Once again, we have decided to do a screaming-deal through Groupon. Our $249 1-day speed reading workshop is only $55. How can we afford that? The answer is simple, really: we have to. It is so important that these speed reading skills get out to as many people as possible. The skills aren't tricks or techniques to use occasionally. The system is designed to allow you to bring information into your life in a way that your brain likes. That means that you don't fall asleep anymore while reading, you don't lose your place, and you remember everything you need to.
I have also decided that our Groupons will NOT have an expiration date. To me, having a certificate expire in 6 months or a year is totally unfair. Why should a deal have an end date except to maximize the profit of the merchant. You either offer a deal or you don't. So don't worry about being busy right now. You can take a class anytime you want, for the rest of my life (I think I have at least another 50 good years left!).
Please consider having your entire family take the class. For 13 years of age and up it is a wonderful experience to have a family learn something new together. If you have younger children, you can teach them after you learn.
Check out the Testimonials at the readfast.org website. They are all real and they tell the story best.
Buy extra Groupons for gifts. They are great for someone in school, in a demanding job, or unemployed. Having taken the class looks great on your resume. It shows how dedicated you are to personal and professional growth.
Call or write anytime with any questions.
Jackie
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Great Seattle public classes this past weekend . . .
Wonderful speed reading classes this past weekend! Sixty more people were set off into the world with the skills learn how to read anything and everything they want.
It so pains me to think of how many people conclude that they aren't very good learners, that school isn't for them, and therefore, they are limited in career choices and in the heights they can achieve. Most of the time, nothing could be further from the truth. I have found that the only thing holding most people back from achieving their hopes and dreams is their perception of themselves. Too often, this perception has been created based on false assumptions.
The way most of us were taught to read is actually nearly the opposite of the way our brain works. Getting sleepy while you read, losing your place, and even hating to read result from your brain being totally bored with the way you read.
It is troubling to think of all the people who have settled for a job or given up on a dream because they thought that studying or learning wasn't for them. Such a waste.
The good news is that for two hundred and fifty bucks (less when we have a sale), you can change your entire way of learning and reading and become anything you want to become. It takes some practice, to be sure - anything worth doing does.
It is something worth considering.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Speed Reading Phone App for the iPhone
I was recently contacted by the developer of an iPhone app that could be useful for our speed reading program practice. Called Quickreader, it comes with 25 full copyright free books to practice on. You can select your desired reading speed and practice! No Android or Windows app yet, but hopefully in the future. See the app in action in a video at the site.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Speed Readers Don't Use Laptops In Class
This attitude also reflects the classic misconception in education that it is somehow the instructor's responsibility to get the student to learn. This has never been true. The student, especially the older adult, is completely responsible for the success of their learning experiences. You decide what you want to get out of a class and how you want it to contribute to your life. The teacher gives you the means, shares examples, explains concepts, but you are responsible for using a system of information capture that facilitates your learning.
The laptop may seem like it is a help, but it is actually a hindrance. Even if you are using it to take notes, it takes you out of the discussion. You cease being engaged with the teacher and the other students. It also locks you into to a linear, left-brain notetaking technique that is rarely useful. When you try to study notes taken in this way, you find them of little use.
Teachers are finding that students who bring their laptops to class perform as poorly as students who didn't bother to come to class at all.
Speed readers from our program learn a powerful right-brained note taking technique that serves them in any situation. It turns them into very active listeners and they are always very present for the conversation. Many students have said that the note-taking method alone is worth the price off the class.
The best part of the method is that you do not need a computer. In fact, it doesn't really work with a computer - you hand write the notes in such a way that you can fit an entire day of lectures or create a study guide of excellent notes on an entire book on just one page. Teachers who see notes taken in this way after their lectures often ask the student for a copy!
