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Developing Speed Reading At a Young Age
One of the things that we never grow out of is pronouncing words that we read in our heads. This slows down reading
incredibly and is completely unnecessary. It is possible to read a sentence when the letters have been jumbled up
and still make sense of it, so it stands to reason that we should not have to spell out a sentence word by word or
words letter by letter to comprehend it.
It is a good idea to teach your child the technique of speed reading once he or she has learned to read. This will
help a child understand texts better as well as enjoy reading as something fun rather than a tiresome chore.
Playing Games
It may seem surprising but one of the things that increases speed reading ability has nothing to do with reading.
Children who play sports or are involved in plenty of outdoor activities are likely to be good readers. This is
because at a young age the eyes are still developing and the simple activity of tossing a football around outside
will improve hand eye co-ordination that is a very important skill when reading. Playing games also improves
peripheral vision which is also important when speed reading.
All these outdoor activities besides being healthy for kids will build up speed reading
abilities in your child. The games a child place will train his or her eyes to follow words on a page in the
proper sequence and make it easier to increase pace with simple speed reading techniques. These skills are
lost when a child is constantly in front of a television or computer screen all day.
It is also important to limit the time spent in front of the television or computer. It is thought that children of
ten and older should take 20 minute breaks for every 45 minutes of computer use. While younger children may need
ten minute rests between half hour periods on the computer. These types of visual strain also impede speed reading
ability.
Encourage Reading
Speed reading, at any age, is only possible once a person is a proficient reader. This means that they already have
a good command of the language they are reading in and have a good vocabulary. Speed reading is impossible if the
reader has not learnt to read well yet. So before teaching speed reading to your child it is important that he or
she has read plenty and read well. This will make the exercise less frustrating and progress will come much faster
as well.
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