Scanning for information

Read the information following closely:

How wreid is tihs? Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe. We hvae a ntaural aytilby to mkae snsee of vsiual ceus.

How do you recognize what is important?
In print media, look for bold print, underlined print or print in italics. These are visual cues to signal the reader that a word or phrase is important.

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Speed reading hints:
Scan the page vertically. Try sweeping over the text as a whole block rather than reading from left to right. Allow your eyes to float down the page, taking in full blocks of text. Be sensitive to key words. The vast majority of words on the page are simply the "glue" that holds sentences and paragraphs together. Look for the nouns and verbs that carry the full meaning.

Paragraphs are ussually written in such a way that the first sentence and the last sentence offer a summary of the idea.

Print media is generally organized in a reader-friendly way. Look for topic headings, separations, blocks around text, and of course, illustrations.

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Lectures and presentations:

• Listen for a shift in volume or voice inflections. Note repeated words or phrases.
• A speaker will often pause or use body language some way to emphasize a point.
• Try to remember key words or phrases that summarize what the speaker has said.
• A speaker will often display key points in a presentation. These often include key words that will improve your ability to remember ideas.

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Page Last Updated: April 12, 2006 11:28 AM

Skills for the 21st Century