It doesn't matter if you think your teacher is boring or doing a good job. This note-taking technique transcends all of that and makes you the engaged listener and thinker you need to be for your education and your career to be successful.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
New Practice Website
Hi Speed Readers,
I came across a new website that could be useful as you practice, especially in building that "seeing and knowing" muscle and your peripheral vision. It is called Eyercize. You paste the text you want to pracftice with into the box at the bottom of the page and then you get to pick a reading speed, number of words you want to see in a group, and other parameters. It they will underline the number of words you selected at the pace you chose. That site is apparently going to put out more speed reading tools.
I hope your practice is going well and that you are working through any resistance or doubt. Keep it up, be patient, always do the Overview and push yourself to see and know the words. Build your excellent page of notes and watch your comprehension grow.
Good luck!
Jackie
I came across a new website that could be useful as you practice, especially in building that "seeing and knowing" muscle and your peripheral vision. It is called Eyercize. You paste the text you want to pracftice with into the box at the bottom of the page and then you get to pick a reading speed, number of words you want to see in a group, and other parameters. It they will underline the number of words you selected at the pace you chose. That site is apparently going to put out more speed reading tools.
I hope your practice is going well and that you are working through any resistance or doubt. Keep it up, be patient, always do the Overview and push yourself to see and know the words. Build your excellent page of notes and watch your comprehension grow.
Good luck!
Jackie
Monday, January 11, 2010
Speed reading training brings up interesting issues
Students are often surprised at how many seemingly unrelated personal growth issues arise as they are learning speed reading. Why would studying how to read faster bring up issues of self-esteem, how much one believes in oneself, and the degree to which we have been conditioned to certain ideas? When you look below the surface, it starts to make sense.
We were taught to read in kindergarten through the third grade, very impressionable times in our lives. Often we were asked to read out loud by our teacher who then said, "now read to yourself." That speaking outloud to yourself is called subvocalization and it slows down your natural ability to read by as much as 50 percent. It limits you to reading at the speed of sound when you mind is quite capable of reading at the speed of sight.
You do not have to say the words aloud in your head to understand them. Do you say "stop" to yourself when you approach a stop sign on the road and think about what to do next? No. You recognize the pattern that is the word "stop" and through your learning and experience, you do what is necessary.
The same is possible for your reading. You don't have to think about the word. You know what it means and your mind can create all you need to experience the thought that the word generates. Then a gestalt experience is possible where you experience the ideas behind the words.
It is interesting to see how many people find an inner voice that tries to hold them back, to convince them that there is no way they could possibly know a word by just looking at it and generating the thought.
We were taught in school to slow down if the material is hard so that we would remember it better. Yet when people slow down in tough material, comprehension drops to barely 50 percent. This is not just a result of the material being difficult. It turns out that the slower you read, the LESS you remember. Yes, the faster you read, the more you will remember. It is the way your brain is wired.
Yet speed reading students will struggle at first as their minds try to hold them back, trying to make them believe that there is no way they could read fast. Often, after a practice session reading at a rate of about 3,000 to 5,000 words per minute (the average reader reads at 250 words per minute), I will ask a student what they got out of the section they were reading. Often, the initial response is "well, I didn't get anything - I was moving too fast." I'll say, "OK, sure." Then I will ask again, "but tell me what you noticed, anything at all." The student will start describing all kinds of information that they picked up. Even though they did comprehend quite a bit, their minds are so convinced that only by saying the words aloud in their head and reading them one at a time could they possibly get anything.
Our powers to disbelieve even that which unfolds before our own eyes is very strong. Years of doing or perceiving things a certain way can result in strong resistance to change. We often have a fear of change as well, especially of those things we have held dear for many years, even if they haven't been working for us!
But that voice of self-doubt can be soothed and ultimately quieted. Just tell yourself "you know brain, I get why you think we didn't comprehend anything, but the fact of the matter is that we did. I understand your disbelief, but let’s be open to new realms of possibility."
What if you tried this in other areas of your life as well? When self-doubts arise, when you believe that options are few, what if you decided that you might not be right? What if you left open the possibility that your perceptions might be influenced by your lifetime of experiences, observations, and conclusions, not all of which are valid? It's kind of freeing, when you think about it, the idea that you have more control over your emotions and perceptions than you have previously believed?
