Quote:
Originally Posted by faithbw
But isn't being engrossed in a book and hence reading more often and a little more quickly different than "I need to read this x amount of words per minute no matter what" ? How can you really enjoy a book thinking about how many words you're reading? I've tried to increase my reading speed and in the process used a book I read previously. It was the worst reading experience. If I hadn't read the book previously, I wouldn't have known what the book was about because I was so focused on reading the words quickly instead of understanding and enjoying the book.
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Of course it is. How many people think about the number of words they are reading unless they wish they read faster or are feeling it is a contest or justifying their slightly lower reading skills by pompously explaining what superior readers they are.
And yes, reading to improve your reading speed will do that. Just like eating hotdogs to win a contest might not let you enjoy each hot dog. I think that trying to read faster for short periods will result in a person being able to comfortably read faster with the same retention and understanding, but I am not advocating it or even doing it.
Lots of people read 500 WPM and have good enjoyment and retention. Average reading speed for college graduates statistically I believe so many must read faster. There are lots of independent articles on the subject. Just because I can't doesn't mean no one can.
I'd like to read faster, because there are a lot of books I want to read and I will not live long enough. But I don't try to read faster. I have read 600 pages in a day but generally take 1-3 days to read 300 pages. Depends on time, and how much I am into a particular book.
Helen