as one of the stages of integrated intellectual development), or Khromov's “Quick reading technique”. In this article I will try to describe in simple language the basic techniques that you can easily remember and try to put them into practice without interrupting your work, or studying.

First of all, it is worth noting that the CU is not a magic wand and not “reading diagonally.” None of the people who own this method jumps over words or whole lines. Paradoxically, the situation is exactly the opposite: reading is faster if comprehension of information is an active and laborious process. It's no secret that interesting text is easier to read. Thus, our main task is to make ourselves love a boring text, arouse a certain interest in it, make our brains work .
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1. Do not re-read the text again.
   
   One of the main problems of CU are the so-called regressions (involuntary return movements of the eyes within one line). Remember a simple thing: regressions are evil. Because of them, each person reads the same text several times. There are two reasons for regressions: strength of habit and lack of attention. No, do not re-read these words,% username%. Do not reread, I say!
2. Create an algorithm for yourself.
   
   Moreover, for each type of text - its own. You don't read RSS feeds from Habr in the same way as RSS feeds from Bashorg, right? That's right. All texts are different . But almost every one of them has not only its own structure, but also information on which you should focus your attention. Here they are, these magic points that will allow you not to drown in the boundless ocean of excess information:
   
   • Author
     
     A source
     
     Problem (in our language - subject, subject)
     
     Facts (dates, places, names, events)
     
     Features of the presented materials
     
     At this point you should "put" your own critical attitude to the read. Most psychologists say that a critical attitude helps to memorize information much better. ANY. Make way for healthy skepticism!
     
     New! (The information that is really new to you).
     
     From myself I want to add that these magic points can be safely broken down into some more sub-punctuation points, and the new method of “puncturing” can be called technology, banned and sold to someone for crazy money. Just kidding, of course. But about puncturing - not kidding. My score has gone to tens and I think it is very good .
     
     Highlight keywords, and from them - the dominant.
     
     This is perhaps the most important. We all know how much “water” is in the lyrics. You will be surprised if I tell you that it is good? So that's great! Because it really is . Moderate redundancy allows you to enter yourself in a very important state, for which at the moment there are dozens of symbols. I call this the search state . I think this term is understandable to most of those present here. Search is useful. Search is good. Even robots can search for and find keywords in the text, but those algorithms that a person uses at that time are very different from primitive if-els!
     
     Try (right now) to remember the keywords in this text. I will honestly help you:
     
     Active process, regressions - evil, algorithm (patent, money, joke), keywords (recursion went), dominant (main idea that fits at least a line of the screen).
     
     As you can see, it is simple. But extremely useful . In fact, your brain thus compresses the information, forming in itself the neural connections that allow this information to be unzipped back. That is, the brain works more actively. And, as I said , the CU is an active (dominant) and time-consuming process.
     
     Do not articulate!
     
     Neuroscientists argue that without a special method of "tapping" a simple person can never get rid of articulations (involuntary internal pronunciation of words). As you already understood, articulations are also evil. They interfere with the translation of the convulsions of the tongue and larynx into the inner speech , thereby significantly slowing down the process of reading itself. Unfortunately, the neurophysiologists who have been studying these problems in our country for forty years are absolutely right. If you want to get rid of the articulations, then for two weeks you will have to sit and study for two hours to read the text, tapping loudly on the table with your right (then left and together) special melody with your hand. At the same time, you will experience very interesting sensations: first you will not understand what is happening in the text , then you will understand, but you will not remember , and then you will understand and remember, but you will go crazy and be lost forever for Habrahabr . Joke. I would venture to suggest that we have everything special here. And when the desired reading speed is reached, the articulations will disappear by themselves. Try not to pronounce the letters to yourself .
     
     Keep your back straight.
     
     Short and funny item. Point of respite. The point is happiness.
     
     Expand your "field of view"
     
     Readers quickly do it this way: they visualize a vertical line (the Japanese, of course, are more and more difficult), which divides the text exactly in half. And they “read” not like you two or three words at a time, but with whole lines. Cool, of course. After all, they have a wide field of view ! How to make it so? Play games that require peripheral vision work. Quake III Arena will also come down ( oh! Handy! ). But even better is football.
     
     Read carefully.
     
     In addition to “merge with the text into a single whole”, “visualize yourself indigo children” and “do not pretend to be electrocaps”, this point would be worth including the most simple, simple things: do gymnastics for the eyes (what can you!), Smoke less ( drink less and smell), read more, laugh more often and live a full healthy life. It also helps to read quickly!