Always be on the lookout for wonderful discoveries about how you could change your perceptions, alter your way of being, and challenge the assumptions that have created your ideas about how the world works. It is an amazing journey.
We were taught to read in kindergarten through the third grade, very impressionable times in our lives. Often we were asked to read out loud by our teacher who then said, "now read to yourself." That speaking outloud to yourself is called subvocalization and it slows down your natural ability to read by as much as 50 percent. It limits you to reading at the speed of sound when you mind is quite capable of reading at the speed of sight.
You do not have to say the words aloud in your head to understand them. Do you say "stop" to yourself when you approach a stop sign on the road and think about what to do next? No. You recognize the pattern that is the word "stop" and through your learning and experience, you do what is necessary.
The same is possible for your reading. You don't have to think about the word. You know what it means and your mind can create all you need to experience the thought that the word generates. Then a gestalt experience is possible where you experience the ideas behind the words.
It is interesting to see how many people find an inner voice that tries to hold them back, to convince them that there is no way they could possibly know a word by just looking at it and generating the thought.
We were taught in school to slow down if the material is hard so that we would remember it better. Yet when people slow down in tough material, comprehension drops to barely 50 percent. This is not just a result of the material being difficult. It turns out that the slower you read, the LESS you remember. Yes, the faster you read, the more you will remember. It is the way your brain is wired.
Yet speed reading students will struggle at first as their minds try to hold them back, trying to make them believe that there is no way they could read fast. Often, after a practice session reading at a rate of about 3,000 to 5,000 words per minute (the average reader reads at 250 words per minute), I will ask a student what they got out of the section they were reading. Often, the initial response is "well, I didn't get anything - I was moving too fast." I'll say, "OK, sure." Then I will ask again, "but tell me what you noticed, anything at all." The student will start describing all kinds of information that they picked up. Even though they did comprehend quite a bit, their minds are so convinced that only by saying the words aloud in their head and reading them one at a time could they possibly get anything.
Our powers to disbelieve even that which unfolds before our own eyes is very strong. Years of doing or perceiving things a certain way can result in strong resistance to change. We often have a fear of change as well, especially of those things we have held dear for many years, even if they haven't been working for us!
But that voice of self-doubt can be soothed and ultimately quieted. Just tell yourself "you know brain, I get why you think we didn't comprehend anything, but the fact of the matter is that we did. I understand your disbelief, but let’s be open to new realms of possibility."
What if you tried this in other areas of your life as well? When self-doubts arise, when you believe that options are few, what if you decided that you might not be right? What if you left open the possibility that your perceptions might be influenced by your lifetime of experiences, observations, and conclusions, not all of which are valid? It's kind of freeing, when you think about it, the idea that you have more control over your emotions and perceptions than you have previously believed?
Always be on the lookout for wonderful discoveries about how you could change your perceptions, alter your way of being, and challenge the assumptions that have created your ideas about how the world works. It is an amazing journey.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Is speed reading for real?
I get questions and challenges from reading tutors and coaches sometimes, questioning the legitimacy of speed reading. After having been surrounded by an educational system with assumptions and techniques that seem to be designed to slow people down, it is no surprise.
People struggle with reading for a variety of issues. Some are social, some are emotional, and some are purely educational and process oriented. In my experience, mass education is often the culprit. Students whose learning style falls a little outside the expected norm are classified challenged and usually labeled, then ignored, punished, or even sometimes medicated.
But nearly everyone who is taught to read in the West is challenged because the process used in nearly every school ignores the natural power of the brain and uses techniques and assumptions that are primitive at best. When children are taught to sound out words in their head, they are essentially being given a ball and chain that diminishes their reading speed and comprehension potential by 50 percent.
Speed reading changes the input strategies most people are saddled with in school to ones that 1) are used by people who speed read naturally without instruction and 2) more closely match the way education and neurological research shows the brain wants it.
Did you know that the "QWERTY" keyboard was intentionally designed because it is the most counter-intuitive layout possible? It was designed to slow people down so that the original mechanical typewriters wouldn't jam as much. Now we have computers capable of lightning fast responses and the keyboard is the same!
