Oh, anybody can read fast. I can read very fast (skimming) but I don’t retain the data when I read that fast. The key is understanding what you read!
I found an interesting test (thanks for the link, Karen!) that tests how quickly you read AND comprehend. I think it’s a pretty cool test. Here are my results:
I do read pretty fast, but not because I am good at reading- I am terribly impatient! I often skim a page quickly to absorb all the verbs (action) and move on. And some books I read slower than others, some I read faster. It all depends.
Cute quiz, though. I thought it was well done and it’s certainly informative! Take the Staples How Fast Do You Read test.
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March 14, 2012 at 1:24 pm
I’ll have to take that test when I get back to a real pc but I CAN read fast when it warrants it for me to find out what I want to know and sometimes like you will skim through to get to that point. Other times I just read FAST. I remember rerading one of the Harry Potter books in one day because I couldn’t put it down and stayed up all night to finish it. If its something I’m really interested in I’ll read fast. The most recent one was a book about Auschwitz and read that in about a week off and on. My schoolbooks are my hinderance right now from enjoying reading and purposely read those slower to make sure I absorb and hopefully retain what I’m reading because I don’t like to study for stuff.
March 14, 2012 at 8:31 pm
I’m a pretty fast reader but like you i skim rather than read all the info which sometimes leads me to misapprehend things and then I have to start over again.
March 15, 2012 at 6:45 am
You ARE a fast reader! Okay, now I want to know if you skimmed in that test or actually read the words. (It said not to skim.) When I am in a hurry to get through a book and go to skim mode, I just read the first and last lines of paragraphs which gives you a comprehensive overview. I think this is better than just picking out action words. Sometimes I will skim down the middle of the page and glean what I can.
March 15, 2012 at 10:10 am
Gadzooks! You are fast! But hey-I didn’t do too bad considering I had 7 yr old and a 4 yr old yapping at me about work and a dog while I took the test… got 370. Oh well. Fun anyhow 🙂
March 15, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Well, I read ALL DAY LONG for work. I read, research, and write. Because I do so much computer reading, I skim very quickly. I absorb only the details I need for my research. But when I leisurely read, I tend to read slower or I tend to have to go back over the page because I missed an important detail from skimming! So even though I scan pages very quickly, I do miss details. It doesn’t help that I have a bunch of kids and dogs and a cat clambering all over me, lol. Sometimes it’s really hard to concentrate! There should be a special test for moms. LOL
I got 2 out of the 3 questions correct with the reading list, Karen.
March 16, 2012 at 8:43 am
I got all 3 questions right! I feel better now 😉