As with anything we choose to do, there are usually too many choices. When it comes to learning, it is perhaps easier if one decides what form of learning suits us best. Do you prefer one-to-one tuition, or group workshops? Are you good at studying on your own with paper and pen, or do you work best using computers?
When it comes to choosing the best method of learning to speed-read, such choices exist right across the board – from one-day seminars to multi-lesson home study courses.
First there was schoolteacher Evelyn Wood in the 1950s, and her groundbreaking theories, and lessons, and then there were self-help books. Now there are numerous good software packages for home-computer study. But which is best? Well that all depends on what the student wants from their speed-reading instruction, and how best they study.
If the student prefers face-to-face interaction in the physical presence of teachers, then seminars/workshops would be best. If on the other hand the student finds they can work best at their own pace, in their own time, then the self-help book might be the best option. However, if the student is serious about learning to read fast, and wants it now, then the home-computer package is probably the right choice.
Tuition in the classroom, seminar, or workshop has its benefits in that there is instant access to one-to-one guidance where answers can be quickly forthcoming, and there is the shared sense of group participation that some people enjoy, and find conducive to the learning experience. The downside is study is limited to certain days, and time frames, that may not suit the student on some occasions. Students have little control over when they attend. Perhaps they are ill, or not in the mood, or too hung over from the night before. There are many reasons why attending class can be a drag, as well as a boon.
Books are one of man’s most marvelous creations, and have been the lynchpin of learning since time immemorial. We simply would not be where we are today without the influence, and assistance of the printed word, and indeed the hand-written manuscripts of old. But when it comes to self-study via textbook that is a different question. Self-study requires concentration, dedication, and the ability to focus the mind for long periods of time without being distracted. In fact, the irony is, if one could read faster then reading such textbooks would in fact become easier. But learning to read faster via textbook is not necessarily the best way.
There is also the question of speed. So those people looking to learn to read faster, more speedily, would definitely be better off choosing some decent software for the their PC or laptop. There are plenty of programs on offer, with 7 Speed Reading being the most recent addition to the selection.
And judging by their tagline that it takes just “seven minutes a day” to get up and running on the road to a faster reading speed, this piece of kit might well be worth checking out first.
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