SPEED READING EVELYN WOOD SEZ: CONCENTRATION
Author: H. Bernard Wechsler

The following are excerpts, quotes and paraphrased comments
from lectures, conversations and writings by *Evelyn Wood (1909-1995).

1. Q. "Many of my students have problems with concentration, any ideas?"

Reading in a "whisper" (out-loud), is one way to begin to train concen-
tration.
Point # 1 is that it takes training to command our concentration
not to wander to the past and the future for a peek, and ignore the
present.

2. Q. "But I thought subvocalization was a no-no?"

The "small, still voice" we hear while reading (subvocalization), is natural
and is required for all reading below 900 words per minute. The average
college graduate reads "basic" level of difficulty material at 250-300 words
per minute, with 70% comprehension, therefore they subvocalize until they
reach speed reading, which begins at 900 wpm.

3. Q. "My students are skeptical about speed reading, how can I allay
their fears? Many have purchased a book at Barnes and Nobel on speed
reading and it did not do a thing for them, what's the explanation?"

If you wanted to learn to drive a car, or roller-skating, even the intricacies of
producing a digital movie, would reading-a-book, even with pictures, turn you
into an expert? Whether it is online or in an Instructor-Led-Class, we require
personal attention, customized to our learning style with the ability to get
immediate feed-back.

A Q&A when learning anything new is a requirement,
particularly in an "academic-skills" program. A book will not produce the
optimal and permanent results required for students, executives and pro-
fessionals. Speed reading has been taught to over 2 million and is guaranteed
to add 300% to their information-processing skills - permanently.

4. "What did you mean about "whispering" while reading, how would that
help to focus concentration?"

Auditory-Reinforcement is a proven method to train our concentration. When you
"hear" the words on the page you are reading, it blocks out all thoughts
and images from the past or future that are interfering with "attention" and
"interest", and pinpoints exclusive focus on the author's ideas. It is an "exercise",
not a permanent strategy, and will be eliminated within 21 days. After three-weeks

"whispering" will not be required because speed reading will become automatic,
and deep concentration using your pacer becomes a neuroconnection - a habit.

5. "I understand, but is there a special way to "whisper" as an exercise?"

Let's begin with the definition of concentration: it just means "with-a-center",
and that is where the phrase, "getting-centered", comes from. When we concentrate
we block out noise, including voices in the next room, music and "monkey-thoughts"
jumping into our mind about the past and future.

We whisper the sentences aloud as an exercise to "still" our mind, it's a form of
relaxation and rivets our attention because it is not how we ordinarily read. Anything
novel or a change from the usual awakens a part of our brain called Broca's Area
to pay strict attention. Broca's Area is associated with articulated speech, including
what we "mentally" hear (subvocalization), when reading.

There is another element why whispered-reading as an exercise to train
concentration must work. Who is the single most important person to you
on the planet? No, not your mother, spouse or child, the correct answer is
"YOU!" It is not selfish, just how our genome and natural selection produced
our mind and body. Therefore when we hear our own voice, it is the most
pleasant sound on this earth, and we must pay absolute attention to the
exclusion of anything else. And who do we "believe" above and beyond all
others on this planet? Right - you!

Conclusion: when we whisper the words we read
on a page as a temporary (21 days), exercise when training our concentration,
we believe in the efficacy and benefits of this strategy. Why? Because we trust
ourselves to do the right thing, to create improved concentration, and learn
speed reading. Do not underestimate the power of our own words as a tool
for improvement, who cares more about your personal growth?

Just read and whisper loud enough for you to hear the sentences. Don't
rush, just your ordinary reading speed. We read at 7 miles per hour, and
are capable of speed reading at up to 160 miles an hour. Our objective is
to triple your reading speed with the same comprehension or better, so
21 miles per hour is well within your capabilities - it's easy. Each time you
do your concentration-exercise please spend five-minutes at it prior to
reading "silently".

We emphasize 'silently', because speed reading at up
to 900 words per minute is "not" silent, we hear the words recited mentally
through another part of our brain - Wernicke's Area, which translates the
squiggles of ink on a page or computer screen into the words of the
author. Concentration is focusing on the "ideas" we hear.