I have seen thousands of people experience the joy that comes from letting go of the assumptions that shackle their learning. I have seen teenagers labeled ADD, slow, struggling, and a host of other terms blossom with these techniques.
You don't have to have worldly knowledge or an excellent vocabulary. In speed reading, context takes center stage as we holistically take in the conversation that the author intended.
Happy speed reading!
People struggle with reading for a variety of issues. Some are social, some are emotional, and some are purely educational and process oriented. In my experience, mass education is often the culprit. Students whose learning style falls a little outside the expected norm are classified challenged and usually labeled, then ignored, punished, or even sometimes medicated.
But nearly everyone who is taught to read in the West is challenged because the process used in nearly every school ignores the natural power of the brain and uses techniques and assumptions that are primitive at best. When children are taught to sound out words in their head, they are essentially being given a ball and chain that diminishes their reading speed and comprehension potential by 50 percent.
Speed reading changes the input strategies most people are saddled with in school to ones that 1) are used by people who speed read naturally without instruction and 2) more closely match the way education and neurological research shows the brain wants it.
Did you know that the "QWERTY" keyboard was intentionally designed because it is the most counter-intuitive layout possible? It was designed to slow people down so that the original mechanical typewriters wouldn't jam as much. Now we have computers capable of lightning fast responses and the keyboard is the same!
I have seen thousands of people experience the joy that comes from letting go of the assumptions that shackle their learning. I have seen teenagers labeled ADD, slow, struggling, and a host of other terms blossom with these techniques.
You don't have to have worldly knowledge or an excellent vocabulary. In speed reading, context takes center stage as we holistically take in the conversation that the author intended.
Happy speed reading!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Power of Affirmations
Affirmations are very helpful. You have probably done them at one time or another. Giving yourself a "pep talk" before an important meeting or event is a good way to bolster your confidence. Visualizing the outcome you desire is a powerful way to achieve your goals.
The way our brain is designed makes visualizations and affirmations possible. Strange as it may seem, your brain doesn't really understand the difference between imagination and reality. Astronauts have known this for years. During training programs, they will visualize their work in space and body monitoring equipment will register as if they were really doing it. Their bodies and minds learn the movements. Professional sports teams use affirmations and visualizations as a primary training tool. We use these techniques in our speed reading workshops, but you can use them every day to help you get by.
Affirmations help in our information drenched world as well. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all we are surrounded with each day. We come into contact with more information each day than we know what to do with.
Today's affirmation: I move through the world with confidence and grace, learning what I need to know along the way, increasing my awareness of important matters in my life.
Try this when you feel overwhelmed: I have the ability to learn all that I need to know and that which I have to learn will flow freely into my life.
Take a few deep breaths and say these affirmations to yourself before you begin your day, before you begin work, or just when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Have a great day.
The way our brain is designed makes visualizations and affirmations possible. Strange as it may seem, your brain doesn't really understand the difference between imagination and reality. Astronauts have known this for years. During training programs, they will visualize their work in space and body monitoring equipment will register as if they were really doing it. Their bodies and minds learn the movements. Professional sports teams use affirmations and visualizations as a primary training tool. We use these techniques in our speed reading workshops, but you can use them every day to help you get by.
Affirmations help in our information drenched world as well. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all we are surrounded with each day. We come into contact with more information each day than we know what to do with.
Today's affirmation: I move through the world with confidence and grace, learning what I need to know along the way, increasing my awareness of important matters in my life.
Try this when you feel overwhelmed: I have the ability to learn all that I need to know and that which I have to learn will flow freely into my life.
Take a few deep breaths and say these affirmations to yourself before you begin your day, before you begin work, or just when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Have a great day.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Google insures that books stay alive!
Print on Demand machines have been around for quite a few years. These amazing machines, part copier and part printer, can produce a 300-page soft cover book in about 5 minutes. I published both my books with publishers that used that technology. There is no need to maintain an inventory and the book can stay in print indefinitely.
