WHY ARE THE SMARTEST PEOPLE THE SLOWEST READERS?

I am a learning freak, can't get enough of it. All day - numbers are my game, but tied for first place is information processing. Lifetime-learning is my lodestar, recreation and mind-expander. I used to keep silent about it, my clients (I'm a CPA and partner in a Miami firm),expected me to dream about their financial problems.

Consider reading,U.S. Department of Education research indicated that the typical 3rd grader stops 173 times to read each 100 words. So what?

The average college graduate stops 75 times to read each of his 100 words. Great compared to the 3rd grader, but slow and boring, and inefficient.

Why do we read so slowly?

You might be interested in knowing which professionals are the WORST readers. Guess? I would have said accountants. First place in lousy information processing is a tie! Lawyers and executives read the slowest based on testing two-million. Why?

Because they are afraid they will miss something, causing these intelligent folks to stop and caress each word like it was the Hope diamond. They regress twice on every page, and have a comprehension of only 70% as they "snail" along.

So?

Secret #1 Always read with a pen in your fist underlining each word of a sentence as you think. You will increase your speed 50%, and add 10% to your concentration and memory. Huh? It's an instinct - our eyes follow a moving object. It's what saved our cave-dwelling ancestors from sneaky dinosaurs and enemies next door.

Secret # 2 Always use the cursor on your computer like a magic wand as you read text. How? Underline as you read articles, your email, everything. The cursor becomes your pacer, and your instinct kicks in - your eyes follow that moving object. So? Again, you increase your information processing a strong 50%, and add that important 10% to your memory and concentration.

So that's it, you're on your way to improved knowledge acquisition.

Want to know why the most intelligent people hate reading? It slow and boring and their brain is moving at the speed of sound.

What is the principle of great info-processing?

A sweeping arc of words across our retina?

Huh?

Reading groups of words and phrases at a time, using our peripheral vision. Specifically, taking in a sentence in three gulps, not ten, which is typical for educated professionals. But now you have the first two steps.

There is more if information-overload is part of your career, but ask me later.

Good Health & Success
Donna