Readers and reading are of two broad types: skimming (scanning) and reading. There are different styles of reading for different situations. The technique of reading depends on the purpose of reading. So first of all, you should have the purpose of reading very clear in your mind. For example, one might be reading for enjoyment, information, or to finish a task. If you are researching or reviewing, you might skim through a document. Reading speed depends on the purpose of reading. Skimming is usually done four-five times faster than normal reading. Many people consider skimming and scanning to be search techniques, rather than reading strategies. Skimming is usually resorted for quick identification of the main contents of any given material.
Some people read the first and last paragraphs using headlines, sub-headings, summaries, searching for keywords. But while scanning, it is advisable to read the first sentence, for it gives a fair and a broad idea of the contents of that paragraph.
Newspaper reading can be easily compared to long-distance running. You should start jogging in the beginning, let the muscles warm up and accelerate a little bit at the halfway mark and sprint only at the last lap of the race. It is thus, strongly advised that if you are a beginner at serious reading of a newspaper, do not skim, or scan to start with. Skimming requires trained movement of eyes from one word, sentence, or paragraph to another. This will come with sustained practice and one must increase the speed of reading gradually.
Reading requires careful attention to every word and detail. However, anyone can increase the speed of reading while maintaining equal, or even higher comprehension. If you subscribe to a particular newspaper, slow reading in the beginning is a must to train the eyes for the type and size of the font. There are three factors which can help in enhancing reading speed: (1) willingness to improve, (2) keenness to try out new techniques and (3) motivation levels to practice reading regularly. With practice – and gradually, try to develop a wider and broader eye-span. This will help in reading more words and later on, even sentences, at one glance. Try to increase the eye-span from one sentence to two, then to three, four and then the whole paragraph. For, even physiologically, the movement of the eye is amongst the fastest movements of our body. Hence, it is of utmost importance to control eye movement while reading, for eyes have a peculiar habit of not being fixed at one place and the gaze just keeps shifting to see and visualize more and more.
One major difficulty in reading, or even scanning, is that the eyesight, if not trained, has the habit of jumping and skipping words that are difficult to read, or not familiar to the eye. This leads to problems in reading and retention. Often one may misread, or misunderstand a word while reading fast. Thus it is all the more important to read slowly and at a comfortable pace and increase the speed only when the eyesight is properly trained. Certain write-ups like editorials, main stories of the day have to be read carefully. Skimming can be practiced in cases where one is reading for leisure on a weekend, or vacation and perfect it before applying to daily reading. One can of course, formulate own reading techniques for speed-reading with practice.
Therefore, start reading by applying these techniques, for being a prospective mass communicator, you will be required to read/scan tonnes of material. However, one major must for reading is that you must not take it as a burden and have to enjoy the entire process. For, as they say – “Bon Chance” (Wish you all the best).
CIVIL SERVICES PREPARATION:
Civil Services preparation point of view is important in this place, when an aspirant reads a newspaper. If one goes through the previous years questions of Current Affairs, it will give broad idea about the pattern. Normally asked questions are about Personalities, Places, News of National and International importance. Bilateral issues relating to India and other Nations, Visit of Head of the States of other Countries, Visit of Indian President and Prime Minister to other Countries, Important agreements etc.
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