Now Google has announced this week that it will make its catalog of 2-million digitized books available to On Demand Books "Expresso Book Machine" which it plans to make available to locations around the globe. These paperback books will cost the consumer about $8 each and will have access to the 2 million books on Google that are no longer protected by copyright. This includes titles published before 1923 and includes classics like "Moby Dick" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" as well as very obscure titles.
What a wonderful balance this is between digital books on devices like the Amazon Kindle or Sony Ebook reader and the desire to have a real book in ones hand. For speed readers, it is an excellent development. Speed reading is best served by having access to the entire book, something that e-book readers don't yet do well.
We would all do well to check out these out-of-print older works being made available by Google. Too often these books are ignored since most can't be found during Internet searches. We must always remember that there are thousands of years of human thought that have been written down and we would all do well to explore this vast resource.
Now Google has announced this week that it will make its catalog of 2-million digitized books available to On Demand Books "Expresso Book Machine" which it plans to make available to locations around the globe. These paperback books will cost the consumer about $8 each and will have access to the 2 million books on Google that are no longer protected by copyright. This includes titles published before 1923 and includes classics like "Moby Dick" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" as well as very obscure titles.
What a wonderful balance this is between digital books on devices like the Amazon Kindle or Sony Ebook reader and the desire to have a real book in ones hand. For speed readers, it is an excellent development. Speed reading is best served by having access to the entire book, something that e-book readers don't yet do well.
We would all do well to check out these out-of-print older works being made available by Google. Too often these books are ignored since most can't be found during Internet searches. We must always remember that there are thousands of years of human thought that have been written down and we would all do well to explore this vast resource.
Speed Reading Practice - Week 3
The beginning of the third week of speed reading practice could find you wondering if you have totally forgotten to read! The new techniques, not quite yet in your comfort zone, are becoming more and more familiar, but at times, you find yourself wondering if there is any merit to this new way of reading.
It is common for doubts to set in, especially when you are replacing long-held behaviors and beliefs about information intake. There is a part of our psyche that wants to hang on to the familiar, even if the familiar is painful or not working for us.
Be patient and ride out the confusion. Tell yourself, "this is only a temporary state of mind. Each day, I am becoming a better and better speed reader and soon, all these new techniques will feel familiar and easy."
By the end of the third week, you will likely find yourself feeling very confident with your new way of reading. If it takes longer, don't worry. It was months before I felt really comfortable with the new techniques, but I held the steadfast belief that it was the right thing to do and that it would eventually become part of my comfort zone. And it did!
Keep customizing the Triple Reading Process. Intentionally choose how you are going to read a book, how many passes through you will likely need (usually determined after the Overview), and whether or not you need to take notes while you read.
After a few months - sooner for some - you will feel less like you need a formal process. You will always Overview a book, article, or report, but then you will decide as you go what the process needs to be. I find myself moving back and forth between my notes and the book quite freely, always striving to "see the words and know that I know them."
Good luck!
It is common for doubts to set in, especially when you are replacing long-held behaviors and beliefs about information intake. There is a part of our psyche that wants to hang on to the familiar, even if the familiar is painful or not working for us.
Be patient and ride out the confusion. Tell yourself, "this is only a temporary state of mind. Each day, I am becoming a better and better speed reader and soon, all these new techniques will feel familiar and easy."
By the end of the third week, you will likely find yourself feeling very confident with your new way of reading. If it takes longer, don't worry. It was months before I felt really comfortable with the new techniques, but I held the steadfast belief that it was the right thing to do and that it would eventually become part of my comfort zone. And it did!
Keep customizing the Triple Reading Process. Intentionally choose how you are going to read a book, how many passes through you will likely need (usually determined after the Overview), and whether or not you need to take notes while you read.
After a few months - sooner for some - you will feel less like you need a formal process. You will always Overview a book, article, or report, but then you will decide as you go what the process needs to be. I find myself moving back and forth between my notes and the book quite freely, always striving to "see the words and know that I know them."
Good luck!
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