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Reading ice cream style
Yes, there really is a way to read faster without sacrificing your comprehension
And no, it’s not racing your hand down the page in a zig zag motion from the Evelyn Wood program.
Instead, try this. Most of us enjoy ice cream. Now imagine walking in an ice cream shop and seeing the display case with your favorite flavors. You tell the worker your order. When they scoop to start filling your cone or bowl, do they only get a tiny bit of ice cream at a time? No! They grab one, two or three scoops (depending on your order).
Well, it’s like this with reading too. You want to try and grab more than one word at a time. Because remember, we read like we talk. It helps with the natural up and down rhythm. When you’re having a conversation with someone, do you race through words without taking a breath? or do you read robotically or in slow motion? Of course not. You speak at a natural, easy to understand pace. This means you speak a few words together in one breath. Then you pause, and repeat. Your voice is steady for a statement, goes up for a question, and uses expression when you’re surprised, happy, or another feeling of happiness or frustration. You also slightly pause when you list items or phrases.
How will I know where to scoop the words each time? Phrases like baking bread, we cheered at the game, and be your own beautiful are straightforward, but if you’re not sure, just try your best and phrase it where it would sound natural. When you read, start by reading two or three words together for practice. Imagine you’re scooping those words up for your cone or bowl. Remember to obey punctuation! Once you’re feeling comfortable, you can try four or five words. Note that it helps to have good background and vocabulary knowledge before you even attempt this. Because let’s be honest, although the dictionary can be useful for definitions and pronunciation, it can be exhausting to have to constantly interrupt your reading to use it. I hope this helps! This can be a fun way to improve fluency and prosody
And no, it’s not racing your hand down the page in a zig zag motion from the Evelyn Wood program.
Instead, try this. Most of us enjoy ice cream. Now imagine walking in an ice cream shop and seeing the display case with your favorite flavors. You tell the worker your order. When they scoop to start filling your cone or bowl, do they only get a tiny bit of ice cream at a time? No! They grab one, two or three scoops (depending on your order).
Well, it’s like this with reading too. You want to try and grab more than one word at a time. Because remember, we read like we talk. It helps with the natural up and down rhythm. When you’re having a conversation with someone, do you race through words without taking a breath? or do you read robotically or in slow motion? Of course not. You speak at a natural, easy to understand pace. This means you speak a few words together in one breath. Then you pause, and repeat. Your voice is steady for a statement, goes up for a question, and uses expression when you’re surprised, happy, or another feeling of happiness or frustration. You also slightly pause when you list items or phrases.
How will I know where to scoop the words each time? Phrases like baking bread, we cheered at the game, and be your own beautiful are straightforward, but if you’re not sure, just try your best and phrase it where it would sound natural. When you read, start by reading two or three words together for practice. Imagine you’re scooping those words up for your cone or bowl. Remember to obey punctuation! Once you’re feeling comfortable, you can try four or five words. Note that it helps to have good background and vocabulary knowledge before you even attempt this. Because let’s be honest, although the dictionary can be useful for definitions and pronunciation, it can be exhausting to have to constantly interrupt your reading to use it. I hope this helps! This can be a fun way to improve fluency and prosody