6. Q. "What kind of improvement in concentration can we expect using
your whispering strategy for 21 days?"

A 300% improvement is common, and most will find that they focus all
their attention on a page without any intentional effort because it has
become a habit. Concentration and not a "monkey-mind" becomes the
norm whenever you sit down to study.

The expression is "getting-in-the-flow", or "in-the-zone", it is "self-
actualizing", bringing out your best level of concentration. Professor
Abraham Maslow would agree.

7. Q. "Anything else about concentration?"

No, but would your students be interested in 'doubling' their long-term
memory by an easy strategy?

Tell them to stop after each chapter or at the end of an article and
"verbalize" aloud the two or three key points of what they want to
recall later from the author's ideas.

That's right, suggest they recite aloud in a whisper that they alone
can hear, the essential points they learned. And to add another
level of long-term memory, have them grab a pen and write the
same points on a page.

What happens is that we have involved all three of our major senses
in learning - visual - auditory - kinesthetic (touch), and this triple-play
reinforce each other for permanent information-processing storage.

8. Q. "That's unusual. Just whisper and then write the key points
for review?"

We strongly suggest you use the FistNote, a graphic illustration that
answers the major questions to create simple and permanent recall.
It is a creation of one of my associates and is a major breakthrough
in basic information-processing for long-term memory improvement.
You can email for the details of FistNoting.

9. Q "I get questions about the difference between Skimming, Scanning
and Screening, how would you answer it?"

Skimming is when you "browse" online, or glance randomly through a
book. It has great importance in learning and is emphasized as a strategy
in speed reading particularly for exam taking. The purpose of skimming
is to get an "overview" not the specific details of the material. We use

it to decide if the book, article or report is worth our time, and has anything
new and worthwhile to tell us. Why waste time if it is a rehash of stuff we
already know?

Scanning originally meant to read in a cursory or hasty way - to glance at.
Its origins are Latin, meaning to climb. Today scanning means to see and
reproduce every thing it sees: an optical scanner is fast but it does not
miss anything. An fMRI produces an exact version of what it examines.
When we "scan" in speed reading we read each and every word, punctuation
mark and symbol on the page.

Screening is the most inclusive reading and is used only for examinations
as a third perusal of text. It includes Macro, Mini and Micro details that
appear in the text. We use it to imprint details for quick retrieval when
examined.

10. Q "How do we control "daydreaming" in class?"

First, daydreaming is a natural, healthy brain attribute. It helps us integrate
for long-term memory what we have learned. Experts say we daydream as
much as 70% of the time we are not actively engaged in concentration.
It makes sense of the past events and permits us to mentally practice our responses
for future experiences. It is a form of relaxation and valuable unless
it interferes with dedicated learning time.

Have you heard the expression: our eyes are reading, but our mind is daydreaming?
It is common when reading before sleep or after a prolonged study session to
"drift" even though our eyes are allegedly engaged in reading. There is no
comprehension because our Wernicke's area is not operating to translate the
symbols into the author's idea. The answer is take a break or start your
whisper-reading strategy to awaken Karl Wernicke.

Last point, daydream is useful but not when we are concentrating on learning
because then we must get "in-the-flow" for optimal long-term memory.

That it, thank you for visiting and be useful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
copyright 2003
H. Bernard Wechsler
www.speedlearning.org
email: hbw@speedlearning.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H. Bernard Wechsler is a senior educational consultant to The SpeedLearning Institute,
affiliated with Long Island University, The Learning Annex, and NYC schools through
The DOME Project.
He is one of the founders of Evelyn Wood speed reading, graduating 2 million including
Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Carter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*H. Bernard Wechsler and The SpeedLearning Institute are Not associated, affiliated
nor connected with the present management of Evelyn Wood speed reading.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


v






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

H.Bernard Wechsler is a senior educational consultant to The SpeedLearning Institute, affiliated with Long Island University, TheLearning Annex, and in NYC schools through The DOME Project. He is one of the founders of Evelyn Wood speed reading, graduating 2 million including Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Carter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------